Deportations are up under the new Administration, stoking concerns about the ag workforce. One group says the immigration system needs to be fixed and says that is not a Democrat or Republican issue.
“Agriculture is not partisan. Everyone has to eat. Our viability, sustainability, and security of agriculture is dependent on both sides working together and finding genuine fixes to ensure that we’re able to continue feeding ourselves, our community, our state, our nation, as well as the world,” said Ben Tindall with Save Family Farming.
Tindall is encouraging lawmakers to use this as an opportunity to listen to farmers and get their ideas about fixing a problem they rely heavily on.
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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.
Farmers who rely on H-2A workers will see a few key changes to speed up the process and make it fairer. On the ground, producers say labor issues create shortfalls in otherwise productive harvests.
Todd Miller, CEO of Head Honchos, shares about his business offering to ease agricultural labor shortages.
AFBF Associate Economist Samantha Ayoub joins us to dive into H-2A visa program changes and what can be done to ease the pressure on producers.
In a final rule published in the Federal Register, the Department states that it will no longer base wage rates on the Farm Labor Survey.
Farmers should anticipate continued upward pressure on farm labor costs and monitor policy changes that may further impact hiring decisions.
