Mike Collins: “Georgia is home to a vast agriculture industry with hardworking farmers, ranchers, growers and processors who contribute…”

“Georgia is home to a vast agriculture industry with hardworking farmers, ranchers, growers and processors who contribute to America's economy every day. In the northeast corner where my district is located, more than 10,000 farm operators grow everything from peaches to cattle, chickens to strawberries. There is no doubt that not enough American workers want to work in agriculture to fulfill the needs of the industry. Most farmers are offering competitive wages to attract workers, while at the same time being conscious of the reality that, when production costs get too high and they can no longer sell their crops at a competitive rate, they could be out of business. Growers are increasingly turning to the H-2A visa program to get the temporary labor they need, but the program needs reform. The agricultural industry wants and deserves a streamlined program that provides more certainty as to the temporary labor needed to sustain their businesses. H-2A users have asked Congress for many reforms of the H-2A program. Unfortunately, despite its proponents' claims, H.R. 5038 doesn't fix many of the issues with the program, and, in some cases, the bill makes the problems worse. Growers have requested permanent, long-term wage rate relief instead of the unpredictable adverse effect wage rate that H-2A users are currently required to pay.…”