Friday’s announcement of $19 billion in coronavirus-related direct payments and commodity purchases was welcome news in farm country, which is reporting a growing level of stress about the pandemic.

Hog producers are asking the Department of Agriculture to provide a direct influx of cash without eligibility restrictions as the industry expects to lose $5 billion for the remainder of the year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The annual World Pork Expo has been canceled for the second year in a row over disease concerns, this time due to the coronavirus outbreak.

For all of you working on farms and ranches, you realize that the important work of producing food and feeding people never stops. It’s the same pattern for those in our packing plants, our truckers, our food workers and everyone along the supply chain from farm to fork.

The Trump administration has labeled agriculture as a critical industry in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, allowing businesses to continue operating as usual amid current and potential restrictions created to stem the spread of the virus.

The Department of Agriculture recently released a plan that would allow for a nationwide hog standstill in the event of a potential outbreak of African Swine Fever in the United States.

Some small-farm backers and animal welfare advocates are pushing for tighter policing of checkoffs, but the self-help commodity promotion programs are popular with most farmers, so don't hold your breath expecting new mandates from Congress.

Farmers freed from water quality project * China trade talks proceeding ‘around the clock’

Pork producers hope an Iowa State University analysis saying U.S. pork exports to China could reduce the overall trade deficit with the country by 6% percent will lead to an easing of tariffs between the two countries.