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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “labor”
Brazil’s Fundecitrus launched the Good Fruits program, aimed at adoption of legal practices in labor relations, during the recent Expocitrus event. The program’s objectives are to contribute to more responsible management on rural properties, strengthen compliance with Brazilian standards and promote a fairer, safer and more productive work environment. After launching the project, Fundecitrus distributed the guide “Employer Good Practices …
Growers spend a substantial amount of money every year to employ a labor force for their crops. Labor is the main issue that John Walt Boatright deals with as director of government affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation. “No matter where we go and no matter who we talk to in farm country, labor continues to be the focal …
The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) recently urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate a halt in federal funds to farmers to help address critical labor shortages and reduce irregular migration from Northern Central American countries. The request was in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. Last year, USDA’s Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot …
Labor is a perennial issue specialty crop growers must continue to deal with. Many growers in the Southeast have turned to the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program to source labor that is required on their farms. While the program has its challenges, it has become vital in securing production and harvest of specialty crops. Jamie Fussell, director of labor relations …
Florida’s new adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) in 2025 is estimated to be $16.23, pending an official notice in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This is an increase of approximately 10% from the previous year’s rate of $14.77. The results of the Farm Labor Survey are used by the DOL to determine the AEWR, an …
A federal workplace safety investigation found a Florida labor contractor could have prevented the fatal illness of a 41-year-old worker who collapsed while harvesting oranges at Alico Farms in December 2023. According to investigators, the incident could have been avoided if the required steps to protect employees from hazards associated with high temperatures were taken. Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program (FLSP). The new pilot grant program aims to improve food and agricultural supply-chain resiliency by addressing challenges agricultural employers face with labor shortages and instability. “The program will provide incentives designed to simultaneously benefit workers and employers, with the potential to inform the H-2A …
On Dec. 22, the U.S. Senate passed the omnibus appropriations bill. The $1.7 trillion measure would fund the federal government through the remainder of 2023. The measure now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote to avoid a government shutdown on the evening of Dec. 23. Much to the dismay of farm groups nationwide, the Senate Affordable …
By Danielle Leal The 2023 California Citrus Conference in Visalia proved collaboration is pivotal when tackling industry issues. The conference, hosted by California’s Citrus Research Board, had a lineup of industry leaders, researchers and others who updated growers on California’s citrus industry. Casey Creamer, president and chief executive officer of California Citrus Mutual, spoke on strengthening the connection between research …
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule to amend H-2A temporary labor certification regulations to better protect agricultural workers and to update the application and certification process. The final rule becomes effective Nov. 14, 2022. The H-2A program allows employers to address temporary labor needs by employing foreign agricultural workers when there are not sufficient workers who are …
Citrus Australia has asked Victorian Premier Dan Andrews to appoint a commissioner of horticultural labor and accommodation to manage solutions to a current horticulture crisis. Nathan Hancock, Citrus Australia’s chief executive officer, said extreme shortages in both labor and housing will get worse without direct intervention. “These issues (labor and housing shortages) are having a significant impact on the current and …
The spread of HLB in Florida citrus groves has forced growers and researchers to try all sorts of practices to fight off the disease’s devastating effects. One of the most successful methods has been planting citrus under protective screen (CUPS). The screen excludes the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and keeps HLB out of plantings. CUPS also is a great example …
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is continuing its multi-year education and enforcement initiative to increase compliance with federal labor laws in the Southeast’s agriculture industry. In addition to enforcement activity, the initiative provides compliance assistance to employers and educates workers and other stakeholders. The division and industry stakeholders in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, …
Increased water availability and the expectation of more harvest labor, along with increased planting area, are reasons for the citrus crop forecast increase in Australia, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). FAS recently reported that the total planted area of navel and Valencia oranges in Australia has increased by 14% from 15,307 hectares (ha) in …
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reported that three Arcadia citrus labor contractors failed to comply with the federal H-2A agricultural worker visa program, shortchanging employees $72,609 in total wages. The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division found that Benjamin M. Ramirez Harvesting Inc., AO Harvesting LLC and Gustavo Cisneros Harvesting Inc. failed to provide H-2A employees with at least three-quarters …
Real output in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting labor sector is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.3% from 2020 to 2030, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently reported. That’s slightly higher than the 2.2% annual growth rate projected for the entire U.S. economy. According to the report, the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector …
The issue of ag labor legislation reform will remain unresolved as long as southeastern growers and western growers don’t come to a compromise, says Bob Redding. Redding, who works for the Redding Firm and serves as a lobbyist for agricultural groups in Washington, D.C., believes compromise is the only way true reform will happen with such a contentious issue. “If …
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is engaged in an education and enforcement initiative to increase compliance with federal labor laws in the Southeast’s agricultural industry. In addition to enforcement activity, the initiative provides compliance assistance to employers and educates workers and other stakeholders. The division is working with industry stakeholders in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, …
Several University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) faculty are collaborating with other universities and organizations on research, especially for HLB. Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), summarizes the work they are doing on a variety of grant-funded projects. Rogers starts with a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded project led by …
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is encouraging growers to ensure that the farm labor contractors with whom they work pledge to implement COVID-19 workplace safety guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FDACS issued an addendum to be signed by farm labor contractors (see here) and a training acknowledgment form to be signed …
