The International Fresh Produce Association will emphasize the high cost of farm labor at its Washington meeting starting Monday, and call for congressional action to stop the Biden administration from enforcing its latest calculation for.
As the costs of technologies go down and labor costs go up, farmers in all segments of agriculture see mechanization and artificial intelligence as opportunities to stay ahead. But numerous technological, regulatory and cost challenges will have to be overcome first.
As farmers and companies in the food and ag sector struggle to find workers, many have increasingly turned to recruiting foreign workers through visa programs, including H-2A. Demand for H-2A workers, who can take seasonal jobs on crop or livestock operations, has been skyrocketing. Meanwhile, others in the sector are trying to use smaller visa programs, such as H-2B or J-1.
The days are already getting a little shorter as we enter this late summer stretch, but for many across the United States, the temperatures are showing no hint of fall.
American Vegetable Grower Editor Carol Miller says ag labor has a public relations problem, and it's up to the industry to paint a more positive picture.