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Farm labor questions remain with new administration

A farm labor specialist says there are a lot of unknowns about how the new administration will impact the farm labor shortage.

Michigan State University ag labor economist Zach Rutledge tells Brownfield specialty crop producers have become more reliant on H-2A visas to secure their workforce.  But he says wages are becoming cost-prohibitive.

“Our region is significantly impacted by any differences in labor trends, especially in terms of labor scarcity and rising wages because our farmers rely so heavily upon labor for their production practices,” he shares.

He estimates nearly 70 percent of the non-H-2A crop farm workforce in the U.S. is foreign-born with 40 percent unauthorized, primarily from Mexico.

He says specialty crop growers are concerned how policies could impact their industry.

“We have a farm workforce that is largely comprised of immigrant workers and a lot of them are undocumented, and I’ve talked to farmers here in Michigan that said if there was E-Verify implemented that it would destroy their sector,” he stresses.

Economists during the Michigan State University’s Farm Labor Conference also said there could be significant changes to the current H2-A visa program under the new administration.