The world reacted to a new military conflict this week as Russian forces launched attacks in Ukraine. The U.S. ag sector had reactions of its own on the commodity markets, but experts are also keeping a close eye on the potential long-term ramifications on trade relationships.

Ag groups are also getting ready for the upcoming farm bill as Capitol Hill picks up the pace on oversight with more hearings in the near future. Hear more about where one key group stands and how the process can be expected to unfold – and get a look at the latest USDA figures on projected crop acreage – in this week’s Newsmakers.

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USDA officials are back on the road to promote U.S. ag goods to overseas buyers. Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley joins Newsmakers to discuss the first trade mission in more than two years and what he’s hearing about the reputation of U.S. agriculture abroad.

Then, a panel of experts talks about the trade conversation on Capitol Hill and across the country as a key authority for the executive branch awaits reauthorization. More on that, plus a look at cover crop acreage and some thoughts from a longtime House and Senate Ag Committee staffer in this week’s Newsmakers.

The inaugural episode of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers comes as USDA announced a $1 billion investment in climate-smart ag spending. In this week’s episode, we talk with Sen. John Boozman, the top Republican on the Senate Ag Committee, about how the announcement – and the funding source – will be received on Capitol Hill as well as where he stands on legislation to reform the cattle markets.

There’s also a panel discussion featuring Randy Russell and Laura Wood Peterson on the impact of USDA’s announcement on the nation’s farmers and ranchers, a look at foreign land ownership, and the latest on efforts to expand the nation’s meat processing capacity.

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Agri-Pulse Communications is proud to unveil Newsmakers, a show aiming to take you to the heart of ag policy. New episodes will be available every Friday morning on Agri-Pulse dot com and your favorite podcast app.