Industry leaders focus on H-2A labor compliance for fruit growers under new administration

As the second Donald Trump administration begins, the specialty crop industry is closely watching policy shifts that could reshape agriculture. Association representatives point to trade, the Farm Bill, and especially H-2A labor compliance for fruit growers as top priorities that will define the years ahead.

Farm Bill priorities

Diane Kurrle, senior vice president of the U.S. Apple Association (USApple), noted that an updated bipartisan Farm Bill already includes many industry priorities.

“A bipartisan farm bill update that passed the House Agriculture Committee last May included many of our priorities, as did a framework released by the Senate Agriculture Committee,” Kurrle said.

President Trump originally signed USApple-backed legislation in 2018, underscoring the importance of specialty crop programs. Kurrle explained that USApple continues to play a leadership role in the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, with an emphasis on securing improvements and additional funding for research and marketing programs. “For our part, USApple has made passage of a new, updated farm bill a top priority,” she said.

Rebeckah Adcock, vice president of U.S. government relations for the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), echoed the call for swift action.

“IFPA continues to call for prompt action from Congress and strong support from the executive branch to enact a comprehensive and inclusive farm bill,” she said. “For the fresh produce industry, this legislation provides vital resources to growers and producers, ensuring the stability of our nation’s food supply.”

Trade and tariffs

Industry leaders also highlighted the risks that trade tariffs pose to specialty crop exports. Jim Bair, president and CEO of USApple, said Mexico and Canada import 53% of all U.S. apple exports, worth $551 million in 2023.

“The threat of tariffs on our largest buyers makes us nervous because farmers are always targets of retaliation, even when they’re not involved in the issues that start the trade wars,” he said.

Bair pointed to the dramatic impact tariffs had on exports to India. U.S. apple exports to India reached $157 million in 2018 before retaliatory tariffs cut shipments to $4.7 million in 2022, a 97% reduction that costs growers more than $600 million.

India lifted those tariffs in 2023, but Bair cautioned that rebuilding the market will take years. “In either case, U.S. apple growers were collateral damage in a fight we didn’t start and had no interest in,” he said.

Labor challenges and H-2A reform

Industry representatives agreed that the biggest challenge remains labor. Adcock emphasized the urgency. “The viability of American growers relies on access to an affordable and stable workforce. However, the produce sector continues to grapple with severe labor shortages and escalating costs that often exceed crop values. The H-2A program remains a critical resource for growers, yet decades of inaction have rendered it cumbersome and unreliable.”

Kurrle identified H-2A labor compliance for fruit growers as USApple’s top legislative priority. “Our growers are increasingly reliant on the H-2A guest worker program, but it is bureaucratic and expensive,” she said.

She pointed to the 60% increase in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) over the past decade. “Growers used to lay awake at night worried if they would have enough workers to pick their crop. Today, they lay awake wondering how they are going to meet payroll.”

According to Kurrle, some growers reported that they selectively harvested in 2024 based on what they could afford in labor costs. “Leaving fruit on the tree and reducing hours harms the workers as much as it does growers,” she said.

USApple continues to advocate for reforms to AEWR calculations through legislation such as the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (FWMA) and targeted effort to pause wage increases in spending bills.

Jason Resnik, senior vice president and general counsel for Western Growers, warned that without action, labor costs will remain unsustainable. “In 2025, we anticipate continued challenges related to labor availability and costs, particularly if H-2A reform and adverse effect wage rate stabilization are not addressed,” he said.

Resnik also expressed concern about indiscriminate immigration enforcement sweeps that could deport essential farmworkers, further reducing the workforce and contributing to food inflation.

Regulatory outlook

Industry leaders remain cautiously optimistic about regulatory changes. Kurrle said growers hope President Trump’s vow to cut red tape will extend to the Department of Labor and the H-2A program. Adcock emphasized that IFPA will continue to push for meaningful reform that balances grower needs with worker protections.

As the new administration moves forward, the specialty crop industry remains united in its call for comprehensive reform. Leaders stress that trade, the Farm Bill, and especially H-2A labor compliance for fruit growers must remain central to U.S. agricultural policy if the industry is to thrive.

—  Doug Ohlemeier, Assistant Editor