Farm labor is a big issue on ag lawmaker’s plates this year. It has been in the spotlight with President Trump’s deportation efforts.
Researchers at CoBank have been studying the issue for some time now, and they warn it could soon have a big impact on not just farms, but rural communities as a whole.
CoBank warns the already tight labor market could get even more strained, especially in areas like the upper Midwest. They found that those communities often lack the flow of immigrants needed to offset the aging ag workforce.
CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange warns that areas facing labor issues right now will not see relief anytime soon. They also warn that the problem will not cycle out.
Related Stories
New CDL Rule Limits Eligibility for Certain Immigrant Truckers, Potentially Driving Up Freight Costs
The Trump Administration’s new rule limiting CDL renewals for immigrant truckers is seeing mixed reactions in agriculture. While some support the change, it is raising concerns about higher freight costs and impacts on U.S. grain export competitiveness.
The changing political climate in America is leading to a drop in migrant crossings near the U.S.-Mexico border, where ranchers like Dr. Mike Vickers say they witnessed horrors from death to child trafficking.
RFD NEWS correspondent Frank McCaffrey recently spoke with Dr. Mike Vickers, a South Texas rancher, who says illegal border crossings have dramatically declined in the last year.
Rural population growth and stabilizing economic indicators point to post-pandemic recovery, but uneven income, shifting industries, and regional divides remain key challenges for rural communities.
EXCLUSIVE: Texas Lawmakers Weigh USMCA’s Relevance and What Renegotiation Could Mean for Agriculture
RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey speaks with Texas’s Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez about USMCA renegotiation and its impact on U.S.–Mexico agriculture trade.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.
