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India, an international ag trading powerhouse that often comes into friction with the U.S. over tariff and nontariff barriers, is the only Indo-Pacific Economic Framework country out of 14 not participating in the pact’s trade pillar after a major summit held in Los Angeles this week, according to government officials.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., says she is not interested in making cuts to the nutrition title in the upcoming farm bill, but is open to reforms.

Lawmakers on both sides of Capitol Hill have spent the past couple of years working to rein in the market power of the four largest beef packers. But time may well have run out on two major reform bills.

The Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved USDA adviser Doug McKalip to be the chief agricultural negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, sending the nomination to the full Senate for final approval.

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service is still planning to resume publishing its weekly export sales report on Sept. 15, but that report will be much larger than normal because it will contain four weeks of data that haven’t been published because of problems installing a new reporting system, according to USDA officials.

The leaders of some of the largest ag, energy, rural and food nonprofit organizations have faced unprecedented challenges over the last few years, and some have been compensated handsomely for their troubles.

Some ag shippers are still using the Port of Oakland to send wine, walnuts, fruits, vegetables, hay and rice to foreign buyers, but many other exporters are also looking for alternatives to the key — but troubled — West Coast shipping point.

The Senate’s back in action this week as lawmakers prepare to clear a to-do list in time to get home to campaign ahead of the mid-term elections.

President Joe Biden’s nominee to be the administration’s chief agricultural negotiator is expected to get committee approval this week as lawmakers start wrapping up their pre-election to-do list.