H2A Reform
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. There are three big changes that need to be made to the H-2A foreign guestworker visa program before more farmers are forced out of business.
WAFLA CEO, Enrique Gastelum says those are adjustments to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, how much of the worker’s housing costs employers have to pay, and allowing year-round ag workers into the H-2A program …
GASTELUM … “I think if those three things could happen through Congress, through the Department of Labor, during the Trump Administration, which with some of the news we’ve had breaking over the past month, couple of weeks, I’m very hopeful. I think this administration is showing, particularly Secretary (Lori) Chavez-DeRemer, that they’re listening to farmers, they’re trying to what they can.”
And wages, Gastelum says are at the top of his list …
GASTELUM … “The whole reason Congress set up the AEWR was to not cause and adverse effect when H-2A workers are imported into the U.S. and working on a farm. So, what this is showing in high-use states, like Washington is, is actually H-2A is now the prevailing type of work because we don’t have enough domestic workers.”
And so much has changed, Gastelum says since these rules were enacted back in the 1980s …
GASTELUM … “That’s sort of been the call by many of us ag association execs, and others in the industry advocating for farmers, is lets just take a fresh look at the original Act and say, we’ve stacked interpretation on interpretation, are these still valid interpretations in 2025.”
But Gastelum thinks H-2A is on the administration’s radar and hopes they’re open to some positive changes for the program.
