The farm bill conference committee will meet September 5th, according to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts. Roberts will chair the farm bill conference. The conference is set for one day after lawmakers return from the Labor Day Recess. Roberts also says committee staff members have made progress on the differences in the two bills on conservation, but not on other issues, according to E&E News. Typical first public meetings, as this one, are simply speech-filled affairs. Much of the work of the committee is expected to take place within closed-door meetings. The conference committee must find a bill that can pass both the House and Senate. But, with the House work requirements included, and with a ratio of Representative and Senators favoring the House, the biggest obstacle will be getting a bill that can pass the Senate. The Senate version of the bill does not include the controversial work requirement for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants.

A handshake between Mexico and the United States is expected today on the North American Free Trade Agreement. Politico reports the Trump administration is planning to formally announce a breakthrough with Mexico on the talks, which could pave the way for Canada to resume negotiations with the United States. The announcement is “on the schedule,” however, plans can, and often do, change in negotiations. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office maintains there “is no deal on NAFTA,” adding “there are major issues outstanding.” But, the White House could announce a “handshake deal,” that would be an effort to move forward with the talks beyond issues only between the U.S. and Mexico. Getting any agreement with Mexico would be positive for U.S. agriculture, as it would offer some market stability and a certain future, much needed as Mexico is a top buyer of U.S. corn. However, NAFTA is just one piece of the Trump trade puzzle that the industry wants solved quickly.

The Department of Agriculture is expected to release further details of its trade relief package Friday. The aid package previously announced by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will provide $12 billion in assistance to farmers hurt by President Trump’s trade agenda. Agri-Pulse reports that sources involved with the process say the payment rate for soybean farmers has been preliminarily proposed at $1.65 per bushel and one cent per bushel for corn farmers. However, further details regarding the plan have not been released officially, or leaked, leaving the industry in a phase of wonder. USDA would not confirm or deny the proposed payment rates to Agri-Pulse. A USDA spokesperson told Agri-Pulse the department will not confirm the information because “it is based on preliminary information, is incomplete, and lacks context.” The proposed payment rates are subject to change as the plan is under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Canadians are supportive of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Canada is expected to rejoin the talks this week, as the U.S. and Mexico are working to reach an agreement. Meanwhile, a Canadian public opinion research firm, says 56 percent of Canadians approve of Trudeau’s handling of the ongoing NAFTA talks, representing an 11-point increase since December of last year. Just 24 percent disapprove, and 20 percent are unsure. The poll shows a majority of Canadians, 55 percent, want a new NAFTA deal only if there are moderate or minor concessions to the U.S., as few are supportive of a deal that makes major concessions. Public expectations in Canada are largely unchanged since December. Four-in-ten expect the negotiations to produce a revised NAFTA that is either a fair deal or overly favorable to the United States.

Another poll shows support of President Donald Trump by farmers is declining. A new Farm Journal poll shows that while almost 70 percent of America’s farmers and ranchers voted for Donald Trump in 2016, only 54 percent would vote for him again. Nearly 2,500 farmers participated in the online poll. 51 percent of those participating view the president as favorable, while 43 percent view him unfavorably and five percent view him neither favorable nor unfavorable. When asked if their opinion of President Trump had changed since the start of trade wars, 38 percent of respondents indicated they had no change in their opinion, while 36 percent said their opinion was less favorable and 26 percent said their opinion was more favorable. Even as the 2018 drought in the Midwest continues to cast a shadow over this year’s harvest amidst the tariff battles, some respondent’s comments were positive declaring President Trump the “best president America has ever had” while others are proclaiming him “the worst.”

Canada could rejoin the North American Free Trade Agreement talks by the end of this week, according to Politico. The move is a positive sign that the U.S. and Mexico could begin wrapping up their end of the deal quickly, paving the way for the U.S. to pivot towards negotiating with Canada. For weeks, Canada has been on the sidelines of the talks as the U.S. and Mexico engage in negotiations. However, Canada has remained out largely since many issues being discussed are simply topics, such as labor, that Canada does not need to be included in. The U.S. and Mexico are eager to wrap up their sides of the negotiations, with both nations seeing a quick agreement as a political win, before the U.S. midterm elections and before a new President takes office in Mexico.

The two biggest independent seed sellers in the United States are seeking a ban of dicamba beyond pre-plant applications. Beck’s Hybrids and Stine Seed told Reuters most complaints about dicamba drifting would stop if the Environmental Protection Agency restricted its use to killing weeds in fields before crops are planted. Last year, drift issues from dicamba herbicides sprayed on resistant fields damaged an estimated 3.6 million acres, or four percent of all U.S. plantings. Last month, the University of Missouri estimated one million acres had been damaged this year. The move would be a competitive blow to Monsanto, which is being absorbed by Bayer, as Monsanto sells a popular dicamba system for growers. Monsanto counters that complaints have dropped this year and that most damage now stems from improper applications. Registration for dicamba on resistant crops with the Environmental Protection Agency expires this fall and the EPA is expected to issue a decision on renewing the registration within weeks. Monsanto expects the EPA will extend the approval.