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“Without reforms, many will have to make painful decisions to either cut production or exit the business entirely,” – North Carolina Green Industry Council President Dennis Niemeyer

MILLS RIVER, NC – Today North Carolina farming and business leaders joined the American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action), AmericanHort, and the International Fresh Produce Association to call attention to the urgency of fixing North Carolina’s and the nation’s farm labor shortage by passing new Senate agriculture workforce solutions.

“Over 70% of the labor in ag is from foreign origin. Our workforce concerns in this field are not just labor, but trained and focused work,” said Tri-Hishtil General Manager and AmericanHort member Bert Lemkes, who is also an immigrant who came to the U.S. 33 years ago. “Your fruits and vegetables will be picked by foreign hands either in this country or outside of our borders… We need to simplify and reduce the bureaucracy of the H-2A visa program which has been growing exponentially in our industry… A more stable farm workforce means greater food safety and security to the benefit of all Americans. The Senate has an opportunity to take a good bill and improve it. We ask our Senators, ‘Please don’t miss this opportunity. We need our respected Senators to help our industry.’

“NC is in the top 10 states in the nation in production of specialty crops which means that maintenance and harvest must be done by hand versus using a machine. In fact, NC has the second largest number of H-2A workers in the nation,” said North Carolina Green Industry Council President Dennis Niemeyer. Small and family businesses in the Green Industry continue to struggle with workforce shortages and an antiquated government H-2A program for their labor needs. We urge the US Senate to take up and pass its version of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Without reforms, many will have to make painful decisions to either cut production or exit the business entirely, hurting American workers, families, and communities.”

“The current system is very expensive. Our rates change year to year for what we pay our workers, sometimes mid-season. This House bill addresses a lot of our concerns and the rising cost of our labor and immigration practices and helps to fund modernization of the program so that it ultimately gives us our workers back year after year, which saves on training and production costs,” said Greg Cardamone General Manager of L&M Companies, a food distributor operating in North Carolina more than 50 years. “We’ve seen through the COVID emergency funds that Congress can act in a matter of weeks and months and that’s the kind of urgency that we need to keep our food production cost-efficient so we can pass it on to the consumer and keep the viability of the American farm alive.”

Business leaders from other sectors expressed hope that progress on the farm labor shortage would create new possibilities for progress on addressing the devastating labor shortages impacting other sectors.

“In our community there are over 100 Ukrainians who have made their way here since that conflict started in February. These individuals have been given Temporary Protected Status, and they’re here; they’re willing to work; they’re capable of working, but the process to get the work authorization takes over a year. We need to improve that process so we can allow these individuals to enter the workforce and become productive members of our community,” said John Oswald, President and CEO of Mills Manufacturing, which has been manufacturing parachutes in NC for the U.S. military and its allies since 1952. He continued, “If we can make progress on the farm labor shortage, maybe we can make progress on common sense solutions for our broader economy too… I encourage my Senators Tillis and Burr to do everything they can to be part of the solution to help this labor crisis.”

ABIC Action Carolinas State Director Yahel Flores, who is also a Dreamer drew from his personal story to talk about the hard work North Carolina’s immigrants perform every day. “My family and I are examples of how immigrants are here to work. I am a DACA recipient from Mexico who was brought here when I was 7 years old. My parents were college graduates in Mexico. In NC, my father worked as a forklift operator and my mother was a CNA nurse while building their businesses. I grew up in Winston Salem and Kernersville. I was a multisport athlete in school and a quarterback for my football team. I self-funded my education by starting multiple businesses and while working a few full-time jobs because NC does not offer in-state tuition to dreamers. I was able to overcome a lot of the obstacles,” he said.

Background

The USDA predicts next year that for the first time in US history, we will be a net importer of agricultural goods. If we do not solve this labor shortage, this is a trend that will continue. 

Recently, Texas A&M International University 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.

By addressing workforce shortages facing farm employers and stabilizing the H-2A visa application process, Congress can address inflation, lower food prices, ensure grocery store shelves remain stocked, and enhance our national food security by protecting domestic agriculture production. Reform to our immigration and guest worker program is long overdue. Farmers and their employees need a system that provides long-term stability. It is time we find a solution that works for all.

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 North Carolina 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.

AmericanHort 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. The leading national association for the green industry, AmericanHort connects the industry across states and segments, giving members opportunities that expand their network and resources to perform better, grow, and prepare for the future.

The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) 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. We exist to bring the industry together to create a vibrant future for all. We grow our member’s prosperity by conducting advocacy; connecting people and ideas; and offering guidance that allows us all to take action with purpose and confidence.