Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue visited Brighton, Colorado onion grower Sakata Farms on May 15. The visit was part of Perdue’s fourth “Back to Our Roots” tour.
The visit featured a labor roundtable discussion with the Secretary, AFBF President Duvall, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, and 17 fruit and vegetable producers from Colorado.
The main topic of the discussion was the H-2A program which allows people from other countries to do seasonal ag work in the U.S.
H-2A can be expensive to implement, as employers are responsible not only for wages, but must provide housing and transportation from that housing to the job site.
“Without a doubt the number one issue we hear from fruit and veggie growers in Colorado is the lack of a qualified seasonal workforce.”
Robert Sakata with Sakata Farms knows first-hand about the labor problem in Colorado and across the country. He said, “Without a doubt the number one issue we hear from fruit and veggie growers in Colorado is the lack of a qualified seasonal workforce. I am pleased that Secretary Perdue took the time to hear first hand our challenges and we anxiously wait to see if the USDA can make the current H2A program meet today’s needs.
I really appreciated the Secretary’s visit. Its great to know that the USDA wants to hear from those of us working the land. And its great to be back to farming!”
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Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue
Robert “R.T.” Sakata of Sakata Farms
