U.S. Peanut Federation Backs H-2A Bill to Broaden 7 Farm and Processing Activities
Updated
Updated · Southeast AgNet · Jul 10
U.S. Peanut Federation Backs H-2A Bill to Broaden 7 Farm and Processing Activities
2 articles · Updated · Southeast AgNet · Jul 10
Summary
The U.S. Peanut Federation said it is working with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson on the Securing Ag Workforce Act to ease labor shortages across peanut farming and processing.
The bill would expand H-2A eligibility beyond field work to seven activities, including handling, planting, drying, packaging, processing, freezing and grading agricultural commodities.
It also seeks to end midyear wage adjustments, cap annual adverse effect wage rate increases and create a single online platform for applications, petitions and other requests.
Another provision would let certain experienced agricultural workers already in the U.S. obtain H-2A status, a change the federation says would help farmers nationwide.