The H-2A guest worker visa program remains under scrutiny, with little change for producers struggling to secure a consistent ag labor workforce. Enrique Gastelum, CEO of the Worker and Farmer Labor Association (WAFLA), identifies three significant challenges related to work visas that need attention, starting with the skyrocketing wage rate.
“We need a change to the methodology to get this cost under control,” Gastelum explained. “You know, when farmers are paying 70% of their costs of operations just to labor, and you have H-2A related to it, that’s kind of, I would say, the number one fix that we need to see.”
He adds that changes in room and board also need to be reviewed, as current conditions leave farmers with a significant input cost before anything is even harvested.
“Second fix we need to see is: something’s got to break the farmers’ way, related to the cost of housing,” Gastelum said. “This is one of the only foreign guestworker programs where the employer is on the hook for paying 100% of the workers’ living situation.”
Lastly, the industry leader said changes surrounding non-seasonal ag workers are also needed – specifically, for struggling sectors like dairy and cattle ranching. A federal court in Louisiana is challenging the adverse effect of the wage rate, which is a move welcomed by growers there.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council published a joint press release regarding the advancement of legislation to delist the Mexican Gray Wolf from the Endangered Species Act.
January 23, 2026 05:05 PM
Placements and marketings beat expectations, but declining on-feed totals and feeder constraints keep the supply story supportive for cattle prices into 2026. Dr. Derrell Peel, with Oklahoma State University, joined us to break down cattle-on-feed numbers and provide his broader market outlook.
January 23, 2026 04:40 PM
·
USDA Rural Development Director for Kentucky, Travis Burton, joined us to discuss the Princeton facility (formerly Porter Road Meats), now backed by the USDA, and its role in expanding domestic meat processing capacity.
January 23, 2026 03:39 PM
·
Pennsylvania Farm Show scholarship recipient Elizabeth Dice discusses her award, her background in farming, and her path forward in the agriculture industry.
January 23, 2026 01:48 PM
·
Nearly everyone in the South Texas ag community appears extremely worried about the potential of a New World screwworm epidemic, according to a local veterinarian. RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey reports.
January 23, 2026 11:56 AM
·
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.
January 23, 2026 08:00 AM
·
