In Need of Ag Labor Reform Now More Than Ever

Posted by Paul Rusnak|June 13, 2020

As the current COVID-19-induced international shutdown moves from days into weeks into months, American consumers are recognizing what growers have long known: The nation depends on foreign labor to get food grown on our nation’s farms to our grocery stores and, eventually, onto our plates, writes Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council, in a recent article for GrowingProduce.com. The same can be said for the flowers and plants that adorn homes and their yards.

Quarles goes on to point out in the article that farm labor and its essential nature has the nation’s attention now more than ever.

“The pandemic has reduced the flow of foreign workers into the U.S. to the detriment of individual operations and consumers alike. However, it has also served to bring national attention to the ongoing labor shortage faced by the agriculture community. It makes great sense that we should take strong action, both in the short and long term, to make sure this labor force is secure.

“For example, in regard to H-2A workers and the crisis, it is unclear if their contribution to a company’s payroll can be counted for purposes of securing a Paycheck Protection Program loan. The Small Business Administration should make it clear that these essential legal workers should absolutely have their paychecks counted, as they are clearly a requirement that the farmer bears and part of the business they are trying to protect.”

For the time being, the pandemic has taken focus away from the proposed Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Though the piece of legislation might be in a holding pattern, the time for the specialty crop sector to act on labor reform is now, Quarles says.