Wage rates for H-2A farmworkers up 4.5% in 2021

02/22/21 12:25 PM By Steve Davies

The Adverse Effect Wage Rate that farmers are required to pay H-2A workers is rising by an average of 4.5% nationally to $14.62 per hour this year, with some western and Plains states seeing significantly higher increases.

Washington Week Ahead: Biden pushes for budget deal as impeachment trial begins

02/07/21 11:00 AM By Philip Brasher

The Senate begins its impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump this week even as his successor pushes lawmakers to meet his demands for a $1.9 trillion package of coronavirus relief measures.

Daybreak Jan 8: Pro-union mayor picked for Labor

01/08/21 9:34 AM By Philip Brasher, Ben Nuelle, Bill Tomson, and Steve Davies

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate a former labor leader, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, to become labor secretary. That’s a critical position for farmers and farmworkers because of the Labor Department’s regulation of labor standards and authority over the H-2A visa program.

Judge blocks H-2A wage rate freeze, reforms

12/24/20 10:33 AM By Philip Brasher and Ben Nuelle

A federal judge is blocking the Trump administration from carrying out changes to the H-2A minimum wage rates that would hold down annual pay increases.

Labor Department finalizes plan to cut H-2A wages

11/02/20 3:28 PM By Philip Brasher

Farms that use H-2A workers will be allowed to pay them significantly lower wages under a sweeping overhaul of the program’s wage regulations announced by the Labor Department on Monday.

United Farm Workers sues over discontinued ag labor survey

10/14/20 2:59 PM By Steve Davies

USDA’s decision to stop collecting farmworker wage information using the Agricultural Labor Survey will significantly reduce income for those workers, United Farm Workers said in a lawsuit that seeks to maintain the survey.

Prospects dim for H-2A wage rate reforms, farm groups say

06/03/20 6:45 AM By Philip Brasher

A White House effort to lower the wages farms have to pay H-2A workers appears to have foundered amid concerns that it would put some regions at a disadvantage to others.

USDA photo of Honduran H-2A worker in Pa.

Ag labor reforms face House test, uncertain Senate future

11/06/19 6:35 AM By Philip Brasher

House Democrats are about to attempt something that Washington hasn’t been done in over three decades: Enact immigration reforms that would give farmers better access to foreign workers while offering legal status to their existing employees.

National Pork Board CEO Bill Even

This week’s Open Mic guest is Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork Board. Last year proved challenging for the nation’s swine producers and the pork industry despite a record-setting pace for global pork sales. While the new year offers challenges from higher feed costs, Even suggests the packing industry is processing animals at near capacity and demand for pork remains robust from both domestic and global markets. A continuing shift of consumers purchasing food online has brought new avenues in product promotion and associations in the food industry to reach consumers. Even says net-zero emissions for producing swine is attainable building on a well-documented path of sustainable production practices.

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Opinions

Opinion: The USDA can protect the ag industry from COVID-19 with tools already in place

In this opinion piece, Deb Casurella with MyAgData®, urges the Biden administration to implement Acreage Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI) technology.

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02.25.2021

Washington Week in Review: Feb. 25, 2021: Sen. Roger Marshall on Vilsack, carbon bank, COVID-19

This week saw Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack return to USDA, kicking off his efforts to implement the Biden administration's ag policy priorities. Senate Ag Committee member Roger Marshall, R-Kan., joins Agri-Pulse to discuss that as well as coronavirus relief legislation on Capitol Hill in this week's video.

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