Agri-Pulse Newsmakers

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 lab...

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 ta...

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 re...

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 wha...

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 pay...

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 Universit...

A new farm aid package is expected next week to help farmers facing export losses and low commodity prices. We sat down with Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden, who says “a wide variety of commodity crops” will qualify. In our extended year-in-review interview, we also cover the Trump administration’s progress on major ag priorities — tackling food inflation, advancing trade deals, and add...

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 Arge...

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...

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 ove...

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 wh...

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 dis...

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 biote...

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 c...

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 r...

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 Re...

Hundreds of women gathered in Orlando for the Women in Agribusiness Summit. We spoke with Alejandra Castillo from the North American Export Grain Association about how the ag sector could be affected by port fees set to go into effect Oct. 14. We also ask Polly Ruhland with FTI Consulting about the shifting dynamic between food producers and consumers, and Maria McWhorter from Kynetec about farmer...

China, the largest purchaser of U.S. soybeans, has yet to make a purchase from this fall's crop. We asked executive head of Terrain Ag John Newton how long the lack of purchasing could go on, if U.S. grain storage capacity can accommodate the bin-busting crop with limited export markets, and how softening interest rates may affect the farm economy. Plus, Krista Swanson from the National Corn Growe...

The Make America Healthy Again Commission unveiled a final report which suggests easing some regulations on farms, increasing research on precision agriculture technology and removing restrictions on whole milk sales in schools. We asked Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall about the report and how MAHA could expand through states in the future. Then, T.A. Hawks with Monument Advocacy and Mike Stranz with t...

Congress has returned to Washington after the August recess. House Ag Committee Chair Glenn "GT" Thompson tells us he still wants to take committee action on “farm bill 2.0” in September and is eyeing including farm aid payments funded through tariff revenue. During our conversation, we discuss some of the top issues facing agriculture this fall: Farm income, trade, ag labor reform, the USDA reorg...

Harvest is quickly approaching, but grower groups and the ag industry are on edge as China has yet to make a purchase from the fall U.S. soybean crop. At the Farm Progress Show, we asked American Soybean Association President Caleb Ragland about the letter ASA sent to President Trump urging a trade deal with China and about his conversation with Deputy Ag Secretary Stephen Vaden at the show. Rabob...

China has not made any U.S. soybean purchases from this fall's crop, which has growers concerned about the relationship with the largest U.S. soybean purchaser ahead of harvest. We asked Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, about the trade landscape and what he's watching for in USDA’s quarterly ag trade outlook due out next week. Plus, we discuss how...

The public is anxiously awaiting the release of the second Make America Healthy Again Commission report. Cathy Burns, president and CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association, discusses the opportunities her group sees in the upcoming guidance, the need for ag labor reform and when consumers may begin to see higher produce prices caused by tariffs. Plus, Dan Basse from AgResource Company d...

House Ag Committee Chair "GT" Thompson wants to take action on a skinny farm bill this fall. We spoke with ranking members of both the House and Senate Ag Committees, Rep. Angie Craig and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, at the Minnesota FarmFest about their priorities within a skinny farm bill and their willingness to negotiate after nutrition program cuts in reconciliation. Plus, AFBF President Zippy Duvall...

A longtime crop insurance agent and member of both the Iowa and American Soybean Association board of directors, Pat Swanson may be new to USDA but not to the many crop insurance programs farmers depend on. On Newsmakers this week, we speak with Risk Management Agency Administrator Pat Swanson about her plans to lead the agency and how her background serving on the Federal Crop Insurance Corporati...