Finding enough farmworkers to get the job done is, for many, the biggest problem facing growers today.
Washington Congressman Dan Newhouse says current legislation being considered, the ‘Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act,’ could do so much to help improve the H-2A system.
“We’re trying to help people that have maybe worked here for years, been law-abiding residents of our communities but contributing to our economy, giving them a way to stay and continue contributing to our farm economy. And like I said, that is drawing some criticism and opposition from some corners of Congress. So, we’re working through that as well.”
But Newhouse says it’s unnecessarily repetitive.
“If I was a farmworker and I worked at your farm last year, I would have to go through the same process if I wanted to work at your farm again this year. So, we’re trying to make it a little bit easier for those employees who are returning, that have a history, that maybe don’t have to go through quite as rigorous of a process to speed that part of it up.”
Some of it is a big waste of time.
“If they’ve been vetted, and they have a history, then that should account for something. So, those are the kinds of things that we’re looking at to make the system much more efficient.”
Newhouse says they’re also trying to address expired visas to help speed up the process.