A big win for farmers struggling with high labor costs.
A federal court has struck down the 2023 Adverse Effect Wage Rate Rule, which ag groups have been asking for since it was rolled out.
The rule was issued under the Biden administration and requires H-2A workers to be paid using metrics from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, not the USDA’s Farm Labor Survey.
The judge tossed the rule after the case was brought forward by Louisiana sugarcane growers, saying that work that was previously considered routine was now costing them a lot more.
The National Council of Ag Employers says that the ruling was positive and would give growers some much-needed financial relief.
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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.