The U.S. pork industry says that a growing labor crisis is threatening farms across the country.
The National Pork Producers Council President says that the shortage is not about illegal immigration, but keeping a legal, stable workforce in agriculture.
According to Duane Stateler, “This is a lot bigger than the illegals or those people that crossed the borders in the last four years. We’ve sort of had an open border situation in the past 20 years. There are a lot of undocumented [workers] here that have tried, and then they haven’t been able to get citizenship because everything is so backed up – or get their visas renewed. And then, if you want to renew your visa, you’ve got to do certain things.”
He adds that rural areas are struggling to retain workers, as younger generations move to cities, leaving farms scrambling for employees essential to keeping the nation’s pork supply moving.
The American Farm Bureau is backing the federal court’s decision to strike down the Disaggregation Rule, part of the 2023 Adverse Effect Wage Rate, which required pay for tasks workers might not even perform.
Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall is calling the decision a positive step, saying farmers support fair wages but need rules that reflect actual work.
He is urging lawmakers to keep pushing reforms to the H-2A guest worker program to stabilize farm labor.
Pork producers are making Veterans Day a little brighter for Iowa’s military families.
October 29, 2025 01:29 PM
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Trade pacts with Malaysia and Cambodia unlock tariff-free and preferential lanes for key U.S. farm goods, expanding long-term demand in Southeast Asia.
October 28, 2025 02:08 PM
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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.
October 27, 2025 01:36 PM
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A fast-moving series of trade signals from the White House and key partners is resetting the near-term outlook for U.S. agriculture.
October 27, 2025 11:41 AM
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The USDA’s latest Hogs and Pigs Report caught some analysts off guard. Inventories came in lower than expected, signaling tighter supplies ahead, even as producers return to profitability this year.
October 20, 2025 04:06 PM
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Todd Miller, CEO of Head Honchos, shares about his business offering to ease agricultural labor shortages.
October 17, 2025 04:02 PM
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National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew discusses the urgent need for aid as farm families face mounting input costs and long-term market uncertainty.
October 17, 2025 01:08 PM
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The impacts of the government shutdown have reached commodity growers with crops to move, ag economists monitoring the harvest without key data reporting, and meat producers in need of new export markets.
October 16, 2025 01:03 PM
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Industry leaders say $11 billion in new investments could turn the tide as dairy producers face shrinking margins and growing uncertainty.
October 15, 2025 11:53 AM
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