PRESIDENTIAL PARADIGMS
Visa Backlog Adding to Ag Labor Woes
Zippy Duvall , President , American Farm Bureau Federation
Thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of our nation ’ s farmers and ranchers , we enjoy an abundance of affordable , American-grown food . With summer nearly here , consumers are ready for their local grocery stores and markets to be fully stocked with their favorite fresh fruits and vegetables . And U . S . agriculture is eager to keep up with the demand for American food products . But labor shortages and unreasonable visa delays challenge farmers ’ ability to get their crops harvested and to market .
the Labor Department . That ’ s why Farm Bureau is calling on the Department of Agriculture to step in . We need USDA to ensure that farmers have the workforce we need to stay in business and continue to provide safe and affordable food . Farmer s and ranchers need an agency that understands their labor needs managing this system .
Delays in worker visa approvals may sound like just a human resources headache , but these delays can be devastating for farmers . A crew showing up 30 to 40 days late just doesn ’ t work when crops need to be planted , tended and harvested . Crops don ’ t wait for stacks of bureaucratic paperwork to clear .
There ’ s no question that we need a long-term solution to protecting our borders while also securing a legal , reliable workforce for agriculture . The fix won ’ t be quick or easy , but it is possible . Farmers need a market-based visa program , managed by USDA , which gives both employers and workers flexibility for long- and short-term work .
Yes , we need a long-term solution , including attention to border security , to fully solve agriculture ’ s labor problem . But we also need a fix today for the needless delays that are keeping farmers from running their businesses .
While it will take time to achieve the full reform we need , there are serious problems on the ground with our current system that can and must be addressed now . The current H2A and H2B system ignores the real-time needs of agriculture , and we ’ re seeing a prime example right now with massive visa paperwork delays at the Department of Labor .
Farmers across the country are already missing deadlines to have crews in place because of a bureaucratic hold-up with guest-worker visa applications . Even after carefully following all the procedures and filing the proper paperwork , farmers are kept waiting 30 days or more for Labor Department approval . The law itself says approval time should be 10-15 days , but the government is far behind with no sign of catching up . It ’ s time for the agency to shape up and bring the system into the 21st century , before our agricultural labor situation worsens .
Unfortunately , ignoring the unique labor needs of agriculture seems to be business as usual for
4 West Virginia Farm Bureau News