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Farm leaders tell Senate committee: labor shortage and guest‑worker issues are the top threat to U.S. agriculture
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Summary
Witnesses described growing labor shortages, said an estimated share of agricultural workers is undocumented and urged Congress to produce a reliable, legal guest‑worker path; leaders called labor the ‘‘number one’’ issue facing producers.
Labor challenges and an outdated agricultural workforce system were a recurring theme throughout the hearing. Zippy Duvall told senators ‘‘the greatest domestic policy threat to American agriculture is our outdated guest worker program and the labor crisis farmers are facing across the country.’’ He said there is ‘‘not enough domestic willingness to work on our farms’’ and that many producers are closing operations as a result.
Committee members and witnesses discussed estimates about workforce composition. In exchanges with Senator Luján and others, Duvall said the Farm Bureau estimates that about 40% of the agricultural workforce is undocumented; he and other witnesses said loss of a large share of the workforce would be devastating and could interrupt the food system.
Witnesses urged congressional action to create a reliable, legal workforce channel that provides a consistent seasonal and year‑round labor supply. Senator Klobuchar and others said the committee lacks jurisdiction over immigration but can be a voice for farm labor solutions and work with immigration committees to find bipartisan paths.
Why it matters: witnesses said labor shortages directly affect harvests, planting and meat processing and can force farmers to hire more expensive contractors, shorten rotations or leave land idle. Several senators and witnesses urged a bipartisan approach that pairs border security with a workable legal pathway for agricultural employment.
Ending: Farm leaders asked for durable, lawful mechanisms to ensure a stable agricultural workforce; senators said they would continue to press the issue with relevant committees and administrations.
