Even as meatpacking plants reopen and some supermarkets reduce limits on meat purchases, consumers are paying more for ground beef and other staples across the country as meat production remains hampered by Covid-19, and grocery distributors struggle to get some orders filled. (Wall Street Journal)

Meatpacking plants that had to briefly close due to coronavirus outbreaks have been back up and running for weeks, but production backlogs are forcing farmers to euthanize thousands of hogs that can’t be processed, drawing complaints from animal welfare advocates. (Associated Press)

U.S. President Donald Trump has little choice but to stick with his Phase 1 China trade deal despite his anger at Beijing over the coronavirus pandemic, new Hong Kong security rules, and dwindling hopes China can meet U.S. goods purchase targets, people familiar with his administration’s deliberations say. (Reuters)

Chinese government officials told major state-run agricultural companies to pause purchases of some American farm goods including soybeans as Beijing evaluates the ongoing escalation of tensions with the U.S. over Hong Kong, according to people familiar with the situation. (Bloomberg)

Do you raise nursery or aquaculture products or cut flowers? Do you grow something else that wasn’t included in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)? USDA is looking for data on agricultural commodities that were left off the financial assistance program. Learn more on our COVID-19 page.

As states start letting restaurants and some other food-service businesses reopen, with varying restrictions, many in the industry fear the disruptions will continue. They worry that patchwork policies on reopening, new waves of coronavirus deaths, and renewed shutdowns will cause further, long-term damage at every link in that chain. (CNN)