Maine does not have a youth wage, so all minors would have to be paid the state minimum wage.
Low performers, like reliable retirees and youth, will be excluded from jobs.
How many farm workers will lose their jobs because they do not reach an hourly quota instead of working at the rate that is right for them?
Will your farm mechanize instead of relying on local labor?
Will your farm shut down?
Farmers are already struggling with the challenges of the weather this year, lack of labor, and PFAS.
Farming is not like other industries, and regulations need to reflect the unique challenges of agriculture like weather, lack of control of pricing, and not receiving payment for products for months after harvest.
Increasing the agricultural minimum wage in Maine will increase H2A rates for next year.
Labor accounts for over 23% of the average Maine farm’s total farm production expenses. The US average is only 10%.
