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Farmers will get some welcome relief starting next month from the market impact of the coronavirus, but it will take a second round of payments to keep many in the black this year, and producers may face similar problems into next year.

The desert locust, generally considered one of the most devastating pests in the world to agriculture, has been hitting farmers hard in the Horn of Africa as well as the Arabian Peninsula for six months, devouring crops and pasture. With COVID-19, the situation has gone from bad to worse.

Some specialty crop growers are concerned about labor shortages, increased COVID-19 costs, and future market demand.

Plant-based foods are enjoying significant sales increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, the association that represents the companies that make them said Tuesday.

Packing plants shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic are mostly up and running once again, which is placing a new focus on testing and the availability of personal protective equipment to keep their doors open. 

The European Commission has ambitious new plans to cut farmers’ use of pesticides, fertilizer and antimicrobials while also boosting organic production over the next decade.

President Donald Trump’s suggestion Tuesday that he would be willing to terminate trade deals that permit cattle imports left some aghast at the apparent threat to trade with Canada and Mexico, but U.S. Cattlemen’s Association President Brooke Miller says he’s pleased.

At least one Facebook local farms group is growing exponentially, with over 123,000 members.

Cattle, dairy and hog producers as well as corn and soybean growers are expected to collect the largest shares of USDA’s $16 billion in coronavirus relief payments, which are designed to compensate for losses in sales or market value between January and April.

We asked Ambassador Terry Branstad ten questions about what's going on from his perspective in Beijing.