NABC Welcomes H-2A Rulemakings from DOL and DHS
Folsom, Calif., Oct. 2, 2025 –– The North American Blueberry Council (NABC) welcomes recent rulemakings by the Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that improve the H-2A program for farmers.
DOL’s interim final rule on the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) establishes fair, predictable wages, providing farmers certainty and flexibility to reinvest in their operations and remain competitive. The new methodology replaces USDA’s Farm Labor Survey, which produced artificially high wage rates, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. It establishes two skill-based AEWRs and includes a standard adjustment for employer-provided housing. DOL estimates the rule will save H-2A employers $2.46 billion annually and $17.29 billion over 10 years.
NABC also applauds DHS’s final rule to streamline the H-2A application process, making the program more efficient and reducing administrative burdens.
NABC issued the following statement:
“Blueberry growers have endured years of rising labor costs and regulatory burdens that have strained family farms and challenged their ability to compete globally. Between 2021 and 2025, blueberry-producing states saw an average 25% increase in wage rates under the Farm Labor Survey-based AEWR, leaving many farms operating on razor-thin margins. A 2024 University of Michigan study found that labor – accounting for more than 40% of production costs – has pushed the average grower to breakeven. Another study by the University of Oregon found that escalating labor costs are forcing growers to rely on machine harvesting just to remain viable.
“The DOL and DHS rules mark critical reforms for growers. Fair, predictable wages and a more efficient H-2A process provide the stability farmers need to plan, reinvest and sustain their operations. We applaud the leadership of DOL Secretary Chavez-DeRemer, DHS Secretary Noem and USDA Secretary Rollins for advancing these reforms, and we look forward to working with the agencies to strengthen the sustainability of U.S. blueberry production and the rural communities that depend on it.”
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About the North American Blueberry Council
Since 1965, the North American Blueberry Council (NABC) has been the voice of the blueberry industry in the U.S. and Canada. NABC was instrumental in the establishment of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC), a federal agriculture research and promotion program with independent oversight from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Learn more at nabcblues.org.