By Clint Thompson The convoluted and sometimes perplexing nature of the H-2A program has Chris Butts concerned about the ramifications of one misstep by his producers. Butts, executive vice president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), continues to voice his concerns with how the methodology is constructed to determine the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR); the expense …
Mexico Minimum Wage to Increase in 2023
One of the main points of contention regarding unfair trade with Mexico for Southeast specialty crop producers is the microscopic minimum wage Mexican employers pay their employees. That compensation will increase, according to Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). He has announced a plan to raise the minimum wage by 20% in 2023, according to Mexico News Daily. The …
Labor Challenges Increase Farm Economy Pressures
Labor demands continue to stretch thin the farming operations of specialty crop producers across the U.S., with rising wage rates and record usage of the H-2A visa program. Meaningful reforms to the federal government’s guest worker program must be a priority for Congress by the end of the year. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), along with more than 350 …
GFVGA Issues Letter to Georgia Congressional Delegation Following AEWR Announcement
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association issued a letter on Dec. 5 to the entire Georgia Congressional Delegation. The letter was in response to the 14% increase in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, which would increase from $11.99 per hour in 2022 to $13.68 per hour in 2023. Chris Butts, executive vice president of the Georgia …
Florida Strawberry Farmer: High Market Prices Needed to Keep Heads Above Water
By Clint Thompson Strawberry prices are high right now for Florida growers. But they need to be for producers to keep their collective heads above water. In an agricultural era marred by soaring input expenses, growers yearn for high market prices to offset historical highs for expenses like diesel and labor. “Market prices have been higher, but with that being …
Florida’s New AEWR Projected to be $14.33
Florida’s new Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for 2023 is estimated to be $14.33, pending an official notice in the Federal Register by the Department of Labor (DOL). It would be an increase of nearly $2 from the $12.41 rate from the previous year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the results of its most recent Farm Labor Survey last …
Florida H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rate Up Nearly $2
By Frank Giles The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the results of its Farm Labor Survey. This data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to determine the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), which establishes the minimum wages for H-2A workers in states. The survey results indicate the new AEWR in 2023 is estimated to be $14.33, …