TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Chobani's Twin Falls plant will significantly ramp up its production capabilities, increasing its milk usage from 4 million gallons a day to 12 million gallons daily following the completion of its new expansion. During today’s groundbreaking ceremony for the facility, Idaho News 6 spoke with state officials about the sourcing of this additional milk.
“If Hamdi builds it, we’ll fill it with milk,” said Rick Naerbout, CEO of the Idaho Dairy Producers Association. When we last spoke to Naerbout in January, he said that dairy producers had concerns over how President Trump’s immigration crackdown could affect the labor force for local dairy operations. Now, with an apparent decline in illegal border crossings, he believes it is time for Congress to address immigration solutions that support agricultural workers.
“We need to transition the conversation to talking about how do we create more opportunities for individuals to come into the country legally and fill the jobs that we have available in agriculture,” Naerbout said.
Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya is a vocal supporter of refugee and immigrant workers in his plants and communities. For him, the focus extends beyond headlines to the lives of the individuals involved.
“We will look at this as the need, when it comes to farms, the lives of people who work in their farms and their families is extremely important,” Ulukaya said.
Chobani collaborates with the Refugee Center to offer jobs to resettled individuals. Chandra Upretti, the Refugee Program Director, shared how these opportunities can transform lives.
“At the refugee programs, everything centers around employment, so it’s very fortunate to have Chobani as our partner as we place our clients here to work, and they’re able to move on with their life and become self-sufficient,” Upreti said.
For the refugees, securing employment isn't merely about a paycheck; it’s a critical lifeline. “For refugees, employment is not just employment," Upreti said. "It’s a lifeline for them, so once they’re employed, then they give them hope to move forward and become self-sufficient.”
Meanwhile, Idaho Governor Brad Little highlighted the need for clear immigration policies.
“We obviously absolutely have to get the border closed down. We absolutely have to get these troublemakers and threats to society out of here,” Little said. “We also have to add some stability.”
He pointed to the successful H-2A guest worker program used in the sheep industry, which has allowed documented foreign workers to remain in Idaho for up to three years. Little suggested implementing a similar approach for the dairy industry could be beneficial.
“Get that done to add certainty to those families here and certainly to the dairy and food processing industry,” he said.
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