Agri-Pulse Newsmakers Podcast

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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