The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) today applauded the introduction of the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act (SAWA) by House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) and Representative Don Davis (D-N.C.), calling the legislation a critical step toward resolving the labor crisis threatening America’s farmers and ranchers.
SAWA would expand the H-2A agricultural guestworker program to cover year-round labor needs—closing a longstanding gap that has left farmers with permanent workforces unable to access the program—and would clarify that farmer co-ops are eligible to participate in the program on behalf of their members’ operations.
“I want to thank Chairman Thompson and Congressman Davis for their leadership in introducing this legislation,” said Duane Simpson, president and CEO of NCFC. “For too long, farmers with year-round labor needs have been locked out of the H-2A program through no fault of their own, and farmer co-ops have faced legal uncertainty about whether they can use the program to serve their members. SAWA fixes both of those problems.”
The bill would also help farmers control costs by codifying how wages are calculated and streamlining and modernizing the program.
“America’s ability to feed itself is a matter of national security, and that security depends on a legal, reliable agricultural workforce,” Simpson continued. “We urge Congress to move swiftly to pass SAWA and give America’s farmers and their cooperatives the tools they need to get the job done.”
About NCFC
Since 1929, NCFC has been the voice of America’s farmer cooperatives. Our members are regional and national farmer cooperatives, which in turn consist of more than 1,600 local farmer cooperatives across the country. NCFC members also includes state and regional councils of cooperatives. Farmer cooperatives allow individual farmers the ability to own and lead organizations that are essential for continued competitiveness in both the domestic and international markets.
America’s farmer-owned cooperatives provide a comprehensive array of services for their members. These diverse organizations handle, process and market virtually every type of agricultural commodity. They also provide farmers with access to infrastructure necessary to manufacture, distribute and sell a variety of farm inputs. Additionally, they provide credit and related financial services, including export financing.
Learn more at www.ncfc.org.
