Lately, it appears Congress has been recognizing the many challenges farmers and ranchers are facing these days, like the recent changes made to the way the Adverse Effect Wage Rate is calculated, which should help cut the cost of labor.
But, Washington Representative Dan Newhouse, a farmer himself, says that didn’t just happen by chance.
“I want to make sure I say this as often as I can to encourage more of it. Growers around the country have been reaching out to their members of Congress to let them know that this is still a very big part of the reason that farmers are having a hard time finding profitable situations on their farms. The high cost of labor or the unavailability of labor to begin with is a huge issue.”
And that comes with a lot of influence from knowledgeable folks within.
“We have been making some progress, too, as I think we’ve talked about before. Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, GT Thompson, has been very good about putting together ideas from different members of Congress on what we should be doing in legislation.”
So, Newhouse’s message to farmers is to please keep it up.
“Thank you to all the producers out there that have been taking the time to reach out and continue doing so. We have to keep raising the level of urgency here in Washington, D.C. on this issue.”