Next to the cost of feeding their animals, the cost of labor on dairy farms will always take up a large share of the budget. A Milk Business Dot Com article says labor costs will rise in the new year. As of January first, farmers in some of the largest dairy-producing states now face government-mandated higher minimum wages. California farmers …
DuPont Pioneer Confirms Iowa Layoffs
DuPont Pioneer officials earlier this week confirmed the company has laid off “an undisclosed number of workers” in Iowa. A spokesperson for the company said the layoffs are an effort to “integrate our operations and establish a streamlined, efficient, built-for-purpose organization.” DuPont and Dow Chemical closed their $150 billion merger this fall, with plans of creating several smaller companies, including …
Services are Available for Immigrant Laborers on American Dairy Farms
Immigrant labor is important to American agriculture, especially in the dairy industry. Dairy farmers across the country may not know that Mexican consulates in every state have services available to help their immigrant workers adjust to life in America. Monica Cruz of the Mexican Consulate in St. Paul, Minnesota, says there are a variety of ways employers and their employees …
E-Verify Requirement Sought in Florida
Florida businesses would have to verify through the federal government that newly hired employees aren’t undocumented immigrants, under a measure that moved closer Tuesday to appearing before voters in 2018 despite opposition from agriculture interests. A panel of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission unanimously backed a proposal (P 29) that would require all employers in Florida to use the U.S. …
H-2A Minimum Wage for Guest Workers Likely to Rise in Several States
The minimum wage for H-2A guest workers is likely to rise in several states during 2018. The National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) surveys the prevailing wages of field and livestock workers in different regions across the country. The NASS calculations are normally adopted by the U.S. Department of Labor in December as the Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWR) for the …
Georgia Growers Informed on Labor Regulations
By Jaci Schreckengost In order to keep Georgia growers up-to-date about important labor regulations and issues, the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) held the annual Georgia Agricultural Labor Relations Forum. The event was held at the University of Georgia’s Tifton campus on Nov. 7–8 and had more than 100 people in attendance. Charles Hall, executive director of the …
Conaway Supports House Guest Worker Bill
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway offered his approval to a bill that would bring reforms to agriculture labor. Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee approved the Ag Act, which supporters say would replace the flawed H-2A guestworker program. Conaway says the bill would help provide farmers with access to a legal, steady supply of workers. Saying it’s time for a …
NMPF Applauds House Judiciary Committee for Endorsing New Agriculture Guest Worker Program
The National Milk Producers Federation said it supports the efforts by Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and the House Judiciary Committee to pass legislation creating a guestworker program that provides a new opportunity for immigration reform in agriculture. The committee today approved the Agriculture Guestworker (AG) Act (H.R. 4092), which would establish an entirely new visa program, dubbed the H-2C visa, …
House Republicans Trying Again to Enact Ag Worker Reform Legislation
House Republicans are trying again to enact ag worker reform legislation to deal with the longstanding problem of illegal seasonal farm labor in the U.S. But, the effort may be going nowhere in the Senate. House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s [GOOD-lat] Agricultural Workers Act would create a new non-immigrant worker visa program, aimed at providing a stable, legal and adequate …
Survey Shows Impacts Immigration Policy has on Agriculture
A survey recently released by the California Farm Bureau shows immigration policy still harms agriculture in the same capacity as seen in a similar survey in 2012. The informal survey showed that more than half of responding farmers had experienced employee shortages during the past year. California Farm Bureau President Paul Wenger says the worker shortage impacts farm operations. Wenger …