Rural roads’ significant deficiencies have created many challenges – and opportunities – to improving the efficiency of the agricultural supply chain. However, America’s ability to address its rural transportation challenges is threatened by a significant decrease in state transportation revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an existing backlog of surface transportation projects and the continued need for regulatory flexibility. (Farm Bureau)

The Small Business Administration released loan forgiveness guidance and the application for borrowers to apply for loan forgiveness. Borrowers are responsible for initiating the forgiveness request with lenders. You can access the instructions and application HERE.

The coronavirus pandemic is spreading from cities to rural communities that have a higher share of older, at-risk residents, a trend that has implications for the stress it may put on local health-care systems as well as the push by many governors to ease economic restrictions and reopen for business. (Wall Street Journal)  

Visit almost any grocery store and you’ll see how that food chain has been disrupted during the coronavirus pandemic. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has been talking up part of the federal response: a $3 billion plan to distribute food to families, called the Farmers to Family Food Box Program. (NPR)

– A major rupture in U.S.-China relations may be a matter of when and not if. Trump seems to be distancing himself from the phase one trade deal, and advisers and lawmakers are pushing for action aimed at Beijing. (Politico

Some farmers have even found positives to the stay-at-home orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including less traffic for their farm equipment to maneuver around, more family time, farm help from teenagers and time for building renovations. (Rock Island Dispatch-Argus)