USDA's Richard Fordyce Highlights Farm Bill Progress as Farm Bureau Pushes Labor Reform

On today’s episode of the AgNet News Hour, two major issues shaping agriculture's future took center stage: efforts to modernize the nation's farm labor system and new USDA initiatives designed to strengthen American agriculture. American Farm Bureau Federation Vice President of Public Policy and Economic Analysis John Newton discussed bipartisan legislation aimed at reforming the H-2A guest worker program, while USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce outlined several federal initiatives supporting farmers and ranchers. Newton said agriculture has gone more than four decades without meaningful updates to its labor system, making the recently introduced Securing Agricultural Workforce Act one of the most significant labor proposals in years. The bipartisan legislation would provide greater certainty for growers by creating a more predictable H-2A wage formula while expanding visa eligibility for year-round agricultural sectors such as dairy. He pointed to recent Farm Bureau data showing that agriculture's labor shortage remains severe. During fiscal year 2025, growers submitted more than 415,000 H-2A applications, while only 182 domestic workers applied for those positions. "That shows these are jobs Americans simply are not filling," Newton explained, adding that reliable access to legal agricultural labor remains essential for maintaining the nation's food supply. Newton also urged lawmakers to continue work on a new Farm Bill, year-round E15 legislation, disaster assistance, and economic support for farmers facing elevated production costs. He encouraged growers to stay engaged with members of Congress while legislators are home during the July recess. The program's second featured interview focused on USDA priorities with Richard Fordyce, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. Fordyce discussed USDA's newly announced SPUR initiative, designed to strengthen small and medium-sized beef processors that play an important role in local and regional food systems. He said supporting independent processors now will help ensure sufficient processing capacity as the nation's cattle herd begins rebuilding from historically low levels. Fordyce also provided an update on USDA's response to the New World screwworm, saying the department is expanding sterile fly production while working closely with Mexican officials to prevent the pest from spreading farther north. He expressed confidence that increased surveillance and coordinated international efforts will successfully push the pest back toward southern Mexico. Another topic of discussion was implementation of provisions contained in the recently passed federal reconciliation package. Fordyce said USDA is moving quickly to implement improvements affecting crop insurance, disaster assistance, conservation programs, and the agricultural safety net. "I think the provisions in this legislation are historic for agriculture," Fordyce said, noting the package expands producers' ability to purchase stronger crop insurance coverage while improving several long-standing farm programs. Fordyce also emphasized USDA's continued commitment to California agriculture, recognizing the state's unmatched diversity of crops and encouraging growers to remain engaged with USDA programs and resources available through Farmers.gov and local USDA service centers. Together, the interviews highlighted two of agriculture's most pressing priorities: ensuring farmers have access to a dependable workforce while strengthening the federal programs that help producers manage risk, invest in their operations, and remain competitive in an increasingly challenging farm economy. Listen to the full interview below or on your favorite podcast app.