From crawfish to vegetables, Louisiana farmers say much of our food and produce relies on migrant labor.
That has some in the agriculture industry calling for pathways so migrant workers can gain permanent legal status in the United States, not just temporary work visas. We visited three Louisiana farms to find out why.
Read MoreThe federal government has temporarily increased the number of H-2B non-immigrant visas that will be awarded in 2026, a provision that Rep. Julia Letlow says will benefit Louisiana crawfish farmers.
Read MoreSeafood spots in New Orleans are beginning to boil mud bugs, but some say they are facing a unique challenge.
Farmers are reporting that their immigrant employees are opting out of work due to the ongoing federal immigration crackdown across Louisiana. As a result, farmers say production is slower due to reduced staff.
Read MoreIt’s no secret American agriculture heavily relies on immigrant labor to produce much of the food we eat.
Read MoreIn a tacit admission that U.S. food production requires foreign labor, the Trump administration is making it easier for farmers to employ guest workers from other countries.
Read MoreIn the late summer heat, the hours move like molasses.
Still, across the cane fields of South Louisiana, migrant workers from Mexico brave the sun and punishing humidity to plant sugarcane. They come from the mountains of Guanajuato and San Luís Potosí, or the tropical coast of Veracruz, working the fields, often up to 70 hours a week.
Read MoreThe Trump administration last week moved to disrupt how wages are set for temporary guest workers on farms.
Groups representing farm employers are praising the moves, which they say will provide labor relief to farmers, though groups representing farm workers will likely challenge the decisions in court.
Read MoreImmigration changes and labor reforms have created a moving target for farms utilizing H-2A temporary farm labor in 2025, especially for those located in isolated areas or growing specialty crops.
To maintain legal labor and stay steps ahead of evolving policies, labor consultant Katie Ramagos Nunez shared the practices she and her clients follow on the farm to simplify paperwork and stay audit-ready.
Read MoreAFBF and other industry coalition members achieved a crucial win yesterday that will help farmers across the country. AFBF and its partners were granted a preliminary injunction by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi barring the Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing its Worker Protection Rule extending unionization rights to H-2A visaholders.
Read MoreFarmworkers, today we appreciate you. Your hard work may often be behind the scenes but please know that it does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Today may be Farmworker Appreciation Day, but every day anyone enjoys a meal is one we should be thanking a farmworker.
Read MoreOn June 28, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) implemented a new final rule to enhance protections for agricultural workers, both American and foreign, particularly those employed under H-2A status. This rule strengthens enforcement measures to ensure compliance with federal labor laws, boosting worker protection obligations in several key areas.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Labor proposed a new rule that would strengthen protections for farm workers in the H-2A program and help prevent abuses that undermine wages and standards for all agricultural workers.
The proposed rule would add new protections for worker self-advocacy, better protect workers against retaliation, make foreign labor recruitment more transparent and enhance the department’s enforcement. This proposal builds on a final rule the department published in October 2022 that modernized key aspects of the H-2A program.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the House Agriculture Committee formation of a bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group to address pressing issues facing farmers.
Read MoreThe future of undocumented farmworkers and needed changes in securing agricultural labor were the focus of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on July 21 featuring over two hours of questioning of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack during the first panel and additional testimony offered by the United Farm Workers as well as a pork producer and dairy farmer.
Read MoreCongressman Clay Higgins, who represents Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District, spent time yesterday meeting with local rice and crawfish producers to discuss various issues facing the two industries.
Rep. Higgins’ first stop was at the Bieber Farm near Mamou. The main topic of conversation with the group there was labor concerns, specifically the H2A & H2B programs.
