A new study says federal cooperative extension programs at land-grant universities help farmers stay in business. The researchers say since 1985, 137,000 farmers would have left the industry without the federal program. The study says cooperative extension and agricultural research translate into higher farm profits, allowing farmers to stay in agriculture. Researchers say that unlike extension and research programs, farm subsidies or commodity programs may not have the intended effect of keeping farmers on their farms.

Syngenta’s CEO says the company remains on pace to complete the takeover by China National Chemical, or ChemChina, by the end of this year. ChemChina offered more than $43 billion in cash for the Swiss company in February. Some analysts warn the deal could be delayed by regulators, including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Some U.S. lawmakers are cautious of the takeover because of the plan's potential impact on U.S. farmers’ access to genetically modified seeds, and have called on the Treasury Department to include agriculture sector regulators as part of its review of the deal.

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