Ag Labor and Big Needs
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. The need for labor reform is not the only challenge farmers are facing today, but it is one of the biggest.
Sara Neagu-Reed, (NAG-oo Reed) Director of Production and Environmental Policy at the International Fresh Produce Association, says the Trump administration seems to recognize that …
NEAGU-REED … “I think that there is an appetite from this administration. When a lot of the enforcement activities were happening earlier this spring, the President came out at one point and took the stance that farming should be one of the, sort of, exempt or, you know, not the focus. It should be different industries. And we appreciate that.”
But Neagu-Reed says Congress is aware as well …
NEAGU-REED … “I think that sentiment is felt on the hill as well. A lot of our champions, Newhouse of course, going to sort of bat for us with that narrative. It’s leading to, I think, some open doors in terms of conversations surrounding legislative vehicles and solutions.”
The top priorities, Neagu-Reed says are stabilizing our current workforce and reforming the H-2A program …
NEAGU-REED … “And the other angle that we keep bringing up, it can not be lost in the messaging, is the need for an investment in mechanization and research. Because we’re going to be dealing with these challenges forever if we don’t keep up with innovation and start having these cost-saving technologies readily available to our growers.”
Neagu-Reed says these challenges are now in every state and need to be addressed.
