A bill waiting for Senate approval could make it easier for your neighbors in the dairy industry to get employees. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would provide a pathway for undocumented agricultural workers to become citizens and expand the current H-2A visa program. The farming industry has not been immune to the hiring crisis many employers are experiencing. As a result, food prices have increased to levels not since May 1979, according to NBC News. Expanding the H-2A program to allow agricultural workers to stay in the country year-round would be good news for all farms, especially those in the dairy industry. Unlike some agricultural fields, the dairy industry is churning out milk, whether it is in the middle of July or the beginning of January. The Wisconsin State Journal estimates that 40 percent of dairy workers are migrants, 90 percent of which are considered undocumented. Edge Dairy Farm Cooperative and Dairy Business Association Director of Government Affairs Mykel Bickham says the legislation would bring more consistency to its workforce.
With many in Congress out on the road in the coming weeks due to campaigning for the mid-term elections, Bickham hopes the issue is resolved before the end of 2022.