IFPA’s Take On the Top Issues Facing Produce Growers Today
If you can’t find enough workers or you’re fighting weeds with fewer tools, you’re not alone. This most recent survey of U.S. vegetable growers confirms what you already know: labor and weed related issues are your most significant operational cost and greatest risk. So, it’s no surprise these are also urgent advocacy priorities for the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), who brings your voice to Washington and fights for immediate action.
What Can You Do?
U.S. growers offer higher wages than ever. But you still struggle to find skilled workers who can harvest crops on time.
Without a stable, legal, and affordable workforce, U.S. farms risk downsizing or shutting down. If that happens, the country will rely more on imported produce, consumers will see higher prices, and our national food supply will be less secure.
A major contributor to this crisis is the outdated and overly complex H-2A visa program.
Originally designed to provide legal temporary labor, the program has become burdened with excessive costs.
IFPA supports reforms that provide reliable labor while ensuring fair wages and protections for workers: simplifying the H-2A program, freezing and reforming the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), expanding visa access for non-seasonal operations, and reversing Department of Labor (DOL) rules that impose financial and administrative burdens on farms.
“Margins are super thin with labor rates and inputs,” a large North Carolina melon and sweet potato grower says. “We can’t afford for AEWR to continue to rise.”
Support Labor Reform
A crucial step lawmakers can take toward labor reform is passing the Supporting Farm Operations Act (H.R. 1624), introduced by Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI).
This bipartisan bill would freeze the AEWR for two years, offering predictability for growers and immediate cost relief, while providing
Congress with the time and impetus to pass meaningful, long-term reform.
Here’s how to support this bill: just enter your name and address to send this pre-drafted letter [ifpa.quorum.us/campaign/114061/] to your member of Congress.
How to Combat Weeds
Weed management rose sharply to the No. 2 biggest concern among vegetable growers.
This labor-intensive challenge highlights the importance of effective crop protection tools and a need for investing in innovation, such as automation. Yet regulatory pressures and public misconceptions increasingly threaten growers’ access to proven, science-based crop protection products.
IFPA is contributing recommendations to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission.
In May, the Commission acknowledged fruits and vegetables’ crucial role in public health. Diet-related diseases are rising and 90% of Americans falling short of recommended fruit and vegetable intake. Yet it questions the safety of critical crop protection tools, despite decades of research and strict regulation.
IFPA urged the Commission to collaborate more directly with growers and producers in crafting policies that are grounded in science and practical feasibility.
The Commission’s upcoming policy recommendations are expected in August.
2025 State of the Vegetable Industry Survey: What You Told Us About Farm Management Issues
Stay Connected
Help IFPA champion risk-based, science-driven policies that maintain consumer confidence and keep American produce farms competitive!
- Learn more about how to engage in advocacy with IFPA on the Government Advocacy page.
- Click here to explore your state’s vegetable industry impact at IFPA’s Fresh Fruit & Vegetable State Profiles page and download detailed factsheets.
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