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Trade remains the top concern for American agriculture heading into 2020, with looming uncertainty about whether the Chinese will make promised increases in commodity purchases, and whether President Donald Trump will provide another round of trade assistance to U.S. producers. 

Borden Dairy became the second major dairy processor to file for bankruptcy in the last three months this week as the company announced it had “initiated voluntary reorganization proceedings.”

A new USDA honeybee research lab has opened at UC Davis. USDA's Agricultural Research Service says the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility will focus on developing technology to improve colony survivorship through long-term studies of multiple stress factors.

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.

The Agriculture Department is clarifying labeling requirements for meat and poultry products, including for claims that animals are “grass-fed” or treated without antibiotics or hormones.

The House overwhelmingly approved the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on a 385-41 vote Thursday, sending the new North American trade pact to the Senate, where it should pass easily early next year.

Farmworker wages under the H-2A program will rise 6% nationally in 2020 to an average of $13.99 an hour, with farmers in some states seeing increases of up to 10%, the Labor Department says.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations classified as “large” would be phased out by 2040 under a bill Sen. Cory Booker announced on Monday. The legislation would also restore country-of-origin labeling for beef and pork and add COOL requirements for dairy products.

The Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to confirm oncologist Stephen Hahn as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.