WASHINGTON, May 5, 2014 - Agricultural stakeholders are expected this week to focus on USDA implementation of the farm bill and international trade negotiations.

On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is scheduled to address the Senate Agriculture Committee about USDA progress on the farm bill. Vilsack has released several implementation dates for farm programs, and has said he expects "everything to be in place" for the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and the Agricultural Risk Coverage programs by the fall. Vilsack also will likely address commodity title program rules during the hearing.

Vilsack has said that some crop insurance provisions, like conservation compliance rules, may be delayed until 2015. And, the definition of  "actively engaged" producers is likely to be actively discussed at the hearing. "This is a very difficult issue to provide the kind of clarity and certainty that people would like to have," Vilsack said at a recent hearing. USDA began the application process for the livestock disaster assistance program recently, and senators will certainly want to know how that is progressing.

On trade, USDA is kicking off a mission to promote U.S. agricultural goods in northeast China. The mission, which runs through May 13, is being led by Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Michael Scuse. Leaders from state departments of agriculture in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Washington are participating, as are representatives from 28 agriculture-related companies and organizations, including the U.S. Soybean Export Council, the U.S. Grains Council, the National Farmers Union, Growth Energy and the U.S. Rice Producers Association.

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman will be making his rounds to press for the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) during visits to Berlin and Paris.

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler will deliver a keynote address Wednesday on the Obama administration's trade policy agenda and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) at a trade policy conference organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council.