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The nation’s largest beef producer group outlined its top near-term policy goals in a letter to lawmakers Tuesday that calls for reauthorization of the mandatory livestock price reporting system with at least one new provision to help producers with marketplace leverage.

A survey of producer sentiment in May reveals the lowest overall reading since September 2020 and declines in several areas, however, producers expect farmland values to rise over the next five years.

A new Colorado labor law, which includes specifics on overtime pay and the use of hand-weeding, has passed the Colorado Senate and will be heard by the House State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee on Thursday, June 3.

Congress is out this week, but Biden administration officials say they’ll continue to work with Senate Republicans toward an infrastructure deal. To recap, Republicans came back with a counter-offer last week of close to $1 trillion, which is still far under Biden’s last proposal of $1.7 trillion.

President Joe Biden released his full budget request for fiscal 2022, detailing his plans to ramp up spending at the Agriculture Department for climate research and agricultural adaptation while also increasing spending for environmental regulation at the Environmental Protection Agency and Interior Department.

Lawmakers are going to be looking into concerns that meatpackers are using their market power to drive down prices paid to producers.

Janie Simms Hipp, President Joe Biden’s nominee to be USDA’s general counsel, assured senators that she will work closely with the Justice Department to address concerns meatpackers are using their market power to depress prices paid to producers.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai spoke with China’s top trade official Wednesday night in an “introductory virtual meeting” as the Chinese continue to make big purchases of U.S. agricultural commodities and the U.S. farm sector counts on strong trade to continue.

Many of the nation’s top farm groups have endorsed Janie Simms Hipp to become USDA’s general counsel ahead of her Senate confirmation hearing today.