Ag labor challenges are at the forefront of the industry’s minds. The National Farmers Union (NFU) says the industry can no longer afford to ignore them.
“Farmers right now, right, we’re paying really strong wages out there as it is,” says NFU President Rob Larew. “If this workforce gets even tighter and tighter, you know, it’s going to drive some folks out of production.”
Larew says that many attempts have been made to address the issue in Washington, but they always fall short, and it has been frustrating to watch.
“We’ve had bipartisan bills make it a part of the way through Congress with the support of farmworker’s groups, and so it’s been extraordinarily frustrating that there’s a lot of consensus on what should be done to kind of reform H-2A in particular, but we just can’t seem to get it done,” he explains.
Larew says that finding adequate labor might be agriculture’s most significant problem today. He remains hopeful that H-2A reform is possible.
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University of Nebraska-Lincoln President Dr. Jeffrey Gold talks about heart health and preventive care for viewers in rural communities.
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Jeramy Stephens of National Land Realty breaks down current trends in the farmland real estate market and how landowners should consider water availability and its impact on land values as they plan for the year ahead.
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Purdue University Professor of Agricultural Economics Dr. Jim Mintert shares a closer look at farmer sentiment and the key issues shaping the agricultural economy in January.
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Securing Critical Water Resources for South Texas Agriculture
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