Agri-Pulse Newsmakers

Texas Democrat Jasmine Crockett is one of the newest members of the House Ag Committee, but that isn't preventing her from bringing a host of priorities to the upcoming farm bill reauthorization. She joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to talk about her plans to address food deserts as well as the process of learning the farm policy ropes as a new member of Congress. Then, former House and Senate Ag staff...

The week's farm policy news was dominated by the efforts to move an ag spending bill in the House of Representatives, which ultimately didn't happen due to a variety of factors. But do the circumstances that bogged down the funding package offer any sort of look ahead for the politics that will face the next farm bill? House Ag Republican Dusty Johnson joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to discuss that a...

Nutrition policy and the nation's dairy program are almost always hot-button issues during farm bill reauthorization, and both topics are critical for New York and its Senate Ag Committee Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand. She joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to offer a look at her policy priorities for the upcoming farm bill and what she thinks will be the timeline for the committee. Then, Jackie Klippenste...

The Biden administration is moving ahead with investments to improve the data collection that will be critical for climate-smart agriculture. Undersecretary Robert Bonnie plays a key role on the subject for USDA and joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to offer an update on the planned investments and the implementation of contracts announced last year. Then, agricultural economists Bernt Nelson with the A...

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall has had his own mental health struggles since the passing of his wife, Bonnie, in 2020. Since then, Duvall has shared how he has worked through his grief and has become an advocate for mental health services in rural America. Then, National Association of Wheat Growers CEO Chandler Goule, Jeanette Jeffrey with HomePorts, and Rural Minds founde...

National Council of Farmer Cooperatives President and CEO Chuck Conner was in and out of meetings with top Biden administration and Capitol Hill officials this week, offering him unique insight on the farm bill, the appropriations process and the latest regulatory developments from the EPA. He joins Newsmakers to offer his thoughts on how those issues are evolving and what comes next across the bo...

The House Agriculture Committee announced a bipartisan working group this week to study ag labor challenges. Vermont Democrat Peter Welch spent 16 years in the House of Representatives before becoming a Senator this year, and he joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to talk about previous attempts to fix ag labor issues as well as his priorities on dairy and rural development policy during farm bill reautho...

Big news expected from the Environmental Protection Agency was delayed this week, leaving biofuels supporters a little more time to advocate for changes in last year’s proposed volumes for 2023-2025. Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to discuss what he hopes to see in the announcement as well as how he plans to advocate for his priorities - including stricter payment limit...

Agri-Pulse Newsmakers: June 9, 2023: Rep. Tracey Mann, Angela Rachidi and Ellen Vollinger on farm bill priorities and politicsThe House Agriculture Committee stepped up its farm bill work this week with a lengthy hearing on the bill’s nutrition title and the end of a timeline for members of Congress to submit their priorities for consideration in the legislation. Committee member and Kansas Republ...

One year ago, highly pathogenic avian influenza was a major concern in the poultry industry; now, detections have dropped considerably, but USDA and the nation’s producers are maintaining their vigilance. USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to discuss the situation as well as how the department hopes its regional food centers w...

The House Appropriations Committee delayed the consideration of a bill to fund several government agencies key to food and ag policy this week as debt ceiling talks lingered. Committee member and California Republican David Valadao joins Newsmakers to discuss that delay, his thoughts on some critical parts of the bill and analyze this week’s news on the Colorado River. Then, Sara Neagu-Reed with A...

The White House and Capitol Hill leaders continued their talks this week to find a deal that will raise the nation’s debt limit, and welfare program work requirements are playing a bigger and bigger role in the conversation. Former Ag Secretary Dan Glickman, who led USDA during the 1996 welfare reform effort, joins Newsmakers to offer his assessment of the ideas on the table as well as some farm b...

The White House stepped up its involvement in a pair of issues key to farm policy this week, hosting meetings with congressional leaders to discuss the debt ceiling and the next farm bill. Kansas Republican and Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee member Jerry Moran joins Newsmakers to offer his thoughts on how the next few months in farm policy will shake out. Then, Chandler Goule with the Natio...

President Joe Biden is set to welcome congressional leaders to the White House next week for debt ceiling negotiations, and farm policy experts are keeping a close eye on what the talks could mean for ag and food spending. Georgia’s Sanford Bishop, the top Democrat on the House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee, joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to offer his thoughts on the process and what it might mean f...

House Republicans passed a bill to raise the nation’s debt ceiling this week, but the bill also includes several policy provisions certain to be targeted by the Biden administration and Senate Democrats in upcoming negotiations. House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to discuss his thoughts on the bill and his priorities in the upcoming appropria...

Debt ceiling news ruled the day in Washington this week after House Republicans touted their plan to raise the nation’s debt limit. South Dakota Republican and Senate Ag Committee member John Thune, a key member of the chamber’s GOP leadership, takes a look at the possible implications of the proposal’s work requirement language and offers his thoughts on the upcoming farm bill. Then, Jeremy Peter...

A new survey out this week shows USDA is making improvements in its employee satisfaction, but attrition is hitting the workforce hard. Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to discuss the staffing needs in county offices across the country and offer a look at how.a more proactive approach to debt servicing is working for USDA borrowers. Then, Ethan Lane wit...

The Biden administration’s export agenda has included enforcement of trade agreement provisions critical to American agriculture. USDA Trade Undersecretary Alexis Taylor joins Agri-Pulse to discuss the latest on the discussions with Mexico over genetically modified corn as well as the markets the department has identified as its next trade mission targets. Then, Jaime Castaneda with the U.S. Dairy...

The week was full of hearings and other developments certain to impact the upcoming farm bill. Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member and Arkansas Republican John Boozman joins Newsmakers to discuss the latest on how the farm bill is shaping up and what changes he’ll need to see in the legislation to lend it his support. Then, Mary Nowak with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and Andrew Walm...

The appropriations process is in full swing on Capitol Hill, and many ag policy issues are sure to be impacted by annual spending debates. House Appropriations Committee Republican Ashley Hinson of Iowa joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to discuss her priorities in the process as well as how the farm bill could be impacted by debt ceiling negotiations. Then, Alexa Combelic with the American Soybean Asso...

The Senate Agriculture Committee is inching closer to drafting a new farm bill, and many of the committee’s members are working to include their priorities in the upcoming legislation. Among that group is Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock, who joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to discuss what he wants to see from the next farm bill as well as offer his thoughts on USDA’s implementation of disadvantaged p...

The Biden administration is taking another step that could lead to a dispute settlement panel over Mexico’s plans to ban the importing of genetically modified corn. National Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO Ted McKinney joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to discuss how the U.S. can maintain its trade relationship with Mexico and what needs to be done to get a farm bill passed this year...

The House and Senate Ag Committees are gearing up to produce a new farm bill, and the nutrition title is sure to be a focus of many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. House Ag Republican Brad Finstad, who chairs the subcommittee with jurisdiction over nutrition programs, joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to offer his thoughts on the upcoming farm bill as well as where things stand on efforts to sell...

The Department of Agriculture convened its annual Ag Outlook Forum this week and offered production and financial projections for 2023. USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer presided over the event’s opening session and joins Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to expand on what he’s watching in the year ahead and reflect on major factors that will shape the farm economy. Then, Scott Irwin with the University of Illi...

New figures from the Congressional Budget Office added new layers to the farm bill discussion this week Senate Ag Committee member and Iowa Republican Joni Ernst joins Newsmakers to offer her thoughts on the upcoming legislation as well as her thoughts on the prospects for legislative or regulatory changes in the biofuels industry. Then, Kathy Bergren of the National Corn Growers Association, Bria...