From Jerry Kozak, President and CEO, NMPF

"The National Milk Producers Federation welcomes an agreement on immigration reform reached by the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC), the United Farm Workers (UFW) and key Senators engaged in the process. The framework and objectives of this agreement represent a positive step toward providing America's dairy farmers access to a legal workforce now and in the future.

"The coalition is committed including an agricultural guest worker program and supporting the general framework negotiated in any final immigration reform package. As members of Congress begin the process of drafting legislative language, we look forward to working with them to ensure that the bill details reflect the goals and intent of this framework agreement.

"The AWC, of which NMPF is a member, appreciates the efforts of Senators Dianne Feinstein, Marco Rubio, Orrin Hatch and Michael Bennet in helping to foster this agreement between agriculture employers and farm workers.

"For many farmers across the country, finding a sufficient number of workers to harvest crops or care for animals is the biggest challenge they face in running their businesses. There is a shortage of U.S. workers willing and able to perform farm work. Securing a reliable and competent workforce for our nation's farms and ranches is essential to ensuring that American consumers continue to enjoy abundant and affordable food on their grocery store shelves."

Additional information on the AWC can be found on its website www.agworkforcecoalition.org.

4.15.2013