By Clint Thompson The only source for labor that Southeast specialty crop producers have to choose from will not be running out of applicants any time soon. Dan Bremer, with Agworks H2 LLC, discussed the H-2A program during the Southern Peanut Growers Conference last weekend. He believes farmers will always have labor options if they choose to pursue the H-2A …
H-2A Labor Demand Surging
Recently released data from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reflects surging demand for temporary agricultural employees under the H-2A program. DOL data for the first two quarters of fiscal year 2022 indicate that program applications increased 17.5% over the previous fiscal year. At the same time, the total number of jobs certified by DOL’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification …
Florida Company Pays Back Wages to H-2A Workers
A Florida company has entered into a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor over violations to the H-2A program. The violations occurred on a Missouri farm where the employer failed to provide proper, sanitary housing and failed to pay the visa workers their full wages. Under terms of a settlement agreement signed by the U.S. Department of Labor and …
New Vaccine Rule Could Impact H-2A Worker Availability
By Clint Thompson The new requirement that non-U.S. citizens entering the United States be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 could impact access farm laborers have to H-2A workers. That’s the concern shared by Chris Butts, executive vice president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. “What they’re asking is that they verbally attest to the vaccination status, and they have …
New H-2A Wages Effective Dec. 29
A prior issue of the Florida Citrus Mutual Triangle newsletter provided information about the new wage that growers must pay H-2A labor, effective Wednesday, Dec. 29. The H-2A program allows U.S. employers who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of …
Additional Workers: DHS Announces Six Countries Now Eligible for H-2A, H-2B
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of State, announced this week that nationals in six new countries are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B visa programs in the coming year. The notice listing the eligible countries was published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. “The Department of Homeland Security is committed …
Reimbursement Program: Application Period Opens Today for North Carolina
RALEIGH – The North Carolina (N.C.) Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is offering financial assistance to employers who have farmworkers with valid H-2A visas that must quarantine during the 2021 growing season due to COVID-19. Two million dollars will be available through the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services COVID-19 Farmworker Quarantine Reimbursement program. The N.C. General Assembly …
H-2A Reform: Is Farm Workforce Modernization Act the Answer?
If it’s not at the top of the list of concerns for vegetable and specialty crop producers, it’s near the top – immigration reform, specifically H-2A reform. One potential remedy could be on the way. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, introduced last week by two members of the House of Representatives, is the latest attempt to help farmers who are …
Wage Increase: H-2A Workers Receiving Bump in Hourly Rate
Southeast producers who utilize the H-2A program finally know what the minimum wage is they must pay in 2021. The USDA Farm Labor Survey revealed that wage rates for H-2A labor are increasing at an average rate of 4.5% or $0.63 per hour across the country. For the Southeast, though, those levels are much lower. Florida’s wages will increase by …
Secretary Perdue Statement on H-2A Modernization
(Washington, D.C., January 15, 2021) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a statement today applauding the Department of Labor’s final rule modernizing the H-2A visa program: “This final rule streamlining and modernizing the H-2A visa process will go a long way in ensuring American farmers have access to a stable and skilled workforce, all while removing unnecessary bureaucratic processes. …