June 5, 2013
www.gfb.org
Vol. 31 No. 23
FARMERS TALK IMMIGRATION REFORM WITH AJC GFB President Zippy Duvall and American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman met with the editorial board of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Atlanta on May 30 to discuss the need for meaningful immigration reform. Joining the state and national Farm Bureau presidents were McDuffie County horticulture producer Skeetter McCorkle and Sumter County vegetable grower Dick Minor. The meeting was held at Farm Bureau’s request. “The AJC is likely to have an editorial position on an issue like immigration reform, so we asked for the opportunity to explain how important it is to farmers,” said Duvall. The 90-minute recorded meeting included back and forth discussion and debate. The Farm Bureau leaders expressed their support for S. 744, the immigration bill currently before the U.S. Senate. “AFBF supports the Senate bill, and we will continue to work through the amendment process,” said Stallman. “It’s not perfect, but it is something we can agree to.” Duvall noted the importance of keeping the debate moving forward and the additional jobs created in agricultural processing. “The jobs created up the line are important; nothing good comes from turning our heads on this issue,” Duvall said. Minor and McCorkle offered a farmer’s perspective on the issue. Both men noted the difficulties in finding Americans willing to take field jobs. “It has been very difficult for us to keep a labor force,” said McCorkle. “This work is physically demanding, but it is not mindless grunt work; it is a skilled role.” Minor added, “Labor is always our number one issue. We’ve been working on it for 25 years, and we believe we need to move forward with immigration reform.” S. 744 was introduced in the Senate in April by the so-called “Gang of Eight.” The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in May and is scheduled for Senate debate as early as next week. The main provisions of the bill include a “Blue Card” provision which will allow undocumented agricultural workers to legally remain in the country to work in agriculture. Applicants will be required to prove they have worked on farms in the past, pass security and law enforcement background checks, and pay a fine in order to be eligible for the blue card. The bill also creates a new, less cumbersome agriculture guest worker program to allow workers outside the country to obtain visas to work in agriculture. Once the new plan is in place, the current H-2A program would be phased out.