An interim trade agreement between the United States and China might not be completed in time for signing in Chile next month as expected but that does not mean the accord is falling apart, a U.S. administration official said on Tuesday. (Reuters)

The Illinois Farm Bureau board has donated $50,000 to support the Department of Agriculture at Illinois State University. The gift will enhance the university’s research farm. Equipment purchases will include ultra-sound imaging equipment for animal reproductivity and a used precision row-crop planter with the capability to plant in 15-inch rows. (The Pantagraph)

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Censky will lead a trade mission to West Africa, October 28-31, to help United States exporters unlock new opportunities in a region where strong economic growth is driving demand for imported food and farm products. The mission will be based in Accra, Ghana, and will also include buyer delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Senegal. (USDA)

The Senate is looking to finish work on a package of spending bills funding USDA and other agencies important to agriculture, but it increasingly appears that Congress won’t reach a final agreement on fiscal 2020 until after the first of the year. (Agri-Pulse)

The EPA’s biofuel blending waivers for oil refiners will be front and center this week, between a House hearing on Tuesday and the agency’s public meeting on Wednesday. The White House has struggled to appease farmers and ethanol producers, who say the waivers have reduced demand. (Politico)

The corn market is in much better shape now than it was in early September. Two consecutive weeks of 13-cent gains put the market close to the coveted $4 a bushel mark. But just how high can the market go during the middle of harvest? After trying to hit $4, prices have drifted a bit, showing signs of further retreat. (FarmWeekNow)