The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) recently encouraged agriculture professionals to ask their legislators for immigration reform before worker shortages force more production to move to other countries.
Both the AFBF and Syngenta commented on how to best address the immigration issue, which is an increasing concern to many growers.
AFBF Congressional Relations Director Kristi Boswell said that in California, for instance, many fruit and vegetable growers who can’t get workers are switching to less labor-intensive row crops. As a result of labor shortages, farmers no longer grow more than 80,000 acres of fresh produce, and that production has moved outside of the U.S.
The issue is also impacting the feed market. Dairies and other livestock operators who can’t hire workers are no longer in the market for feedstuffs or are dumping feed, formerly used to maintain their livestock, onto the market.
Boswell said for immigration reform to work, it must take two approaches. First, it must protect current workers, and the AFBF is among the groups advocating for an earned adjustment of status to allow them to remain in the country. That change would likely include an incentive for the workers to keep working in agriculture for a predetermined period. This is not necessarily a pathway to citizenship, Boswell said.
Secondly, said Boswell, the government must reinvent the agricultural guest-worker program.
“To work for agriculture, the guest-worker program must be a cost-effective, market-based system,” she said.
Syngenta Industrial Relations Lead Ryan Findlay said that at the end of the day, farmers want a legal, affordable and reliable workforce.
“The quicker the better,” Findlay said. “Agriculture needs this now.”
More Stories
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE: CDFA Announces one Vacancy on the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee
- AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION: Support Ag Literacy Through the AFB Foundation for Agriculture’s Online Silent Auction
- AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION: Farm Bureau: Members Accept Leadership Roles on National Committees
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE: CDFA Office of the Farm to Fork Invites Application for 2021 Farm to School Grants
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE: CDFA Awards Funding to Support Agricultural Education and Leadership Opportunities as part of the Calag Plate Program
- AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION: AFBF Welcomes Nomination of Katherine Tai for U.S. Trade Representative
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE: CDFA Announces Vacancies on Feed Inspection Advisory Board Technical Advisory Subcomittee
- AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION: AFBF Stands-Up for Farmers in Predatory Shakedown
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE: CFDA Issues Stop Use Notice and Statewide Quarantine on Organic Fertilizer AGRO Gold WS
- AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION: Registration Open for American Farm Bureau Virtual Convention, Featuring Mike Rowe, Rorke Denver and Beth Ford