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Audio from our weekly Newsmakers show, released every Friday.
206 Episodes
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The E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council has until Sunday to come up with a proposal to allow year-round sales of E15. We asked Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., a member of the council, about the status of those negotiations. Smith also discusses the latest push to renew the U.S. Mexico Canada trade agreement, which is scheduled for a six-year review in July.Plus, Jessica Schulken with The Russell Group provides an update on what she will be watching for in the House Ag Committee's farm bill text that will be released today, and Dan Basse with AgResource Company discusses the value of the USMCA for American agriculture.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
Over 9,000 beef producers and industry leaders gathered in Nashville for the cattle industry's annual convention this week. We caught up with Ethan Lane from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association about the group's 2026 policy priorities, which include a focus on New World screwworm and trade. While New World screwworm has not been detected in the U.S., Steve Boren with Boehringer Ingelheim explains the threat of the flesh-eating parasite and how public-private partnerships are collaborating on prevention and preparedness efforts.Plus, Kevin Good with CattleFax forecasts when the cattle herd, now at a 74-year low, will start rebuilding. Kansas rancher Brandi Buzzard with High Bar Cattle Co. also joins the show to discuss her decision-making for 2026.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
The Agriculture Department has temporarily taken over management of the Food for Peace program, which drives demand for U.S. commodities used as international food aid. We spoke with Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran about the program’s history and ties to Kansas, USDA’s commitment to distribute more than 200,000 tons of food aid by March, and his confidence that legislation could pass to permanently house the program at USDA.Plus, hear more about how the Food for Peace program would be improved, by moving it from the State Department to USDA, from our panel with Kim Cooper from the North American Millers’ Association and Dalton Henry of U.S. Wheat Associates.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
Additional farm aid wasn't included in a government funding package but farm groups are continuing to push for additional assistance, including $5 billion specifically for specialty crops. Rep. Josh Harder, who represents part of California's Central Valley, joins the show to discuss the concerns of his district's growers: ag labor reform, tariffs, and reforming olive oil standards.Also this week, Congress punted legislative action on year-round E15 again by creating a council of lawmakers to study the issue instead of including legislation in a government funding bill. National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower discusses the devastating news for corn farmers.The dietary guidelines released this month encourage Americans to consume less processed food. Mollie Van Lieu with the International Fresh Produce Association explains how the guidelines could increase fruit and vegetable consumption, and which nutrition issues could arise in farm bill 2.0 negotiations.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders traveled to California for the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention where the group agreed ag labor is one of the top issues they hear about. We spoke with Senate Ag Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., and ranking member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in an exclusive joint interview touching on year-round E15, the future of the farm bill and ag labor reform. Plus, House Ag's chairman, Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Penn., and ranking member, Angie Craig, D-Minn., join the show to discuss a farm bill 2.0 timeline and what they'd like to see included in the bill.Plus, we connected with American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall to learn what he was hearing from members at the convention and how the current farm economy compares to the 1980s farm crisis.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
Congress is back in Washington for the second session of the 119th Congress. We sat down with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., to discuss the future of year-round E15, prospects for a second budget reconciliation bill to be passed in 2026, and odds of a five-year farm bill being passed. "For me whether it's year-round E15 ... eliminating taxes on farm machinery, whether it's creating new tax incentives, whether it's redirecting tariff revenue to the farm community that is actually shouldering some of the burden," Emmer explained. "I support all of that."Plus, Callie Eideberg with The Vogel Group and Ken Barbic with Invariant discuss the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the future of a complete, five-year farm bill moving in 2026.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
It's been a big year for farm policy. President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January and quickly followed through on many of his campaign promises: an aggressive trade agenda, renewed focus on food inflation, and the use of a Republican-controlled House and Senate to enact a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that included major agriculture spending. At the same time, USDA announced a broad reorganization plan, and $42 billion in farm aid was unveiled to support the struggling farm economy and ongoing lack of export markets.On this special year-in-review episode, we revisit the most influential interviews from Agri-Pulse Newsmakers in 2025 that brought you to the heart of ag policy each week.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is nearing the end of her first year leading USDA. We sat down with two former agriculture secretaries, Dan Glickman of the Clinton administration and Mike Johanns of the George W. Bush administration, to reflect on the top issues of 2025.Tune in for a conversation on the farm economy, beef prices, and possible farm policy reforms. We also asked the leaders what advice they would offer Rollins as she looks ahead to 2026.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
The Trump administration unveiled a $12 billion farm aid package last week, but some lawmakers are already saying more aid is needed. Before Congress left Washington for the year, we spoke with Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Boozman about the future of the farm bill, the potential need for more farm aid in early 2026, and if there will be a time when farmers don't need to rely on government payments.Plus, Peter Bachmann with the USA Rice Federation and Dennis Nuxoll with Western Growers join the show to discuss the market and commodity market losses rice and specialty crop growers are grappling with, and the need for an additional farm aid package in early 2026.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
The Trump administration unveiled a $12 billion Farm Bridge Assistance aid package to compensate farmers impacted by market and commodity market losses. House Ag Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig, D-Minn., said farmers are in need of economic support, but added "the administration has called this a bridge. Where's the bridge? This is more like a circle."Plus, Jonathan Coppess with the University of Illinois Gardner Agriculture Policy Program and Eric Gibson with Rabobank outline when farmers should receive payments and if a second farm aid package should be moved by Congress in 2026. The pair also discuss concerns about the effect repeated farm aid payments will have on the next generation of farmers.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
A farm aid package is expected to be announced next week for farmers suffering from export losses and low commodity prices. We sat down with Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden to discuss the package, which he says “a wide variety of commodity crops” will be eligible for.During the extended year-in-review interview, we also discuss the Trump administration's efforts to advance many agriculture priorities this year: Tackling food inflation, advancing trade deals, and consolidation in the meat sector. Vaden, who is leading the USDA reorganization, also shares a timeline for when USDA staff will be relocated to five regional hubs across the U.S.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
China has begun purchasing U.S. soybeans following a trade deal with the United States. We asked Tanner Ehmke with the CoBank Knowledge Exchange whether the recent purchases show China can meet its commitments under the agreement. Plus, Lance Zimmerman with Rabobank discusses consumer beef demand amid an ongoing low cattle supply and the Trump administration’s increased beef import quota from Argentina.Brian Jennings with the American Coalition for Ethanol also joins the show to discuss the ongoing push for year-round E15, and Luther Markwart with the American Sugarbeet Growers Association outlines concerns about sugar dumping from Brazil. Tom Zacharias with the National Crop Insurance Services explains influential budget reconciliation crop insurance provisions growers can look forward to in 2026.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
The Agriculture Department will soon roll out the second stage of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program. We asked Richard Fordyce, undersecretary of agriculture for farm production and conservation, about the program and when — or if — the trade aid payments previously teased by the administration will be announced.Plus, Joby Young outlines what’s included for agriculture in the deal lawmakers struck to reopen the government and Dan Halstrom with the U.S. Meat Export Federation discusses the impact of the U.S.-China trade deal for the meat industry. Emily Skor with Growth Energy also weighs in on the biofuel sector's continued push for year-round E15 and what she expects from the EPA’s Renewable Volume Obligations.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
The longest government shutdown in American history is over. President Donald Trump has signed into law legislation that will fully fund USDA and the FDA through the rest of the new fiscal year. We asked Tennessee Rep. John Rose about why the new continuing resolution is important for agriculture. He also shares his thoughts on what’s at stake for agriculture in a ruling from the Supreme Court over whether the president properly used a 1977 law to impose tariffs on countries across the globe.Then, Tom Sell with Combest, Sell & Associates and Anne MacMillan with Invariant discuss when they think the remaining parts of the farm bill will pass and the measure will look like. They also talk about whether it will be harder to get other countries to lower barriers on American ag exports if the Supreme Court rules against the president.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
The Supreme Court heard arguments this week on President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., the top Democrat on the Senate Ag Committee, discusses attending the arguments and why she believes the court will strike down the president’s use of a 1977 law to implement his tariffs. She also outlines what’s needed to end the government shutdown and whether she’ll support farm aid for trade losses this year.Trade experts Greta Peisch of Wiley Rein and Mayur Patel of Hogan Lovells also weigh in on the case’s implications for agriculture.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
After shunning U.S. soybeans this year, China pledged to buy 25 million tons of soybeans annually for the next three years as part of the U.S.-China trade deal. We asked Minnesota Rep. Brad Finstad about the deal, his concerns about the November lapse in SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown, and year-round E15.Plus, Barbara Patterson of Torrey Advisory Group and Ken Barbic of Invariant discuss how the lapse in SNAP benefits for the first time in program history could affect millions of Americans who depend on the program. They also discussed the implications of the U.S.-China trade deal, which keeps China’s soybean purchases level with, or even below, recent years.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
USDA recently signed an agreement with the Department of Justice to protect farmers from high and volatile input costs. Andy LaVigne, president and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association, joins the show to discuss the announcement and seed costs. Plus, he explains how tariffs are impacting the seed industry and ASTA's recent acquisition of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization's crop biotechnology advocacy portfolio.Plus, Jay Vroom with Vroom Leigh Agriculture and Peter Carstensen with the University of Wisconsin discuss farmers' concerns about consolidation in the inputs space and the differences between the Trump and Biden administrations' work on ag industry consolidation.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
It’s been a year of shakeup for international assistance after the abrupt closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development. We ask former Ag Secretary and current World Food Prize Foundation CEO Tom Vilsack about how the approach to international aid can be reinvented, the feasibility of moving the Food for Peace program to USDA, and whether he’s concerned President Trump’s tariff policy could affect long-term market access for U.S. farmers.Plus, 2025 World Food Prize Laureate and Embrapa Soybean researcher Mariangela Hungria joins the show to discuss her life's work advancing soil microbiology, how Brazilian farmers have embraced biologicals, and how the “Micro Green Revolution” has changed the trajectory of agriculture in Brazil.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
The government is still shut down amid a congressional stalemate. Minnesota Democrat Sen. Tina Smith discusses which farmer-facing programs she's worried could be affected. She also expresses concern that the U.S. is losing export markets because of trade disruptions.Then, American Soybean Association CEO Steve Censky looks back at what the first Trump administration learned from delivering two rounds of Market Facilitation Program payments, and how that experience could guide the upcoming economic aid payments ag groups are requesting. Farmers for Free Trade executive director Brian Kuehl also joins the show to discuss the group's cross-country motorcade for trade.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
Harvest is underway, but there's still uncertainty about where some of those crops will go. We asked North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven if he thinks the U.S. is losing valuable global markets and how bailout trade aid payments for farmers could be funded through tariff revenue.Also on the show, Virginia Houston with the American Soybean Association and Joe Glauber from the International Food Policy Research Institute discuss what China’s recent soybean purchase from Argentina means for the U.S. and if it's concerning to not see an October World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report because of the government shutdown.Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD
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