Chinese buyers have made another big purchase of U.S. corn for the next harvest as concerns mount over the impact of dry weather on Brazil. The USDA on Monday announced a 1.02 million-metric-ton sale of corn to China for delivery in the 2021-22 marketing year.

President Joe Biden tries this week to sell congressional Republicans on his massive spending plans and tax proposals, while his nominee for the No. 2 position at the Agriculture Department moves closer to a final Senate vote.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai is taking time from meeting top trade officials from around the globe to get to better know the U.S. ag sector and its priorities.

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, tells Agri-Pulse he’s concerned that rural regions could be hit with a new surge of COVID-19 cases this fall if vaccinations continue to lag due to resistance to getting the shot.

The USDA announced Friday export sales of a whopping 1.36 million metric tons of U.S. new crop corn to China for delivery in the 2021-22 marketing year. The purchase comes amid growing concerns that dryness could stunt Brazil’s second harvest.

Conservation groups praised the Biden administration’s first step in conserving 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030, but the nation’s largest farm group said the initiative still lacks specifics, and a key farm-state senator said he was worried about removing too much land from production.

Democrats representing heavily agricultural districts are urging House leaders to fully exempt family-owned farms from President Joe Biden’s plan to tax appreciated assets at death.