The Georgia Ag Labor Relations Forum returns to Tifton on November 14-15, 2023, at the University of Georgia Tifton Conference Center. The yearly forum offers a comprehensive two-day program of updates and discussions tailored for agricultural employers. This event brings together regulators and renowned experts from the ag labor industry. The forum's format and design encourage active engagement, enabling ag employers, HR managers, and administrators to tackle the ongoing and dynamic challenge of securing and sustaining a reliable workforce within a complex regulatory landscape.
Chris Butts of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) notes that the forum can help provide greater certainty for employers in an environment of ever-changing regulations, legislation, and increased costs. "Our ag producers face many issues beyond their control. Unfortunately, ag labor is one of those issues where this year, growers faced a 14% increase in wage rates and despite the best efforts of the industry and sympathetic legislators, no relief is on the horizon. The Ag Labor Forum can help growers be better prepared for future changes while helping them maintain compliance in a very complicated H-2A program."
Chris Butts of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) notes that the forum can help provide greater certainty for employers in an environment of ever-changing regulations, legislation, and increased costs. "Our ag producers face many issues beyond their control. Unfortunately, ag labor is one of those issues where this year, growers faced a 14% increase in wage rates and despite the best efforts of the industry and sympathetic legislators, no relief is on the horizon. The Ag Labor Forum can help growers be better prepared for future changes while helping them maintain compliance in a very complicated H-2A program."
Will Bentley, President of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, remarked on the importance of the forum, "The Ag Labor Forum serves as an invaluable platform for our agribusiness community, delivering essential insights and empowering our growers with the information they need to thrive in an ever-changing labor environment. This event shows the industry's commitment to excellence, fostering a collaborative environment where ag leaders, labor experts, and stakeholders meet to address the vital importance of labor in Georgia's largest industry."
President Tom McCall of the Georgia Farm Bureau encourages all agricultural employers to attend the conference. "The Ag Labor Forum brings together farmers from all sectors of Georgia's agriculture community and provides them with the information needed to maintain a safe and productive work environment that also meets all regulatory requirements. In this fast-changing regulatory environment, Georgia's ag employers need to know the rules of the road to ensure a productive workplace. This conference brings together the experts that share this critical information."
The Ag Labor Forum is powered by the support of groups that represent the leading segments of Georgia's agricultural industry. "The partners that make this event possible are names we know and trust and represent a broad mix of industry segments. We are proud to partner with these organizations to bring this important information to all Georgians involved in Agriculture," said Butts.