Congress Must Address Farm Labor Crisis

The shortage of a skilled and reliable workforce is the single greatest threat to agriculture. That was the message American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall delivered to leaders of Congress today, describing the challenges facing more than 5 million Farm Bureau members across the country.

In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, President Duvall said a lack of workers will ultimately affect the availability of healthy food.

“The problem is growing more urgent each year,” Duvall said. “The Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Workers Survey shows that most agricultural workers are foreign-born, and many lack a stable legal path to remain working in U.S. agriculture. Meanwhile, the national labor market remains exceptionally tight, with low unemployment, low labor force participation and limited interest in agricultural jobs from domestic workers. U.S. agriculture simply cannot meet its entire labor needs to sustain production under the current system.”

For years, farmers and ranchers have urged Congress to enact a practical, bipartisan solution that recognizes labor challenges in agriculture. Despite broad agreement among farmers, ranchers and many lawmakers, no lasting reforms have been enacted by Congress in four decades.

Without action, the disturbing trend of losing U.S. family farms, wider agricultural trade deficits, and weakened national security may continue. Farm Bureau calls on Congress to move swiftly on a number of issues that would create lasting solutions for farmers and ranchers, including:

• Expanding visa programs to include year-round workers for nonseasonal agricultural sectors;

• Simplifying rules and regulations for employers, workers and agencies by eliminating red tape, streamlining processes, and setting uniform standards;

• Eliminating unsustainable labor cost increases by codifying and strengthening the Department of Labor’s interim final rule on the H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rate methodology; and

• Providing a pathway for eligible workers to gain legal employment authorization consistent with the president’s recent public comments.

“Farmers and ranchers have been waiting for a comprehensive workforce solution for decades. With a secure border, broad support among stakeholders, and growing bipartisan interest in finding a permanent fix, this is the best opportunity in a generation to enact reforms that will strengthen the nation’s food supply, protect workers, and preserve rural communities.”

To read the full letter, click here.