The newly reinstated Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits and Security (AgJobs) bill, which was last week by the US Senate and House of Representatives last week, has been welcomed by yet more industry leaders.
The bill is designed to allow workers to apply for temporary residency on the condition that they can prove they have been employed in US agriculture for two years, before being allowed to apply for permanent residency.
Nancy Foster, president and CEO of the US Apple Association, said that without the bill, the farming industry would be under threat.
'Agriculture needs access to a legal, reliable and stable workforce,' she told The Packer. 'The lack of a workable agricultural labour programme, coupled with uneven immigration enforcement, constitutes an absolute threat to the survival of the American farm.'
And Western Growers president and CEO Tom Nassif added: 'Without the passage and implementation of AgJobs, California and thenation will continue to export farms along with the field jobs and thethree to four upstream and downstream jobs that are created in theeconomy.'
After the initial announcement United Fresh Produce Association president Tom Stenzel had said the bill was 'essential', calling it a 'widely supported, comprehensive package of reforms'.
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