The topic of immigration and its effects on the ag labor scene is always top of mind. In one way or another, it tends to bring with it a level of uncertainty in many operations. While much of the focus has been on immigration reforms and guest worker programs, there have also been question marks about the rate of wages available to guest workers under the H2A program. A new final rule has changed how those wages are based and is giving producers and workers much-needed stability according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
AFBF Congressional Relations Director Allison Crittenden talks about the wage stability offered under the new rule.
The final rule will not be using USDA?s Farm Labor Survey for the workers participating in core farm occupations. The rule will now look at the Employment Cost Index. Crittenden explains more.
Crittenden says rule provides farmers the certainty to predict their wage and labor costs.
Farm Bureau
The AFBF has more information available on the program at fb.org.
