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Custom Harvesters want a H-2A program revamp

A Kansas custom harvester says the seasonal H2A visa worker program is burdensome and needs overhauling to help alleviate labor shortages.

Beau Froese with U.S. Custom Harvesters Inc says one of the biggest challenges is expenses.  “The cost of getting those employees is making it more and more difficult.  As an organization, we’re still battling.  We have a couple of members in D.C. trying to inform the Department of Labor on what our struggles are and how to alleviate some of that.”

He tells Brownfield recent revisions to the program has made it harder to hire employees during planting and harvesting seasons. “As a group, we were still able to have enough help around to get the job done, but it seems to becoming more and more of a struggle.”

For example, Forese says “They actually took out provisions for silage and cotton harvesters to use that program, which is new enough we don’t know how that will play out.  We’re hoping we can work through that and make that happen before next season.”

He says Congress should focus on passing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.