Agri-Pulse Newsmakers

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 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 addressing meat sector consolidation. Vaden, who is overseeing the USDA reorganization, also outlines the timeline for relocating staff to five regional hubs across the country.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