It’s no secret that the agriculture industry whether it’s farming, all the way up to Ag businesses and processors, the industry needs workers. Many of these industries rely on the H-2A guest worker program. The last few administrations have talked about revitalizing immigration policy and guest worker programs, but nothing ever seems to come of it. The closest we’ve gotten in a while is the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. However, just like with many pieces of legislation this bill seems to be stuck in the bottleneck of DC politics.
As harvest is in full swing here in the United States, producers from all over the country and in every possible facet of the industry are urging Congress to get moving on the much-needed legislation. One of the groups that are helping organize the voices of American farmers is the American Business Immigration Coalition. They’ve been helping bring that voice to Washington.
One such farmer is Shay Myers from Idaho. Their operation is a long-standing family farm that grows, packs, and markets nine different consumer crops from asparagus to watermelon. Shay said the need for farm worker reform is real.
Meyer says a lack of available labor through the H-2A guest worker program means higher prices for the consumers.
The bill passed the House of Representatives earlier this year, but it’s been stalled in the Senate.
This program will not only benefit farmers and consumers but will also benefit the workforce.
Myers encourages farmers to reach out to their members of Congress to get this bill passed.
