Labor demands continue to weigh on farmers’ and ranchers’ bottom lines, with rising wage rates and record utilization of the H-2A visa program.
The American Farm Bureau Federation says meaningful reforms of the federal government’s guest worker program must be a priority for Congress by the end of the year. AFBF and more than 350 other food and farming organizations that are part of the Ag Workforce Coalition sent a letter urging the Senate to pass legislation to address the nation’s farming challenges this year. The House of Representatives has passed legislation to reform farm labor, but the coalition says the legislation needs improvement.
The letter said, “The country cannot afford for the Senate to miss this opportunity to offer stability to both farmers and farmworkers.” Recent analysis by AFBF economists shows that the costs associated with farm labor are increasing will contribute to the ever-growing list of factors weighing on the agricultural economy in 2023.
Comments are closed.