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Custom Harvesters face squeeze from low prices, H-2A visa costs

A custom harvester says tight margins are having a ripple effect throughout the economy.     

Mychal Neumiller with U.S Custom Harvesters Inc says lower commodity prices are limiting what crews can charge. “Farmers maybe can’t afford to pay it. We have to find a fine balance where we can still make money and farmers can still make some money too.”

He tells Brownfield labor availability is also driving up costs. “The year gets long. It get’s really long. There are lots of hours. The American workers don’t want to put in that many hours. The foreign laborers come here to work. If you can get them here and pay them, then it’s okay.”

Neumiller says regulatory costs for the H-2A guest worker visa program also continue to rise. “We still need the foreign laborers to come over, but at the high dollar rate they’re getting, it’s hard for us to justify keep hiring them. There are also way too many restrictions.”

He says the program has needed significant reforms for several years and will likely face another uphill battle in Congress next year.