“Agricultural workforce modernization is a very important priority for the Farm Bureau. Workplace shortages have been one of the greatest limiting factors for growth in U.S. agriculture. This is an urgent issue that needs a real solution and the American Farm Bureau implores the Senate to continue conversations and put together a bill that would work for everyone.” —Scott VanderWal, President of the Board, South Dakota Farm Bureau and Vice President of the American Farm Bureau Federation
(More photos available upon request.)
Watch Livestream: HERE
HURON, SD – This morning, Friday, September 2, in the Pork Producers VIP Tent at the South Dakota State Fair, the American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action), the South Dakota Dairy Producers, the South Dakota Farm Bureau, the Edge Dairy Cooperative, the South Dakota Pork Producers Council, AmericanHort, the South Dakota Association of Cooperatives, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and the International Fresh Produce Association held a press event and roundtable entitled “Lower Food Prices, Keep Shelves Stocked: Common Sense Solutions to South Dakota’s Farm Labor Shortage.”
With Senate negotiations ongoing, the event, featuring signs reading “Keep Shelves Stocked” and “Lower Food Prices,” called attention to the urgency of fixing South Dakota’s and the nation’s farm labor shortage by passing new Senate agriculture workforce solutions with a clear message: Food security is national security.
“Agricultural workforce modernization is a very important priority for the Farm Bureau,” said Scott VanderWal, President of the Board, South Dakota Farm Bureau and Vice President of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Workplace shortages have been one of the greatest limiting factors for growth in U.S. agriculture. This is an urgent issue that needs a real solution and the American Farm Bureau implores the Senate to continue conversations and put together a bill that would work for everyone.”
Said Marv Post, Board Chair, South Dakota Dairy Producers: “This work is very labor-intensive and we need more workers. That will provide not only economic opportunities throughout the state and the nation, but will also give us food security—food on those shelves that we know was lacking and hurting us during so much of the pandemic. More workers is something we’ve been asking for now, for many years. We need to have that labor security.”
The roundtable took place at the start of Labor Day weekend, when many American families may find that they have to cut back or cancel altogether the traditional end-of-summer cookout due to soaring food prices. Last week, the USDA predicted that food prices will continue to rise up to 9.5% in 2022 despite a decline in inflation, with grocery-store food predicted to rise up to 11%. Egg prices will continue to rise, to a growth range of up to 25.5%, with meat, poultry, and fish costs expected to rise up to 10.5%, and fruits and vegetables to rise up to 8%. Sugars, sweets, and nonalcoholic beverages also saw increases in forecasts.
According to the American Immigration Council, immigrants make up 7% of all workers in farming, fishing and forestry in South Dakota—and their labor is strongly linked to food prices. On the national level, Texas A&M International University recently released data from a new economic study on the link between stabilizing the agricultural workforce and decreasing inflation and consumer prices, showing that ensuring farmers have a stable, secure, reliable, and legal workforce is crucial to keeping America’s grocery shelves stocked, combating inflation, and lowering food prices (including milk, eggs, meat, and produce) for all domestic consumers.
Addressing workforce shortages facing farm employers and stabilizing the H-2A visa application process is also crucial for enhancing our national food security by protecting domestic agriculture production. According to the USDA, next year, for the first time in U.S. history, we as a country will be importing more agricultural goods than we export.
Said Michael Crinion, Board Member, Edge Dairy Cooperative: “As you can hear from my accent, I’m not originally from South Dakota. I moved here from Ireland 18 years ago when South Dakota was seeking to grow its dairy industry, which wouldn’t have happened without us foreign folks. Because of South Dakota’s forward thinking and business-friendly environment, there’s now a large dairy industry here with an economic impact of $5.2 billion a year. But it could be double that if we had the workers. Labor shortages in farm country hit crisis levels long ago and only continue to worsen. In dairy, it’s impossible to fill all positions with American citizens—that’s the truth.”
He continued: “ Farms just can’t function to their full potential without workers. A lack of them jeopardizes not only rural economies but also the nation’s food supply. It’s essential that we have access to a visa program for new workers. The House of Representatives recognized this when it passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (FWMA) last spring. We now need the Senate to propose a solution. If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that we’ve taken our safe, dependable food supply for granted. We can no longer afford to do that, which is why we’re asking the Senate for a solution.”
Said Alla Kureninova, Operations Manager, Natural Beauty and AmericanHort Member: “A big part of my identity is as a first-generation immigrant. I moved to Sioux Falls 10 years ago as a migrant worker at the same greenhouse I currently manage. It allowed me to earn extra money to support my family back in Ukraine, to learn English and experience the culture, safety and security that the U.S. has to offer. This is what H-2A programs are all about. They provide legal ways to enter the U.S. and earn money to support our families back home, or to support our own passions and dreams.”
She continued: “My family is still in Ukraine, where the Ukrainian people [in this time of war with Russia] have lost all control over their food independence and security. The simplest of goods are now a privilege and not a right. Meanwhile, here in the U.S., we’re already facing challenges that seem outside our control, like food price inflation. The USDA estimates that next year the U.S. will be a net importer of food, which will only drive food prices up more. Let’s not wait until we’ve lost that control of our food supply completely like my home country did. For me as a mom, the most important thing is access to quality food produced right here in the U.S., which is why we need agricultural workforce reform.”
Said Greg Feenstra, Vice President, South Dakota Pork Producers Council: “The pork industry suffers from a labor shortage. Like the dairy industry, we can automate some things but not everything. We still need people. It’s critical that we increase our workforce. We have to work with our legislators and other commodity groups to find a solution that can propel us into the future.”
Said James O’Neill, ABIC Action Outreach Director: “The agricultural labor shortage is not a new problem but has grown in urgency lately. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act and the improvements on it that the Senate will negotiate are important for two reasons: This is a national security bill to make sure that food production stays in the country. It will also help us fight inflation. A new Texas A&M study shows that agricultural labor solutions help drive costs down at the grocery store. We can’t wait another year. We’d like the Senate to take action this year to fix the agricultural labor shortage.”
Also speaking was ABIC Action Intermountain State Director Enrique Sanchez, who said: “A nation that cannot feed itself is not secure. We don’t want to rely on other countries to grow our food. In 2019 and 2021, the House of Reps. passed the FWMA with bipartisan support. Now it’s time for the Senate to do its job. I’m a DACA recipient and the child of former farm workers. Due to his status, my father was unable to travel back to Mexico while working in the fields of California to be with my mother during my birth. But the opportunity of being here in the U.S. allowed me to attend school and then college. Farm workers want nothing more than to pursue the American dream.”
LIVESTREAM: HERE
Background
In 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act with bipartisan support. That was a good start, and now in the Senate, Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Mike Bennet (D-CO) have taken the lead on negotiating improvements on the House’s solutions and moving the process forward. Passing new Senate legislation is critical to solving labor shortages facing the South Dakota agriculture sector and sustaining the state’s economy as a whole.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, grocery bills are rising at the fastest pace in more than 40 years, and this year’s July 4th cookouts cost 17% more than last year and 27% more than before the pandemic. Prices for ground beef are up 36% from last summer, chicken breasts up 33%, pork and beans up 33%, pork chops up 31%, lemonade up 22%, and potato salad up 19% – some families were likely forced to skip a cookout altogether.
ABOUT
ABIC Action is the political arm of the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), a bipartisan coalition of over 1,200+ CEOs, business owners, and trade associations across 17 mostly red and purple states. ABIC Action promotes common sense immigration reform that advances economic competitiveness, provides companies with both the high-skilled and low-skilled talent they need, and allows the integration of immigrants into our economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs, and citizens.
The International Fresh Produce Association is the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain, and the only to seamlessly integrate world-facing advocacy and industry-facing support.
AmericanHort truly represents the entire horticulture industry, including breeders, greenhouse and nursery growers, retailers, distributors, interior and exterior landscapers, florists, students, educators, researchers, manufacturers, and all of those who are part of the industry market chain. It is the leading national association for the green industry, working tirelessly to connect the industry across states and segments.
The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives has, since 1929, been the voice of America’s farmer cooperatives. Its members are regional and national farmer cooperatives, which in turn consist of nearly 2,000 local farmer cooperatives across the country. The majority of America’s 2 million farmers and ranchers belong to one or more farmer cooperatives. NCFC members also include 16 state and regional councils of cooperatives.