By Clint Thompson
The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) supports the bill introduced in the Senate last week, titled the Affordable and Secure Food Act of 2022 (ASFA). The organization is also calling for members to contact Georgia’s two U.S. Senators this week to express support for the bill.
Senator Michael Bennett (D-CO) introduced the Senate version of the House-passed Farm Workforce Modernization Act (FWMA), which was passed in the House in 2021. His bill would freeze the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) at the 2022 rates for one year and cap future increases by 3%.
“The GFVGA supports the bill primarily for the AEWR freeze as it would pre-empt the 2023 AEWR increase of 14% for Georgia growers,” the GFVGA announced in a statement. “There is limited time to have this bill passed by the Senate before adjournment. Please reach out to our Georgia U.S. Senators and express your support for the bill.”
Just announced following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Labor Survey, the AEWR for Georgia’s specialty crop producers would increase from $11.99 per hour in 2022 to $13.68 per hour in 2023. The new AEWR would become effective Jan. 1, 2023, and will apply to all new and current H-2A contracts.
The bill would also open the H-2A program to cooperatives and create 26,000 year-round visas, with opportunities for annual cap increases.
It still needs to be approved by Congress.
If Georgia producers have questions on the new AEWR or the Senate bill, they need to contact Charles Hall, GFVGA Executive Director Emeritus, at chall@asginfo.net.