Farmers Ask Leaders to Turn Words into Action on Labor Reform

AFBF President Zippy Duvall today called on President Trump and congressional leaders to find a bipartisan pathway forward that stabilizes America's food supply by stabilizing the workforce behind it.

"President Trump has - yet again - called for a reasonable solution to the labor crisis in America and new members of Congress, as well as long-time leaders, are joining the chorus. Farmers and ranchers applaud the renewed interest in reform. We stand ready to work with the president and Congress to ensure we have enough workers to deliver America's food supply," Duvall said.

President Trump this week reiterated his call for reform that recognizes the contributions of workers, both domestic and foreign. Speaking on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the president said, “I'd love to do something on immigration." He indicated previous policies may have been too tough, saying, “There is a large part of the country that think they should be allowed to stay ... if they're good people working in a landscape company or working in a hotel or doing something right ... and in some cases paying taxes ... and there's a large group of people think they should be allowed to stay. The deal would be we'd work something out and ... I think that's something that's actually doable.”

This follows the president telling reporters in June 2025 that, "We can’t take farmers and take all their people and send them back because they maybe don’t have what they’re supposed to have …” The next day on Truth Social, the president posted, "we must protect our farmers."

But American agriculture cannot afford to wait until next Congress, especially when we have a solution ready today. The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act (SAWA), introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chair GT Thompson, would modernize the H-2A program by expanding access to a year-round workforce and eliminating unpredictable swings in wage rates. SAWA builds on recommendations offered by Farm Bureau members who participated in the House Agriculture Committee’s Agricultural Labor Working Group.

Duvall said, "This is the moment and opportunity for a significant bipartisan alliance to solve one of the greatest challenges facing farmers and ranchers. Farm Bureau is eager to work with Democrats and Republicans to address a shortage that has held back American agriculture, threatening our ability to deliver a reliable food supply to families everywhere. We can solve it together.”