Today’s quick hits, May 28, 2019

Hog disease in China bolsters U.S. pork price (USDA): Ample U.S. supplies are driving down the price of pork in grocery stores this year but the decline will be smaller than earlier forecast, down 1.5 percent instead of 2.5 percent.  African swine fever has killed so many hogs in China that export demand is rising.

Vietnam kills 5 percent of its hogs (Reuters): Vietnam has culled 1.7 million hogs, or 5 percent of its stock, in two weeks in fighting an epidemic of the African swine fever, which officials describe as the most dangerous and costly outbreak of its kind ever.

Administration to close rural job-training centers (Washington Post): The Forest Service told the Labor Department it will withdraw from operating nine Civilian Conservation Centers in rural areas that train young people for fighting wildfires and other jobs.

Grassley applies for another Trump tariff payment (Des Moines Register): For the second year in a row, Senate Finance chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa farmer, will apply for a USDA payment created to mitigate the Farm Belt impact of trade war, said a spokesman.

Judge blocks Bud Light ‘corn syrup’ ads (AP): U.S. District Judge William Conley granted a preliminary injunction that blocks Anheuser-Busch from using the words “corn syrup” in ads without providing more context about the fermentation aid used by rival MillerCoors.