By Zachariah Rutledge and David Ortega el.at
How do labor shortages affect dairy operations? Which policy solutions do producers believe will most effectively solve the problem?
A team of researchers at Michigan State University conducted a survey about dairy labor shortages, adaptation strategies, and support for various labor policies. They were interested in learning how farm labor shortages affected the adoption of key production and labor management practices. This article describes their findings and includes an interview with Anna Hooks, a graduate student who worked on this project. All quotes are hers.
Why are there labor shortages?
Labor shortages are increasingly prevalent in the agricultural sector. Dairy farms face a unique challenge because production requires a year-round workforce, yet most current American visa programs are primarily designed for producers with seasonal employment needs.
“There is an ongoing agricultural labor shortage across all sectors, including crops and other livestock industries. Something that livestock industries struggle with that doesn’t affect crop or seasonal industries as much is the consistent need for year-round labor. Solutions like the H-2A visa program are typically only for seasonal or temporary work,” Hooks said.
Factors linked to a declining American farm labor supply include:
- Demographic changes in rural Mexico
- Increased educational attainment among rural Mexicans
- Rising non-farm job opportunities
- Limited legal immigration pathways
What programs are currently available?
The H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers program, better known as H-2A, is the largest source of temporary or seasonal farm workers. Workers may come from many countries, but most are Mexican.
In practice, the average H-2A contract is only about six months. Workers can receive extensions to stay in the United States and work for longer, but the legal and regulatory issues can be challenging for both the workers and their employers.
Source : msu.edu