United Fresh Produce Association Statement On Congressional Letter Supporting Processing H-2A Applications

WASHINGTON, DC – United Fresh Produce Association strongly supports efforts this week by Congressmen Sam Farr (CA-20) and Tom Rooney (FL-17), who spearheaded joint congressional letters (view letter 1, view letter2) to key government agencies responsible for managing the H-2A federal agriculture guest worker program.  The recent government shutdown created a backlog of H-2A applications which spurred on a letter from more than 20 members of Congress  to encourage the Department of Labor and other agencies to find a streamlined and efficient way to process the applications as soon as possible.  The winter fruit and vegetable season is about to come into full harvest, and growers in states such as Florida and Arizona will be severely impacted if they do not have the harvest workers ready to go in the next several weeks.

“Getting H-2A applications processed in a timely manner, even without a government shutdown, is always a challenge for produce providers,” said Robert Guenther, United Fresh senior vice president of public policy. “Paperwork being backed up for over two weeks really puts growers, who desperately need workers, in a tighter bind. The strong bipartisan group of members of Congress is sending a critical message urging relevant agencies to move resources as needed to address this issue, and offering specific recommendations for speeding up the approval process. Congressman Farr and Congressman Rooney have been champions of the produce industry and this letter demonstrates their commitment. United Fresh supports and will complement their work. United Fresh will do everything we can to monitor agency efforts to clear up the backlog, and ensure it’s done as fast and efficiently.”

The produce industry will continue to work mutually to encourage the impacted federal agencies to expedite these applications.

Founded in 1904, the United Fresh Produce Association serves companies at the forefront of the global fresh and fresh-cut produce industry, including growers, shippers, fresh-cut processors, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, foodservice operators, industry suppliers and allied associations. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C. and Western Regional office in Salinas, Calif., United Fresh and its members work year-round to make a difference for the produce industry by driving policies that increase consumption of fresh produce, shaping critical legislative and regulatory action, providing scientific and technical leadership in food safety, quality assurance, nutrition and health, and developing educational programs and business opportunities to assist member companies in growing successful businesses. For more information, visit www.unitedfresh.org or call 202-303-3400.

Source: United Fresh Produce Association