The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with more than 60 other agriculture groups, sent a letter Monday to the Biden administration requesting agricultural workers be exempted from travel restrictions from South Africa.
Late last month, the White House announced a proclamation that prohibits travel for individuals from several countries — including South Africa — due to concerns over the COVID-19 omicron variant.
Almost 7,000 guestworkers originate from South Africa, most of whom arrive in the U.S. in February, March and April. Many of these H-2A workers have a unique skillset, and farmers in Michigan and across the country are counting on their timely arrival as they make plans for their upcoming growing seasons.
According to Craig Anderson, Michigan Farm Bureau regulatory relations specialist, many workers from South Africa operate the same, or similar, equipment in their home country as they would operate in the U.S.
“There is a ‘seventh sense’ developed only through experience operating the equipment allowing these operators to detect even minor changes in the process that, if not noticed, could lead to devastating harvest results," Anderson said. “Other workers are critical to the timely planting of many crops and the transportation of harvested crops to market. Most important are those actually harvesting crops. Without harvesters the food, feed, fiber and fuel will not be on the market.”
The letter from agriculture groups calls on the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to allow for “National Interest Exceptions” to H-2A workers coming to the United States as an exception to the travel restrictions and requests flexibility for another proclamation which limits entry into the U.S. to only those fully vaccinated with a CDC-approved vaccine — with limited exceptions.
“Protecting our food supply is a matter of national security,” said Sarah Black, general manager of Great Lakes Ag Labor Services — an ag labor agency for MFB members focused on H-2A or seasonal visas. “Getting a National Interest Exception for these workers from South Africa is extremely important, as these workers and any food and agricultural workers already have the essential worker pandemic designation.”
Ag groups argue in their letter that imposing travel ban leads to added transportation costs that do not achieve COVID mitigation goals, instead calling for farmers, H-2A workers and federal officials to “work together to allow workers taking appropriate health and safety precautions to travel to the United States directly from their home countries.”
The letter also calls for allowing workers to travel directly to the United States to be vaccinated with a CDC-approved vaccine.
Read the full letter here.