October 2025
Because of Florida Farm Bureau’s grassroots advocacy efforts, farmers and ranchers are seeing positive results on national issues. Over the past month, three major national regulatory actions have been announced that directly impact Florida farmers. These developments will help reduce burdens, modernize standards and create a more competitive future for members.
FDA Proposes Update to BRIX Standard
On August 5, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a proposed rule to update the BRIX standard, which governs sugar content in orange juice. The current standard has been in place for decades and no longer reflects today’s citrus production and consumer preferences.
Why it matters:
- Helps Florida citrus compete more fairly in the juice market.
- Recognizes advances in citrus varieties and processing.
- Allows greater flexibility for juice processors while maintaining quality.
Farm Bureau’s role: We’ve worked alongside industry partners and supported US Senator Ashley Moody, who highlighted this win at a press conference at Florida’s Natural in Lake Wales. Moving forward, we plan to submit comments that support a modernized, flexible standard.
Court Vacates Flawed DOL AEWR Rule
On August 27, 2025, a federal court struck down the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) 2023 Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) methodology rule. The rule would have imposed complex, occupation-specific wage rates for H-2A workers, driving up farm labor costs across the country.
Why it matters:
- Prevents unsustainable labor cost increases.
- Restores stability and predictability to the H-2A program.
- Protects Florida’s specialty crop producers, who rely heavily on guest workers.
Farm Bureau’s role: Florida Farm Bureau strongly opposed the rule from the beginning and worked with our national partners to support litigation challenging its legality. We will remain engaged as the Department of Labor decides whether to appeal or rewrite the rule.
USDA Ends the Farm Labor Survey
Just one day later, on August 28, 2025, USDA announced it will discontinue the long-criticized Farm Labor Survey (FLS). For years, this flawed survey was used to set AEWR wage rates, often inflating costs for farmers without reflecting real labor market conditions.
Why it matters:
- Eliminates a costly, inconsistent data source for wage rates.
- Opens the door for a more accurate and fair approach to labor policy.
- Represents a long-standing Farm Bureau policy victory.
Farm Bureau’s role: Ending reliance on the Farm Labor Survey has been a top advocacy priority for years. This outcome is a direct reflection of our grassroots efforts and persistent engagement with American Farm Bureau and the USDA. We will continue to work with the USDA and Congress on a replacement framework that ensures fairness for farmers.
Looking ahead, Florida Farm Bureau will continue to remain engaged with these issues and work with the USDA and Congress to ensure that the voices of our grassroots members are heard.