U.S. rice farmers are still waiting for China to begin importing U.S. rice, and optimism is strong despite years of disappointments.

The nation’s top food and agricultural economists are issuing a study today analyzing the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis on all aspects of the food supply chain.

California’s produce farmers and processors are confused and concerned by a raft of letters from Chinese importers, demanding they provide guarantees in writing that their fruit and vegetables present no risk of spreading COVID-19, something that is not considered a threat by U.S. or international health agencies.

Officials with ag chemical giant Bayer say they are standing behind the safety of Roundup and dicamba herbicides despite a massive $11.3 billion settlement of litigation over the products. Bayer CEO Werner Baumann also says the agreement with law firms representing nearly 100,000 Roundup plaintiffs and an undetermined number of dicamba plaintiffs should allay growers’ concerns about access to the herbicides..

The Washington offices of the U.S. Trade Representative are buzzing as collaboration with China over the “phase one” deal continues and final preparations are made for the launch of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, but Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud said he expects both deals will lead to increased sales of U.S. farm products. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists seized 19,555 pounds of prohibited meats entering the LA/Long Beach Seaport from China between April 6 and June 6.

The Trump administration’s new rule narrowing the reach of the Clean Water Act takes effect today.