Farm laborers are deemed essential workers, given their critical role in the food supply chain, but the Trump administration so far has left it up to farmers to protect their workforce from getting sick in lieu of mandatory safety rules. Labor advocates say too many ag employers still haven’t taken enough precautions, as farms in nearly every region are seeing a spike in positive cases (Politico)

Big restaurant companies with eateries in a number of states are struggling to navigate a thicket of rules as they seek to reopen dining rooms closed by the coronavirus pandemic. (Wall Street Journal)  

Six Republicans in the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee urged the U.S. Agriculture Department on Tuesday to ease regulations on meat processors that they said make it harder for smaller companies to compete. (Reuters)

Meatpacking plants across Illinois have not been working at full capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the industry is ramping back up, with a nearly 30% increase in capacity. (WICS)

Major disruptions in the cattle and hog markets, one of the several fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to many conversations about policy options that might be helpful. One much-discussed solution is mandatory country of origin labeling. (Farm Bureau)

President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, which includes corrections that AFBF requested for the program. Read more on our Federal Stimulus page.