Covid hits 20 percent of workers at Fresno chicken plant: At least 242 workers have tested positive for Covid-19 at three Foster Farms chicken processing plants in the Central Valley, including 20 percent of employees at the hardest-hit facility, in Fresno. (Los Angeles Times)
Grocery inflation dips slightly: The inflation rate for groceries is triple the overall U.S. rate of 1.2 percent over the past 12 months, but prices declined 0.3 percent in November. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
USDA to restart farm labor survey: The National Agricultural Statistics Service said it “will mail the questionnaires and collect data immediately” for the semi-annual Agricultural Labor Survey, which it suspended on Sept 30 only to be overruled by a federal judge. (USDA)
Trump signs grain standards bill: President Trump signed into law S 4054 reauthorizing the U.S. authority to set marketing standards for soybeans and major grain crops and allowing the government to collect user fees to partially offset the cost of inspecting grain. (White House)
Harden to succeed Vilsack: Krysta Harden, the chief operating officer of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, will succeed Tom Vilsack as leader of the trade-promoting organization if the Senate confirms Vilsack as agriculture secretary, said Dairy Management Inc. (Dairy Herd Management)