Many citizens of the United States of America are being asked to stay inside their homes to help prevent the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus. However, a different scenario is being witnesses in the Mexican city of Monterrey, says an article.

Picking Up H-2A Visas for Temporary Agricultural Work

Thousands of young adult men arrived in the city. This is a common scene for this city in many parts of the year. During those times, cheap hotels get fully booked. Also, long lines can be observed at the U.S. Consulate to get their H-2A visas for temporary agricultural work. After accomplishing their visas, they gather in a big park before they board buses. These buses will bring them to different farms in the United States.

According to the AFL-CIO's Farm Labor Organizing Committee's vice president Justin Flores, he had spoken with people bound to Mississippi, Kentucky, Michigan, and North Carolina. These people said that they are the labor that the agricultural sector of the US needs.

Foreign Agricultural Workers

Approximately, 250,000 agricultural workers arrive in the United States through H-2A visas. Many of these people are from Mexico. They are part of the food industry of the United States.

On Monday, the United States Embassy in Mexico City had released an announcement that it will be postponing nonemergency visa appointments due to the health risks for visitors and employees.

Good News for Foreign Farm Workers

The embassy informed farm employers that many foreign farmworkers are still able to get their visas. The reason for this is that they had participated in the program in the previous year. Also, this will not require them an in-person appointment.

According to the visa director at wafla Ryan Ogburn, 85-90% of their H-2A workers qualify for the exemption. On the other hand, many farm organizations in the United States are requesting ease of entry to foreign workers.

The Paradox of the US Food Supply with the COVID-19 Pandemic

The continuous availability of foreign agricultural workers shows the paradox of the food supply of the US with the COVID-19 pandemic.  

One part of the food supply chain had been hurt as restaurants are postponing operations and consumers try to find good finds in half-emptied shelves in supermarkets. However, food producers are still operating at normal capacity.

The Producers

Slaughterhouses, dairy producers, and vegetable producers are still open for business. They are prepared to provide food for the country. According to the National Pork Producers Council's president Howard Roth, telecommuting is not an option for them. He said that they are still reporting for work like before the pandemic.

Distributors and wholesalers of food supplies are trying their best to accomplish effective logistics during these times. They are redirecting shipments of food products from shuttered businesses where people are going to buy it- primarily in grocery stores and supermarkets.

There are vegetable growers who are considering policies to require quarantine for those who had worked closely with COVID-19 infected people.

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