Chinese President to Visit Trump and Zinke Promises Overhaul
**Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the U.S. this week has buoyed hopes of the American ag sector that the Trump administration can improve trade relations between the two countries.
China is the largest market for many U.S. commodities, but remains a source of frustration for U.S. farmers and ag exporters.
China could be a huge source of new revenue for U.S. cattle ranchers and beef exporters as well as rice farmers, but China hasn't followed through on promises to the previous administration.
**New Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke got a warm reception from cattle ranchers when he promised to overhaul the department and make it more responsive to the needs of livestock producers and local communities.
Zinke promised that under his watch, agency officials at the local level will have much more authority as well as the task of restoring people's trust in the BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service.
**Farmers' and ranchers' private information will not be available to the public under the terms of a settlement reached between two major farm groups and the EPA.
A federal judge approved the agreement last week, ending litigation that began in 2013, when the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Pork Producers challenged EPA's release of a vast compilation of personal information about livestock and poultry producers in 29 states in response to a Freedom of Information Act request on CAFOs.
