UC ditches plastic containers * Cut flowers on the outs * Trump: China trade war a winning issue * Trump extends Food Box program

Farmers who had crops damaged by drought or excessive moisture in 2018 or 2019 can start applying March 23 for disaster assistance authorized by Congress last year.

In 2019, the attention of farm country was keenly focused on international trade developments, and the Trump administration’s efforts to lessen their blow on producers, according to an analysis of Agri-Pulse's website traffic throughout the year.

A congressional agreement to fund the government for fiscal 2020 includes an additional $1.5 billion in disaster relief for farmers and would revive the biodiesel tax credit and extend it through 2022.

A bipartisan group of senators joined some Corn Belt farm groups in appealing to the Agriculture Department to ease restrictions on haying and grazing of cover crops that farmers will plant on acreage they were unable to sow to corn or soybeans this year.

House Democratic leaders look to finally push through on Monday a $19.1 billion disaster relief bill that a handful of conservative Republicans blocked from passing while most lawmakers were out of town for the 10-day Memorial Day recess.

A Senate-passed $19.1 billion disaster relief bill containing aid for a variety of agricultural losses stalled in the House ahead of a week-long congressional recess due to the lone objection of a freshman Republican.

Lawmakers reached agreement on a $19.1 billion disaster package Thursday that was expanded to include payments for producers who are unable to plant their crops this year as well as to growers whose stored corn and soybeans were damaged by flooding.

The Agriculture Department is rushing to finish a new trade assistance package for farmers hurt by the ongoing trade war with China, while congressional negotiators this week look to pass a long-stalled disaster aid package before the week-long recess for Memorial Day.

The House and Senate are pursuing a deal on disaster aid with just two weeks left until the self-imposed deadline of Memorial Day and little sign of progress on the major reasons for the impasse.