By Clint Thompson
Labor continues to be a trendy topic discussed among specialty crop producers. The H-2A program remains the only reliable workforce. Fruit and vegetable farmers need it to stay reliable heading into the future. Reforming the program must be a priority, according to Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-15), chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture.
He talked about labor during a press conference at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in Panama City Beach, Florida, on July 25.
“I’ve been having a lot of communications with Secretary (Brooke) Rollins primarily on the fact that this workforce issue is a food security issue. I think you saw that a couple of weeks ago where we had the press conference at the USDA building. I was proud to stand there with the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, Secretary Rollins, and we were able to address this issue,” said Thompson, who stresses that legislative leaders have no more excuses with regards to reform.
No More Excuses
“The biggest excuse to address issues like this in the past is that the borders are wide open. It’s not wide open today. It is under control of the United States of America. That excuse is gone,” Thompson added. “It’s time to act on something like reforming H-2A policy, so it’s year-round, it’s more affordable, it’s less bureaucratic and you can afford to do it with what you’ve been forced to pay in the past.
“It is going to take the White House acting and Congress acting legislatively to really make sure that we have certainty in agricultural workforce.”
The H-2A program allows U.S. employers or U.S. agents who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs.