Planning for the unexpected is normal practice for pork producers. But access to qualified workers to successfully operate our farms and provide quality product for consumers has reached a tipping point.
Labor remains a significant challenge, and the latest development — the record number of TN visas being denied by the U.S. Department of State — is making matters worse. The TN visa program allows Mexican and Canadian nationals with qualified degrees to work in the U.S.
Recently, as part of its efforts to streamline TN visa processing and job categories, the State Department has failed to consider the pork industry’s critical need for professional and specialized employees — making the already challenging task of finding workers even more troublesome. The State Department has altered the descriptions it relies on when determining if a position meets the criteria for several TN visa job categories under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. These changes have effectively eliminated access to TN employees in a job category that is widely used and valued by pork producers.
Unemployment among the top pork-producing states stands around 3.3%. Despite higher wages and competitive benefits, pig farm employment has declined over the last five years. These forces, combined with a declining working age population in rural counties, mean domestic labor cannot meet the needs of the U.S. pork industry and reinforce our industry’s reliance on guest worker programs like the TN visa program.
Exacerbating the problem, the number of State Department consular offices in Mexico has been cut by more than one-third.
We are not alone in our struggles to secure labor. Other livestock industries, including the dairy industry, also have been affected by these visa denials.
NPPC continues to advocate on behalf of producers, regularly raising this issue with State Department officials in Washington and Mexico City, as well as with White House officials and U.S. Congress. NPPC will continue to push for a workable TN visa solution, engaging with all three branches of government to ensure pork producers can adequately staff farms and continue to provide quality product.
With so many pressures facing our industry, labor should not be a barrier to running our farms. Therefore, I encourage producers to speak up on this issue. Make your opinion known and share how the TN visas or other programs limiting access to workers are affecting your farm’s ability to care for animals and to provide an affordable, wholesome supply of pork.
Rob Brenneman owns and operates Brenneman Pork, a fully integrated family farm in Washington, Iowa.
