Congressman Clay Higgins (center) touches base with rice industry constituents
May 06, 2021
CROWLEY, LA -- Congressman Clay Higgins, who represents Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District, spent time yesterday meeting with local rice and crawfish producers to discuss various issues facing the two industries.
Rep. Higgins’ first stop was at the Bieber Farm near Mamou. The main topic of conversation with the group there was labor concerns, specifically the H2A & H2B programs.
“Congressman Higgins continues to prove he understands the shortcomings of the current guest worker programs for agriculture, and by visiting Bieber Farms crawfish peeling operation and hearing from farmers and processors, Higgins witnessed firsthand how vital it is to have employees who are willing to show up consistently, do tough manual labor, and take home a good but affordable wage from their employer,” said Andy Brown, national affairs and assistant commodity coordinator with Louisiana Farm Bureau who attended the session. “We really appreciate the Congressman’s continued efforts to educate his colleagues on this issue because as he pointed out, the narrative that this program is taking jobs away from Americans is still prevalent with his colleagues in Washington, DC. Meetings like these help prove otherwise.”
The next stop on the one-day tour through Higgins’ district was at rice farmer Alan Lawson’s shop near Crowley. The collection of rice producers and millers gathered there touched on many topics, including Iraq tenders, climate change legislation, and the values the rice industry brings to the table with its long-standing practices improving sustainability and conservation.
Many expressed their willingness to provide assistance as discussions around climate change and agriculture’s role continue to take shape. They impressed upon Higgins the importance of having the rice industry involved, sharing input and proven sustainability experiences that will benefit all parties involved.
“Sustainability and conservation are critical in all of our operations,” said Lawson. “Farmers have long understood that not just preserving, but improving our sustainability and conservations practices is what makes our operations successful. Without that commitment, we know we would not be in business today.”