Labor

Field worker wages up 6%, signaling hike for H-2A pay

Field workers at U.S. farms received an average of $17.04 per hour in October, an increase of 6% from the same month in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Labor Survey. The... more »

Rising farm labor rates draw notice from FFVA

Noting expected hikes in Florida farm labor rates, the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association is weighing in on how growers are being affected by rising labor costs. Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released... more »

IFPA calls H-2A wages an ‘assault’ on produce industry

The International Fresh Produce Association is projecting an almost 7% average increase pay rates for workers in the H-2A program, based on the recent release of the annual U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Labor Survey... more »

Ag labor group sues to halt H-2A changes

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) has filed a legal challenge to changes in the H-2A program. The lawsuit alleges that the Department of Labor has “unlawfully repealed a final rule duly issued, prescribed... more »

Workers benefit from flu vaccines, COVID-19 boosters

This year has been the worst year for flu in the United States in over a decade, according to recently released federal data. Farmworkers, and especially those who live in shared housing with other workers,... more »

H-2A changes to be addressed in Penn State webinar

To prepare growers for significant program regulation changes coming in 2023 for users of H-2A labor, Penn State Extension is planning a webinar. Through a Dec. 13 Zoom webinar, Penn State labor authorities plan to... more »

Autonomous tractors startup sees investment

Sabanto, a hardware and software company developing autonomous capabilities in tractors, is the first investment from Cooperative Ventures, a venture capital fund formed by North American farm cooperatives. Founded in 2018, Sabanto is deploying fully-autonomous... more »

PickTrace labor management expands services

A labor management company that offers fresh produce industry growers a digital solution for time, attendance and productivity tracking of employees has expanded services to ease hiring and payment processes. PickTrace, Glendale, California, first offered... more »