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Duvall: Trump immigration plan will provide labor
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) policy-setting included discussion and resolutions regarding immigration issues, but the organization’s president hopes farm labor relief will get a boost from the White House.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall told reporters Tuesday that delegates discussed and voted on policy dealing with agriculture labor issues that are at the heart of what AFBF delegates want in immigration reform. But Duvall pointed out at a news conference following the AFBF resolutions session what was discussed in private between him and the president during Trump’s visit to the AFBF Annual Convention. On the subject of ag labor, Duvall says the president told him that problem would be fixed.
“He’s going to bring industry back into our country,” said Duvall, “and they’re going to also need workers alongside of farmers and ranchers, and that we will have a program in the future where people can flow back and forth and work in this country.”
Delegates approved a one-dollar dues increase during the session. That brings AFBF annual dues to $5.00. It’s only the second dues increase since 1985. Dues were raised from $3.50 to $4.00 in 2003.
Both Zippy Duvall and Scott VanderWal were re-elected to two-year terms as AFBF President and Vice-President respectively.
Farm bill issues were prominent during AFBF policy setting. As expected, policy was approved in support of changes to cotton and dairy programs.
“We got some flexible dairy policy from our organization so that we could help in the next farm bill try to fix the dairy situation, because we know that cotton and dairy both, in the Title 1 program, have been in trouble in this [current] farm bill,” Duvall told Brownfield Ag News.
The 99th American Farm Bureau Convention concluded last week. The organization’s centennial gathering is in New Orleans next January.
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