Texas Agriculture Daily News
Bipartisan efforts on immigration key to agricultural labor
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
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Farmers and ranchers are encouraged by bipartisan talk on immigration reform, which is expected to include provisions for agricultural labor, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
“The fact that the Senate has taken the initiative on this, the fact that it’s a bipartisan effort is so exciting and such a step in the right direction. We’re encouraged by the progress and hope that the energy remains high so it develops into progress,” said Kristi Boswell, AFBF labor specialist.
Agricultural labor is a priority issue for Farm Bureau, as an ample supply of workers is required to ensure crops get from the field to the grocery store. Boswell indicated in a recent interview with AFBF’s Newsline that the current H2A program presents challenges that hinder the work flow.
“We need to make sure we can access a legal workforce to accommodate agriculture’s needs,” Boswell said. “In the H2A program, there is case after case of delays, of people not getting their workforce on time and the 10-day difference is very detrimental to agriculture and the stability of those crops.”
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