Florida growers could face a serious labor shortage in the next few years, especially if federal agencies ramp up immigration enforcement.

"But we have an opportunity for improving things within the Trump administration and in Congress, as we try to navigate the many obstacles facing our industry," said Craig Regelbrugge, senior vice president, AmericanHort, co-chair of the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform, and chair of the National Council of Agricultural Employers' Immigration Committee. 

During FFVA’s 2017 Convention Issues Forum, "Navigating Uncertainty: The Ag Labor Outlook," Regelbrugge focused on policy, regulatory and legislative steps that could help fruit and vegetable producers address their workforce challenges.  He noted that about 75 percent of the 2 million to 2.5 million farmworkers in the U.S. are foreign-born, and one-third are U.S. citizens.

A national 2013 survey found that the average age of these workers was around 40, and many are married and raising children.  Only 2 percent said they were recent arrivals, compared with 22 percent in the late 1990s.

"Agriculture today needs to stabilize the current workforce and provide a process to ensure a future flow," Regelbrugge said. "We also need an efficient hiring process with integrity."

Regelbrugge noted that use of the H-2A temporary worker visa program is rising, especially in Florida, which is now the number one H-2A employer in the country. "While there has been a lot of rhetoric about American workers being displaced by immigrants, that is not happening in agriculture," he said. "However, there is clearly lack of a policy consensus."

Within the Trump administration, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue understands the issues, while senior policy advisor Stephen Miller is a fierce opponent of immigration, said Regelbrugge, adding that Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta's leadership will be critical in helping to solve the industry's workforce needs.

In Congress, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) introduced an agricultural labor reform bill that would replace the H-2A with a new H-2C visa with many similar provisions. However, it imposes a cap on total visas and includes minimum wage requirements.  "Talk to your elected officials and bring them up to speed on these issues," said Regelbrugge.

In the Senate, Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Diane Feinstein (D-CA) can work together as an H-2A team, according to Regelbrugge. Both understand the importance of this labor issue to agriculture, he added.

"While we are armed with facts and figures, our opponents are fighting a culture war," Regelbrugge said. "We have a public relations challenge, as most Americans are several generations away from actually working on a farm. We all need to be ambassadors for agriculture in our communities."