The recent reintroduction of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is welcome news to the North American Blueberry Council, an organization representing the U.S. and Canadian blueberry sector.
The bill was reintroduced by Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), John Duarte (R-Calif.), Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).
“The agriculture industry faces unique employment challenges that have been left unaddressed for far too long,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the NABC, said in a statement. “Specialty crops — like blueberries — require a skilled and flexible workforce to remain competitive globally, and the H-2A guest worker program is not structured to meet these needs.”
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The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a vital piece of legislation that will streamline the H-2A program and create a critical, agriculture-specific merit-based visa program, Cronquist continued.
“This bipartisan legislation will help address the worker shortages we see across the blueberry industry, provide relief from burdensome fees placed on our farmers and reduce the time spent on bureaucratic processes, allowing farmers to focus on their operations,” she said in the statement.
NABC applauds the representatives for their leadership and urges Congress to pass the legislation to provide much-needed support for America’s agriculture industry, Cronquist added.
