New documents released by the National Pork Producers Council Thursday show the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement to the U.S., Canada and Mexico. NPPC released a white paper that focuses primarily on trade with Mexico and makes the case for not abandoning the 23-year-old pact. The paper also argues for not disrupting trade in sectors for which the agreement has worked well, including U.S. pork. Mexico is the number two export market for U.S. pork, and Canada is number four. For all U.S. goods and services, Canada and Mexico are the top two destinations, accounting for more than one-third of total U.S. exports, adding $80 billion to the U.S. economy and supporting more than 14 million American jobs. For U.S. agriculture, Canada and Mexico are the second and third largest foreign markets. They imported more than $38 billion of U.S. products in 2016, or 28 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports. Those exports generated more than $48 billion in additional business activity throughout the economy and supported nearly 287,000 jobs.

A fact sheet released by the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Ranking Democrat highlights the expected impact of President Donald Trump’s proposed budget on agriculture. The fact sheet claims that President Trump is “turning his back on rural America.” Released by Senate Democrat Debbie Stabenow’s office, the fact sheet says cuts included in the proposal to crop insurance and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, hurts farmers and families. She says other cuts to conservation programs also harm land and water resources. The budget proposal would cut $29 billion from crop insurance while laying off 5,200 Agriculture Department employees. The budget would also cut $193 billion from SNAP and eliminate some conservation programs. The fact sheet by Senator Stabenow’s office says “this budget would make a five-year farm bill impossible to pass.”

A financial expert forecasted to lawmakers Thursday the current agriculture economic conditions will continue. During a Senate Agriculture Committee on the rural economy, Nathan Kauffman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City informed the committee that a farm crisis does not appear imminent, but there are still risks that could lead to more widespread challenges in the coming years. He noted the downturn began in 2013 during a sharp drop in commodity prices that has lingered. He says reduced profitability in agriculture has gradually intensified the level of financial stress among farm borrowers. Kauffman expects the trends to continue in the near term as global supplies are likely to continue to weigh on agricultural commodity prices and profit margins.

The American agriculture industry relies on foreign workers, especially at harvest time. The website Eater Dot Com reports a group of Democrats has introduced legislation that would give farm workers some protection from possible deportation. The bill is called the Agricultural Worker Program Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 1034). It would protect undocumented workers from deportation if they can prove a history of working in American agriculture. The bill may also provide them a path to long-term residence and citizenship. Workers that can prove 100 days of employment in American agriculture over the previous two years can apply for a blue card, which grants temporary residency and authorization to work, pending background checks. A blue cardholder that meets more stringent requirements may apply for a green card. Those who hold green cards for five years and meet other requirements may eventually apply for full citizenship.

Heritage Action is a conservative think tank known for criticizing programs at the USDA. The Hagstrom Report says the group applauds White House budget proposals released this week. However, the group did say it was disappointed the proposals didn’t include structural changes to Medicare and Social Security. Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham calls budget proposals “visionary documents,” saying that the Trump proposal would put taxpayers first by directing their dollars toward the most effective programs. “It’s the type of document our president promised on the campaign trail,” he says, “including some serious, structural reforms to our nation’s entitlement system.” He added that the failure to address Social Security and Medicare would make it difficult for the nation to address its ever-growing debt. “The Trump budget presents an opportunity for Republicans to unite around fiscally responsible reform for food stamps, disability insurance, and the Earned Income Tax Credit,” Needham says.

The deep cuts to the nation’s agricultural support programs proposed by President Donald Trump have put Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in an awkward position with both lawmakers and farm groups. Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says a good example of this is the plan to cut funding for trade promotion programs and to eliminate more than 230 jobs geared toward boosting U.S. exports. These proposed cuts follow a promise from the secretary that the administration would focus on expanding foreign market access to help farmers. The plan also proposes to cut $193 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the next decade. However, that idea runs completely opposite of comments that Perdue made about SNAP before the House Agriculture Committee that said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” In a budget hearing with reporters on Tuesday, Politico says Perdue didn’t speak much, passing off the telephone to acting USDA Deputy Secretary and Budget Director Michael Young. During the briefing, Young was quick to point out that USDA and the secretary had little to no part in putting together the budget proposal.

ChemChina and Sinochem are planning a merger next year. Several senior bankers in Asia say the merger would create the biggest chemicals group in the world with $100 billion in revenues. The merger would come after ChemChina’s $43 billion merger with Syngenta. A Financial Times Dot Com article says China has 1.4 billion people to feed, so the country is looking for more control of technology in seeds, herbicides, and pesticides. The Chinese government is pushing for more control of technology despite widespread domestic opposition to genetically modified crops. Bankers across Asia told the Financial Times that the move is politically driven and intended to make sure that ChemChina has the financial strength to absorb Syngenta. The heavily indebted chemicals conglomerate will have achieved China’s largest overseas purchase when the Syngenta deal is complete. While bridge financing has been in place for the Syngenta deal for over a year, ChemChina has revealed very little about its financing plans other than a mix of loans, equity, and support.

Candidate Donald Trump vowed to get rid of the Environmental Protection Agency in virtually every way, leaving only tidbits of what it once was. A Washington Post article says his budget proposal aims to follow through on that campaign promise. The proposed budget from the White House hits the EPA with a 31 percent budget cut, down to $5.65 billion. The plan eliminates several regional programs, including those that restore the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and Puget Sound. It slashes funding for the Superfund Cleanup Program, which helps restore some of the most polluted sites in the nation. Despite the cut to the Superfund, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt lists the program as one of his biggest priorities. Pruitt said the president’s budget respects the American taxpayer. “This budget supports EPA’s highest priorities with federal funding for priority work in infrastructure, air and water quality,” Pruitt says, “and it ensures the safety of chemicals in the marketplace.” The proposal does maintain funding for high priority infrastructure investments like grants and low-cost funding for projects that improve drinking water quality and wastewater treatment.