On Wednesday March 3rd, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act into the U.S. House of Representatives.  The intent is to reform the H-2A visa program to ease an obvious shortage of farm labor.  The Act would also allow H-2A visa recipients currently restricted to season to work year-round.

The proposed H-2A legislation is independent of the more comprehensive immigration reform proposed by the administration of President Biden that will provide permanent status and a path to citizenship for approximately 11 million illegal immigrants now in the U.S.

The Bill has received the support of a number of agricultural organizations including the National Pork Producers Council.  Pork and poultry producers require year-round labor compared to the needs of seasonal agriculture for which the current H-2A visa program is more acceptable.

Visa reform is obviously necessary to allow U.S. agriculture to compete and to provide affordable food for the U.S. population and for export.