AEWR Reform for Ag Empoyers
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. Recent reforms approved for the methodology in calculating the Adverse Effect Wage Rate should be helpful for farm employers trying to manage their budgets in the coming years.
Northwest Horticultural Council Vice President, Kate Tynan says the changes were necessary …
TYNAN … “You know, we’ve been living under a system where the AEWR, as well as the H-2A prevailing wage, have been driven up at such an unsustainable rate over the last few years that we are at a situation where growers are going out of business and that hurts employees as well.”
Among any changes or potential changes, Tynan says the AEWR reform was the one that was truly needed …
TYNAN … “That’s the one that will have the most significant impact, I would say, on frankly the sustainability of farming within the tree fruit industry in the Northwest. It’s certainly not a magic bullet that’s going to solve everything, but it will have a meaningful, positive impact for growers this upcoming year.”
But Tynan says that’s not all …
TYNAN … “There’s also been a number of other albeit more minor changes, but still meaningful to make the program more administratively workable. And things that were done that didn’t require rulemaking so they could go into effect immediately and help growers, in some cases for this season, but certainly for the next year.”
Altogether, Tynan says that should make a difference, but we’ll have to wait and see just how much.
