Of all the tree fruit industry's policy priorities, labor reform has topped the list for years, even as long-term solutions by Congress and proposed regulatory changes to the H-2A guest worker program have been stalled or delayed. But at any moment, federal regulators or lawmakers could pick up these issues again, and tree fruit industry advocates need to be poised and ready to take advantage of any opening to advocate for the industry's needs, said Mark Powers and Kate Tynan, the president and senior vice president, respectively, of the Northwest Horticultural Council. Think of it as though the federal government is on offense, Tynan said, and the industry must be prepared to play defense. The council already plays plenty of offense, advocating at every opportunity for political and regulatory changes growers need, but now the group is bringing in a regulatory ringer to fill a need in Washington, D.C.
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