Farmers and ranchers from across the nation, including a dairyman from Texas, urged Congress to take action to fix the nation’s broken immigration system during the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Texas Farm Bureau State Director and dairyman Russell Boening said a three-pronged approach is needed. Border security, workplace enforcement and a way for needed workers to enter the country legally are necessary for farmers and ranchers.
The event, “Fruits of Labor: Farmers’ Case for Immigration Reform,” was hosted by the Partnership for a New American Economy and the Agriculture Workforce Coalition. The organizations also released a report showing U.S. fresh produce growers lack enough labor to expand their production and compete with foreign importers.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the inadequacies of the H-2A visa program and other labor challenges are a key factor in $3.3 billion in missed gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2012 and accounts for $1.4 billion in farm income that wasn’t realized that year.