America’s farmers are facing a labor crisis. Continued agriculture workforce shortages threaten farmers’ ability to grow the food families rely on. Many labor challenges are addressed in new legislation introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson. The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 builds on recommendations of the bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group and modernizes the H-2A visa program by expanding access to a year-round workforce and eliminating unpredictable swings in wage rates, among other changes.
“The lack of available labor is among the largest limiting factors of American agriculture,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Most Americans don’t want to work on farms. In fact, only 182 domestic applications were submitted for nearly 415,000 advertised positions in 2025. If Americans won’t apply for these jobs, we have no other choice but to depend on the H-2A program. Unfortunately, the current guest worker program is inadequate to meet the demands on farms across the country.
“We are grateful to Chairman G.T. Thompson for listening to America’s farmers. Farm Bureau members participated in the bipartisan House Agriculture Labor Working Group, and they shared the obstacles to participation in guest worker programs. Their needs are largely addressed in the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act. It delivers meaningful farm labor reform and will provide certainty and fairness to both farmers and their employees as they contribute to a strong and healthy food supply.”
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