Agri-Pulse Newsmakers

Several states are moving forward with Extended Producer Responsibility laws that shift the cost of recycling packaging from local governments to producers of consumer products. International Fresh Produce Association CEO Cathy Burns explains the consequences of the policy. Plus, Troy Bredenkamp with the Renewable Fuels Association and Krista Swanson with the National Corn Growers Association outl...

House Ag Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson introduced the Save Agriculture’s Workforce Act this week. He comes to the studio to discuss how it would significantly expand and modernize the H-2A agricultural guest worker program. Plus, USDA APHIS Undersecretary Dudley Hoskins provides an update on New World screwworm response and the factors being considered to reopen the Southern border to cat...

Senate Ag Committee Chair John Boozman joins Newsmakers to discuss the farm bill discussion draft released by the Senate Agriculture Committee. Plus, Tara Smith with Torrey Advisory Group and Anne MacMillan with Invariant discuss the broader farm bill politics at play during the midterm election year and the White House's supplemental spending request to address the cost of the war in Iran, which...

The Senate is expected to release farm bill text soon. We asked Vermont Sen. Peter Welch what he’d like to see included, and if there will be a push to remove state SNAP cost share provisions enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill. Welch also discusses concerns about staffing levels at farmer-facing USDA offices. Plus, Global Farmer Network founder and CEO Mary Boote discusses how farmers around th...

Agri-Pulse Newsmakers: Undersecretary Brashears: NWS isn't a food safety risk; Puglia on USMCASeven cases of New World screwworm have been detected on U.S. soil. USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Mindy Brashears says the Food Safety Inspection Service's 7,000 inspectors are “leading the animal health charge” in the fight against New World screwworm. Western Growers Association President and CEO...

California agriculture operates at a scale and under conditions unlike anywhere else in the country, yet the policy decisions extend far beyond state lines. We spent the week in Sacramento for the annual Agri-Pulse Food and Ag Issues Summit West and caught up with California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross to discuss the challenges, opportunities and innovations shaping Cal...

Many row crop farmers are concerned about having access to an array of crop protection tools. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin explains the shrinking backlog of approvals, how the agency will continue to engage with the Make America Healthy Again movement, and year-round E15. Plus, Mitchell Hora with Continuum Ag outlines the testimony he gave on the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit and Megan Bout...

A bill to allow year-round sales of E15 passed the full House and now awaits a vote in the Senate. Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer details the push for E15, as well as her farm bill priorities ahead of text being released in June. Plus, former Chief Ag Negotiator and current president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation Gregg Doud discusses his key takeaways from the bilateral meeting betw...

The need for farm aid is clear, but a vehicle to move the funding remains uncertain. Georgia Republican Rep. Austin Scott explains the "differing opinions" on how the payments should go out. Scott also discusses the USMCA review, EU deforestation regulations, and his vision for leading the House Ag Committee if selected as the panel's top Republican next Congress. Plus, Callie Eideberg with the Vo...

The century-old Beltsville Ag Research Center in Maryland is relocating more than 1,000 jobs and dozens of research projects as part of the USDA’s reorganization. House Ag Committee member Rep. April McClain Delaney, D-Md., joined the show to argue why the facility should remain open & why she voted "no" on the farm bill in the House last week. Plus, Anthony Reed with FGS Global explains why h...

After overnight debate, the farm bill passed the full House on Thursday. We spoke with House Ag Committee Chair Glenn "GT" Thompson right after the vote. Plus, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO Ted McKinney discusses the importance of the legislative progress on the farm bill. On the panel, Anne Steckel with Ardent Strategies explains the fallout of the year-round E15 pr...

The farm bill is set for a vote in the full House next week, but first the Rules Committee must decide which of more than 300 amendments can be offered on the House floor. Rep. Nikki Budzinski of Illinois joins the show to discuss the year-round E15 and fertilizer amendments she’s supporting and how the farm bill could fare in the lower chamber. John Newton with the American Farm Bureau Federation...

The farm bill could get a vote on the House floor before the end of April, but House Ag Committee Vice Ranking Member Shontel Brown says revisiting new state SNAP cost-share requirements should have been a “starting point” to securing broad Democratic support. Plus, our Oliver Ward provides a report from his trip to the heart of Brazilian agriculture in Mato Grosso. Joe Glauber with the Internatio...

Attendees gathered Monday for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll which featured 40,000 real American-raised, hand-dyed eggs and 150 baby chicks. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins and American Egg Board Chairman Andy Seger share more about the tradition. Plus, Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler joins the show to discuss the Grocery Guarantee Program, right to repair, and how the SBA is strea...

Wildfires burned more than 900,000 acres home to many cattle in western Nebraska. Sen. Pete Ricketts says he's concerned the disaster could delay rebuilding the U.S. cattle herd and says USDA programs should have flexibility and innovation to support producers through the disaster. Plus, Iowa farmer and American Soybean Association vice president Dave Walton shares his takeaways from the EPA's rec...

USDA hosted a National Ag Day event where a 'Product of USA' labeling public awareness campaign was launched. North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven discusses the event, plus provides an update on additional farm aid and what he'd like to see in a farm bill: Year-round E15, and no delay to the state SNAP cost share provision. Plus, NCFC's Duane Simpson and NGFA's Mike Seyfert discuss how their sectors are...

The farm bill was approved by the House Ag Committee and now heads to the full House for a vote. House Ag Committee Chair GT Thompson says he's confident it will pass even with the so-called "poison pills," and lays out his wish list in an Iran spending bill: $15 billion in farm aid, with $10 billion for specialty crop growers. Josh Linville with StoneX and Daren Coppock with the Ag Retailers Asso...

As the conflict in the Middle East continues, New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján discusses what farmers and consumers should be concerned about with the war. Luján also says nutrition issues could resurface in Senate farm bill debate. Plus, Ohio and Arizona Farm Bureau presidents Bill Patterson and John Boelts discuss specialty crops, data centers, and ag labor issues during farmer focus segments.

High beef prices have been a bipartisan concern, and a dozen Senate Democrats introduced legislation this week to break up the big four meatpackers. Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the Meat Institute, stopped by the studio to discuss the issue and MAHA's impact on meat demand. University of Missouri economist Seth Meyer and Brett Gibbs with Bloomberg Intelligence also discuss biofuels and w...

Thousands of farmers and agribusiness leaders gathered in San Antonio, Texas, for Commodity Classic this week as the challenging ag economy looms over producers. We ask National Sorghum Producers Chairwoman and Kansas farmer Amy France how tariffs are affecting sorghum growers, and introduce our viewers to Idaho farmer and incoming National Association of Wheat Growers president, Jamie Kress. Plus...

The Agriculture Department is anticipating a slightly easier 2026 for U.S. ag producers, with prices for major commodities nudging higher and input and labor costs moderating. We sat down with USDA Chief Economist Justin Benavidez at USDA's annual Ag Outlook Forum to discuss the department's projections. Then, Tara Smith with Torrey Advisory Group and Laura Wood with LWP Consulting discuss what's...

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 p...

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 exp...

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...

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...