Congress is looking into farm labor needs around the nation, but it is a challenging task. The House Agriculture Committee recently announced the creation of the bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group, which will focus on the workforce issues faced by agricultural producers around the nation. Congressman and farmer Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) says the current system needs to be updated.
“In the United States, we haven’t been able to really address this effectively for nearly 40 years. We need a formal process for that so our labor force, if they’re coming from our southern border area and come across legally with documents, with a background, will be able to move freely back and forth and know that they’re going to be secure here. And that the farmer knows they’re going to have a secure workforce,” he said. “We don’t really have that right. Now we have this indefinite way of doing things that subjects the laborers to bad situations and farmers to uncertainty.”
Members of the working group have been selected from current Committee members and aim to represent every sector and geographical region of American agriculture. LaMalfa says different regions around the nation have different needs, but the goal isn’t to please everyone.
“Well, are you pleasing everybody, are you making some less annoyed than others or what have you. So, it’s really got to be a bit of all the above,” he said. “Some people accept like, hey, you know, I might not get everything to do today, but there’s nothing that’s harmful to me. Then maybe we’ll come back to the table later.”
The final report of the working group will provide potential solutions that can be used in future legislation.
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