"As the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has shutdown many businesses, people are picking up new hobbies to keep themselves occupied whiling away the time at home. One diversion gaining popularity is gardening, and many are finding solace in cultivating a bountiful garden in their backyard. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Grocery delivery customers are having banana issues Wondering which vegetables and fruits are best to plant in this Texas climate? The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension lists some easy vegetables to grow during the spring and summer months: "

By Chris Sullivan "Washington state exporters have been getting crushed this year, whether it’s Boeing not delivering planes or our geoduck farmers not able to sell their products to Asian markets. So, how long will this last, and will closed ports and the lack of shipping options doom our farming industry? US-China trade war hits Washington farmers hard Washington’s farms generate around $7 billion of economic impact on the state. The industry is why Washington is always one of the top exporters in the country. Preexisting tariffs and now the coronavirus have been taking a big toll. We heard in March how geoduck farmers couldn’t get their products to Asia because the ports were closed. Our state’s cherry farmers and apple farmers could very well experience similar issues of their own.rs/"

"GRAND JUNCTION — Food suppliers in western Colorado said they are concerned about peach crops after a potentially devastating freeze struck Grand Valley orchards. National Weather Service meteorologist Kris Sanders reported a record low 19 degrees Monday in Grand Junction, two degrees below the previous record set in 1933 by an Arctic cold front, TheDaily Sentinel reported. The extent of the problem may not be known for a few days, but freeze damage to buds is likely when the temperature drops below 28 degrees. “Anything 28 and down, you’re getting beat up,” said Bruce Talbott, owner of Talbott Farms in Palisade. “I know we have an awful lot of damage. I would say there’s less than half-crop at this point." Other crops such as pears and cherries may also have been affected by the low temperatures, while apples and grapes may have been spared because they have not hit full bloom."

"FASANO: Floriana Fanizza gazes desolately at her celery crop, lost to the coronavirus because it could not be harvested. Italian farmers are being brought to their knees by a six-week lockdown aimed at stopping a deadly epidemic in its tracks. They are also suffering a drought caused by the driest spring in more than half a century. Border blocks, restaurant closures and a lack of seasonal workers mean nearly four out of 10 businesses in the fruit and vegetable sector are struggling, according to Italy’s biggest agricultural union Coldiretti."

"The Palestinian Authority (PA) is working to collapse Israeli agriculture in the Jordan Valley by preventing Arab workers from the PA from working in the Israeli agricultural areas of the Valley, TPS has learned. PA officials claim they are working to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), but the PA’s goal is to reduce the Israeli presence in the Valley for political reasons, and has intensified its activity since the unveiling of the US President Trump’s Deal of the Century peace plan, farmers in the Jordan Valley told TPS."

"Coronavirus can threaten global food supply, warns UN HONG KONG/WASHINGTON/ROME/MADRID: The coronavirus pandemic that is affecting 210 countries and territories around the world, has so far claimed 1,918,679 cases with 66,314 new cases and 119,212 deaths with more than 5,000 new deaths. As the novel coronavirus pandemic has shut down businesses globally and sends countries into lockdown, the disruptions are threatening to cut off supply chains and increase food insecurity. “Supermarket shelves remain stocked for now,” the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) said in a report released. “But a protracted pandemic crisis could quickly put a strain on the food supply chains, a complex web of interactions involving farmers, agricultural inputs, processing plants, shipping, retailers and more.” The issue, however, is not food scarcity – at least, not yet. Rather, it’s the world's drastic measures in response to the virus, reported CNN on Monday."