Bill Tomson

Legislation is being introduced in the House and Senate to create a task force composed of officials with USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative's Office to identify agricultural trade barriers such as India’s farm subsidies that should be challenged at the World Trade Organization.

Fertilizer prices may yet experience more volatility in Europe and South America, but the situation has mostly stabilized in the U.S., where fall applications will be relatively normal, says Ken Seitz, president and CEO of Nutrien, a major producer of potash, nitrogen and phosphate products.

A key scheme involved in the bribery case against Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., angered the Agriculture Department but resulted in associates of the couple getting a lucrative monopoly on halal certification for U.S. beef exports to Egypt.

House Republicans remain unable to agree on a continuing resolution to keep the government funded in October. Meanwhile, senators left town Thursday still unable to get agreement on bringing up a three-bill spending package that includes its version of the USDA-FDA bill.