Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Alexis Taylor will tour two Minnesota farms today to talk trade. She’ll meet with local producers to highlight the importance of trade and exports to family farming and livestock operations. She’ll tour a beef farm consisting of 700 registered Angus cows and 4,200 acres of crops and pastures. Taylor will also stop a seed farm operation with 2,000 acres of corn and beans plus 1,700 acres contracted for seed production. Both operations have experience exporting products to different markets. Minnesota’s ag exports are worth over $7 billion and support 55,000 jobs in the state. Taylor will highlight how the Trans-Pacific Partnership is still waiting for Congressional approval, and how it will benefit farmers by expanding exports to the Asia-Pacific region.

The U.S. Transportation Department recently approved travel to nine cities in Cuba and that should help agriculture. The Hagstrom Report says the move makes it easier for ag producers who want to sell to Cuba to travel there as many of the destination cities are important to agriculture. Flights could begin by early this fall. Havana isn’t one of the cities approved because airlines have requested 60 flights per day there, so the Transportation Department will have to select from among different proposals. A decision on the Havana routes could come late this summer. The DOT approved six carriers to fly to Cuba from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx signed a non-legally binding agreement in February to re-establish scheduled air service between the two countries.

Monsanto has rejected a second attempt by Bayer AG to purchase Monsanto. The Wall Street Journal Reports a second offer, that did not offer more money, requested detailed business information, known as due diligence, which Bayer said could lead to a higher offer. Monsanto saw the offer as little changed compared to the $62 billion proposal Bayer originally offered. Monsanto is refusing to grant such access until Bayer raises its bid. Monsanto also asked for clarity on other matters including regulatory risks before agreeing to a deal. Bayer has secured the financing needed to complete the original proposal. The deal would combine Monsanto, the biggest seed provider with a leading position in biotech crop development, with Bayer, which has a robust lineup of pesticides but a smaller presence in major crops like corn and soybeans.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts and ranking member Debbie Stabenow are still trying to find common ground on GMO labeling legislation this week. The debate continues as time dwindles ahead of the July first implementation date of the Vermont GMO labeling mandate. Roberts says progress was made last week, but several issues remain unresolved, according to Politico. One remaining argument, according to those familiar with the ongoing negotiations, is over what to do about processed foods that contain both meat and genetically modified crops like corn, soybeans and sugar from sugar beets. Foods in that category include products like pepperoni pizza. The livestock industry is pushing for such items to be exempt from labeling requirements, based on what appears to be an agreement that meat and dairy products from animals fed GMOs should be exempt.