Dairy farmers across the country may soon find relief from one of the most persistent challenges facing their operations: securing a stable, legal workforce. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) is throwing its full support behind the newly introduced Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, which the organization describes as the most meaningful reform to the agricultural labor system in a generation.
In a statement released June 30, NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud called the legislation a long-overdue answer to a problem that has weighed heavily on dairy producers for years. Unlike many seasonal crops, dairy farms operate year-round, and that reality has effectively locked them out of the H-2A guestworker program, the nation’s primary legal channel for bringing in agricultural workers from abroad.
“The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act represents the most significant reform to the ag workforce we’ve seen in decades,” Doud said. “It is particularly critical for dairy farmers, who have been effectively shut out of the nation’s primary legal agricultural guestworker program.”
At the heart of the bill is a change that dairy producers have sought for a long time. By removing the seasonal requirement attached to the H-2A program and allowing contracts of up to 350 days a year, the legislation finally opens the door for dairy farms to participate. For an industry where cows must be milked every single day of the year, that distinction makes all the difference.
The bill does more than simply grant access. According to Doud, it streamlines the application process, trims away administrative burdens, and addresses some of the cost concerns that have discouraged farmers from using H-2A even when they technically qualified. Those practical changes could go a long way toward making the program workable for the small and mid-sized family operations that form the backbone of American dairy.
Perhaps the most consequential piece of the legislation, Doud noted, is the provision that offers the current dairy workforce a path to transition into a workable visa program. This targeted mechanism is designed to prevent a sudden and disruptive upheaval as farms move toward the H-2A system. Doud emphasized that this kind of stability is not just an economic matter but one tied directly to the wellbeing of the animals and the quality of the product reaching consumers.
“Workforce stability underpins animal care, milk quality, and overall farm viability,” he said, underscoring the connection between dependable labor and the daily responsibilities of running a dairy operation.
Doud reserved particular praise for Chairman Thompson and the other original co-sponsors who brought the bill forward. “Chairman Thompson, thank you for leading the way, as you so often have to the most important issues facing agriculture,” he said, crediting the chairman’s continued attention to the concerns of rural America.
Looking ahead, NMPF signaled that its advocacy work is only beginning. The federation said it will rally supporters across the dairy sector and the broader agriculture community to push the bill forward. That effort includes building momentum in the House, securing a companion bill in the Senate, and ultimately guiding the legislation to the president’s desk.
Based in Arlington, Virginia, the National Milk Producers Federation develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. Its member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of the nation’s milk, giving NMPF a leading voice for dairy on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies. For dairy families who have waited years for a workable solution, the introduction of this bill offers a measure of hope that meaningful change may finally be within reach.
To learn more about the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act and NMPF’s advocacy efforts, visit www.nmpf.org.