Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 9/9/19

The House and Senate resume work in Washington today for the first time since late July and early August, respectively, kicking off what could be a significant three-week stretch on the agriculture and trade policy fronts. Here are five areas to watch as the September session gets rolling:

Funding food and farm programs: The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, but Congress is on track again to punt final spending decisions until later this year. House Democrats are planning to pass a continuing resolution next week that would extend current funding levels for the Agriculture Department, FDA and other agencies until late November or early December.

The House has already passed a full Agriculture-FDA spending bill, but Senate appropriators have yet to write their own version of the fiscal 2020 measure.

Watching, waiting for USMCA: Lawmakers and trade officials have said September could be a big month for getting a vote on the new NAFTA agreement, nearly a year since the Trump administration announced the deal with Mexico and Canada. House Democrats last week said they were still waiting for Trump's trade negotiators to send them formal text or counter-offers on the four major issues they've been trying to resolve, per our Pro Trade friends.

On high alert for hemp rules: USDA as soon as this month could release long-awaited regulations for industrial hemp production, which was legalized under the 2018 farm bill. Growers and processors have since been stuck in regulatory limbo. USDA has already issued guidance on importing hemp seeds, transporting the plant across state lines and other areas where the lack of national rules is creating legal headaches.

Sealing the Japan deal? Trump is aiming to sign a limited trade agreement with Tokyo at the U.N. General Assembly meeting later this month — but officials are still hammering out the final details, and Japan's legislature needs to sign off. Finalizing the agreement would offer a big boost for ag exporters who fear they're losing ground to competitors like Australia and Canada, which are seeing market gains under the 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership that took effect this year without the U.S.

Tracking trade aid 2.0: USDA has paid farmers at least $2.5 billion under the second round of its trade relief program, as of last week. Those checks, which are largely responsible for buoying net farm income this year, will keep flowing in September. We'll be keeping tabs on where the money is going.