Agriculture FertilizerAgriculture Fertilizer
  • Home
  • News
  • Management
  • Business
  • Insights
  • Crops & Livestock
  • Machinery
  • Technology
  • Weather
  • Trending
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Press Release

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest agriculture news and updates directly to your inbox.

What's On

Here’s Where Corn Harvest Typically Stands in Late October: A State-by-State Look

October 29, 2025

Photos from the 2025 National FFA Convention

October 29, 2025

The Impact of Recent EPA Decisions on 2023-2027 RVOs for Biomass-Based Diesel

October 29, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Agriculture FertilizerAgriculture Fertilizer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • News
  • Management
  • Business
  • Insights
  • Crops & Livestock
  • Machinery
  • Technology
  • Weather
  • Trending
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Press Release
Agriculture FertilizerAgriculture Fertilizer
Home » New H-2A wage rule offers $2B in farm relief

New H-2A wage rule offers $2B in farm relief

October 2, 20253 Mins Read News
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest WhatsApp Email

The U.S. Department of Labor has unveiled a sweeping change to how wages are determined for foreign agricultural guestworkers under the H-2A program, a move officials say could save farmers and ranchers more than $2 billion annually in labor costs. The interim final rule, published October 2, replaces the long-criticized Farm Labor Survey with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. By shifting to this methodology, the Department aims to better align H-2A wages with comparable occupations in the broader labor market.

For farmers, particularly in high-cost states like Michigan, the change offers long-awaited relief. Congressman John Moolenaar noted that Michigan’s Adverse Effect Wage Rate has climbed more than 61 percent since 2014, reaching $18.15 an hour, not including the cost of housing, transportation, and other mandatory expenses. 

A central feature of the new rule is the recognition of housing and other non-monetary benefits as part of total compensation. This adjustment, coupled with a tiered wage structure that takes skill level into account, is expected to slow the rapid wage increases that have placed U.S. farmers at a competitive disadvantage globally. In states such as Washington, Oregon, and California, where H-2A wages have effectively set the floor for the broader farm workforce, employers anticipate immediate cost reductions.

USDA, Flickr

Reactions across the agricultural sector have been largely positive. Michael Marsh, president of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, applauded the rule as a long-overdue correction to an outdated system.

The International Fresh Produce Association echoed that sentiment, calling it a historic step toward fairness and predictability in farm labor policy.

The American Farm Bureau Federation also expressed support, noting that labor costs can make up nearly half of farm production expenses and that many family farms rely on the H-2A program to survive.

“Farm Bureau thanks the Trump administration, Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Secretary Brooke Rollins for advocating for solutions to a broken system,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “For many farmers, prices for the products they raise are low while production expenses are at record highs, so a fair wage rate is essential. In most states, the new rates will help farmers afford to get crops from the fields to the tables of America’s families.

“This new rule holds promise for many farm families who would be out of business if not for the H-2A program. We look forward to working with the administration to ensure more transparency, predictability and clarity as it implements the rule, and we remain committed to working with Congress for more lasting reforms that provide mutual benefit for workers and farmers while ensuring both can continue to stock America’s pantries.”

While the Department of Labor framed the rule as essential to protecting the nation’s food supply, advocates continue to stress that more needs to be done. Farm groups and policymakers are urging Congress to pursue comprehensive reform that not only stabilizes wage rates but also provides foreign farmworkers with clearer legal pathways. For now, the new rule signals a major shift in U.S. agricultural labor policy, one that could reshape how farms balance cost, labor supply, and competitiveness in a challenging global marketplace.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Here’s Where Corn Harvest Typically Stands in Late October: A State-by-State Look

October 29, 2025 News

Photos from the 2025 National FFA Convention

October 29, 2025 News

The Impact of Recent EPA Decisions on 2023-2027 RVOs for Biomass-Based Diesel

October 29, 2025 News

How Two Companies Laid the Tracks for Caterpillar

October 29, 2025 News

U.S. Senate in Bipartisan Vote Rejects Trump Tariffs on Brazil as Coffee Prices Spike

October 29, 2025 News

China Buys U.S. Soybean Cargoes Ahead of Trump-Xi Meet, Sources Say

October 29, 2025 News

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Don't Miss
News

Photos from the 2025 National FFA Convention

By staffOctober 29, 20250

Tens of thousands of FFA members from around the nation poured into the Indiana Convention…

The Impact of Recent EPA Decisions on 2023-2027 RVOs for Biomass-Based Diesel

October 29, 2025

How Two Companies Laid the Tracks for Caterpillar

October 29, 2025

U.S. Senate in Bipartisan Vote Rejects Trump Tariffs on Brazil as Coffee Prices Spike

October 29, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest agriculture news and updates directly to your inbox.

Our Picks

China Buys U.S. Soybean Cargoes Ahead of Trump-Xi Meet, Sources Say

October 29, 2025

Individual U.S. Crop Inputs Post 2014 Farm Bill

October 29, 2025

How Can Farmers Protect Grain Profits Amid Market Uncertainty?

October 29, 2025

Nufarm Launches New Insecticides to Protect Crops from Yield-Robbing Pests

October 28, 2025
Agriculture Fertilizer
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2025 All rights reserved. Agriculture Fertilizer.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.