Montana livestock ranchers say foreign workers are needed due to labor shortages

Citing “acute workforce shortages,” the Montana Stockgrowers Association has asked Montana’s federal delegation to Congress and the U.S. Department of Labor to change federal rules to allow foreigners to work in livestock auction markets and rancher/farmer feeder feedlots.

In early February, Montana Stockgrowers Association President Lesley Robinson sent a letter asking the U.S. Department of Labor to amend and clarify is regulations governing the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program. Essentially, Robinson and the livestock ranchers that the industry represents would like the federal government allow H-2A workers to be able to legally work in feedlots and auction markets because Montana producers can’t find enough American workers to get the job done.

“Despite their clear agricultural function and economic importance, livestock auction markets and rancher/farmer feeder feedlots are frequently excluded from eligibility under the H-2A program due to the absence of explicit regulatory recognition,” Robinson wrote. “This exclusion has resulted in acute workforce shortages with consistent gaps in workforce availability in roles that are directly tied to the production side of the auctions and feedlots where workers sort, handle, and care for the livestock. As domestic labor availability in rural areas continues to decline, these shortages threaten the efficient operations, human and animal safety, and, by extension, the ability of ranchers and farmers to market their livestock in an orderly and timely manner.”

The vast majority of workers on the H-2A visa program, over 91% came from Mexico in fiscal year 2024, according to federal statistics. That's about 286,000 workers.

Livestock auction markets play an important economic role. In Montana in 2025, cattle sale barns facilitated the sale of over 220,000 cattle, 6,485 horses and 67,000 sheep and goats. That’s about $554 million worth of gross livestock sales.

“For ranchers, from the moment a calf hits the ground, production decisions are shaped by the reality of the auction market,” Robinson wrote. “Genetics, health programs, nutrition, handling practices, and record-keeping are all guided by how animals will eventually perform in the marketplace. Auction markets translate on-ranch decisions into real-time economic signals, rewarding quality, consistency, and responsible stewardship while providing clear feedback to producers about what the industry needs next.”

Robinson noted that feedlots are inherently seasonal in nature, with labor demands fluctuating on calving cycles, weaning periods, forage availability, weather conditions and regional marketing patterns. In much the same way, livestock auction markets also experience variability of workloads throughout the year.

There are predictable but temporary surges in ag labor demand that are directly tied to the biological and production cycles of livestock.

“However, rancher/farmer feedlots and livestock auction markets cannot acquire enough seasonal domestic employees to meet the needs of their businesses,” Robinson noted.

She noted that the whole reason the federal government created the H-2A visa program was to allow U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals into the U.S. to fill temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs when there’s a shortage of American workers.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency, 387 employers in Montana petitioned the government to hire H-2A workers in fiscal year 2025. That includes everything from cattle ranches to farms to apiaries. The petitioners “must show that there are not enough U.S. workers who are able, willing, qualified and available to do the temporary or seasonal work,” according to the federal government.

Robinson said that the federal government should clarify in its regulations that livestock auction markets and rancher/farmer feedlots qualify as agricultural employers for the purposes of the H-2A program.

She said that would “reflect the economic realities of modern livestock production and marketing and help ensure the continued functioning of a critical segment of the agricultural economy.”

The letter that Robinson wrote was developed in response to feedback gathered from listening sessions and from the Montana Agriculture Labor Summit.

The letter was sent to the U.S. Department of Labor as well as to Sen. Steve Daines, Sen. Tim Sheehy, Rep. Ryan Zinke and Rep. Troy Downing.