Need a quick catch up on the news? Here are seven agricultural stories you might have missed this week.

1. A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza has been confirmed in a flock of 73,500 chickens in Lincoln County, Tennessee. The virus in Tennessee is "a different virus and is genetically distinct" from China's H7N9 strain. America's chicken, turkey and egg producers are gearing up with tighter biosecurity. – Farm Futures 

2. If a 20% tariff were implemented on all imports from Mexico, the U.S. could expect Mexico to retaliate by imposing a similar tariff on U.S. products exported to Mexico, said the trade spokesman for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Losing that export market could cost Colorado producers money. Top exports from Colorado include beef, potatoes and corn. – U.S. News and World Report

3. Farm-state lawmakers have introduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act in an effort to increase the amount of ethanol sold. – Farm Futures

4. A Minnesota state senator has proposed eliminating overtime pay for foreign workers on farms. Current law requires ag workers be paid overtime after 48 hours a week. - MinnPost

5. Former agriculture secretary and U.S. trade representative Clayton Yeutter died March 4 at his home in Maryland. Yeutter, 86, was born and raised in Nebraska. – Farm Futures

6. Iowa State University agronomy department chair Kendall Lamkey started a statewide marketing campaign to attract students from a wider pool to the agronomy department. His approach is working, with enrollment in agronomy at Iowa State tripling since 2006. – Harvest Public Media

7. USDA delivered a bearish surprise to the soybean market by raising U.S. ending stocks in its Thursday report. The increase countered trade forecasts for a reduction. – Farm Futures

Your bonus this week involves Sonny Perdue, the ex-Georgia governor nominated to be the next secretary of agriculture.

An Environmental Working Group investigation found that as governor from 2003 to 2010, Perdue refused to put his businesses into a blind trust, signed tax legislation that gave him a $100,000 tax break on a land deal, received gifts from lobbyists after signing a sweeping order to ban such gifts and he allocated state funds to projects that benefited companies he created after his time in office. – ewg.org

Ethics questions arise surrounding agriculture secretary nominee Sonny Perdue. American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall defends Perdue, saying "I don't think you are going to find a man any more honorable than Sonny Perdue." – The New York Times

Perdue's nomination appears to be in limbo due to either the FBI background check or to financial conflicts of interest. – Vox