As rural populations continue to decline in rural America, labor issues have become a hurdle for the agriculture industry.
With many rural counties losing population to urban centers, the number of available workers for agricultural jobs has also declined. As an answer to the dwindling number of available workers, agriculture has turned to immigrant farm workers to provide the labor force necessary. However, there are many legal matters that complicate the employment process for both workers and employers, namely in the form of visa related issues.
Christina Banoub is the Manager of Competition, Labor, and Tax Issues for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and she says that H-2A visas are one way to increase the reliable work force in rural America.
She also comments on TN visas which are designed to increase the available labor on farms.
Banoub says that producers have made clear the need for reform to increase the available workforce in rural communities.
She says that although the process for change can be tedious, the NPPC continues to work to find solutions.
Banoub says that personal stories can make a big difference in helping to improve the labor situation for agriculture.
That was Christina Banoub, the Manager of Competition, Labor, and Tax Issues for the National Pork Producers Council.
