Latest News From John Herath

Tom Vilsack was sworn in as USDA Secretary for the second time at the end of February. Since then, he has pushed forward advances on several key issues.

In this week's DC Signal to Noise Podcast, Jim Wiesemeyer and John Herath offer details on what is in the latest coronavirus aid announcement and what is still left to be resolved.

A second bill to change the H-2A guest worker program has been introduced in the House. This version would move oversight from the Department of Labor to USDA.

As USDA Vilsack prepares to testify before the House Ag Committee Thursday on the state of black farmers in the U.S., he is highlighting disparities in coronavirus aid payments to minority and disadvantaged farmers.

USDA will move forward with $20 per acre payments for price-trigger crops outlined in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) round three with checks going out starting in April.

Time is running out to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program.

Rural broadband will be at the center of a bipartisan rural infrastructure plan.

The U.S. and China fought openly in the first face-to-face meeting with the Biden Administration this week in Alaska. Despite the tension in the negotiation hall, China continued with big buys of U.S. corn.

Former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson discusses his future and the future of the ag committee on the DC Signal to Noise Podcast.

Former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson is headed to consulting firm Combest, Sell & Associates.

In his opening days of his second stint as head of USDA, Tom Vilsack is focused on farmer profitability and opening markets to build that profitability.

In a speech at Commodity Classic, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack focused on expanding markets rather than climate change, but one of those expanding markets is carbon.

USDA is still reviewing how it will disburse $15 billion in coronavirus aid.

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Glenn Thompson joins DC Signal to Noise to talk about a partisan opening to the 117th Congress for the Ag Committee.

75% of Pulse respondents say they strongly disapprove of the job done by President Joe Biden so far.

USDA's Chief Economist says the battle for 2021 acreage is on, and it may even bid into specialty crop acres amid strong signals that China plans to continue buying corn and soybeans.

Top Producer of the Year finalist Zach Ducheneaux has been selected by the Biden Administration to lead the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Is the Biden Administration immigration package just the starting point for negotiations? The DC Signal to Noise Podcast looks at what could be traded in the immigration talks.

Ag groups are gearing up for a new fight over the so-called 'Death Tax."

“The trade really wanted to see USDA get more aggressive on increasing corn export demand, especially after all the sales we had seen to China about two weeks ago,”

WASDE for February raised exports and lowered ending stocks for both corn and soybeans.

Country of Origin Labeling and the Waters of the U.S. Rule came back to the forefront in confirmation hearings this week for USDA Secretary nominee Tom Vilsack and EPA Administrator nominee Michael Regan.

An exclusive interview with the NASS Chief of Crops about Farm Bureau's recommendations to improve transparency and accuracy of NASS reporting.

Senate Agriculture Committee advances the nomination of Tom Vilsack as USDA Secretary to the full Senate.

“I think agriculture is probably the first and best way to begin getting some wins in this climate area,” Vilsack says.

USDA put a freeze on Coronavirus Food Aid Program (CFAP) payments as the new administration reviews all rules put in place by a lame duck Trump Administration. Could that review bring changes to the CFAP payments?

Farm workers from South Africa will be allowed to travel to the United States under an exemption to the Jan. 25 travel ban imposed to control the spread of a new strain of the coronavirus.

Senator Debbie Stabenow lays out her priorities as she returns to the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) says she supports the Biden Administration’s move to freeze payments under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).

USDA late Wednesday posted notice that $2.3 billion in supplemental Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments will be temporarily frozen.

The Trump and Obama administrations had very different relationships with agriculture and rural America. Will the Biden Administration learn any lessons from those two predecessors?

AFBF wants USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to improve transparency and better embrace emerging technology in making crop estimates, determining ag census numbers and other ag reporting.

The D.C. Circuit Court handed the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) a win in its last battle with the Trump Administration over waivers to the Renewable Fuels Standard.

Former USDA Secretary Dan Glickman calls on returning USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to be assertive on climate change policy.

In the Trump Administration’s final hours, the EPA granted two small refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and appears to have reversed a previous denial.

January's Crop Production and Stocks reports from USDA raised a number of questions about big shifts in production projections. NASS Crops Chief Lance Honig addressed those questions on AgriTalk.

USDA announced the release of $2.3 billion in leftover funds from the first and second rounds of the Coronavirus Food Aid Program (CFAP) on Friday, most of it to benefit contract hog and poultry producers.

USDA dramatically cut its 2020 average corn yield projection Tuesday, sending futures prices limit up. The 3.8 bu. per acre drop in the national projected yield is the largest in more than a quarter century.

Watch analysis of Tuesday's USDA reports with AgriTalk's Chip Flory, USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer and others.

NCGA CEO Jon Doggett says the outreach of the Biden transition team to agriculture groups is like nothing he's seen in his more than 30 years in Washington.

Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday thought she was talking to Smithfield CEO Dennis Organ, while in reality she was being punked by animal activist Matt Johnson of Direct Action Everywhere.

The coronavirus aid package approved by Congress overnight Monday provides $13 billion in ag funding, much of it destined for sectors left out of previous aid packages.

On the eve of his nomination as EPA Administrator, Michael Regan placed an unscheduled call to the CEO of the National Corn Growers Association.

University of Florida researchers have developed corn that can thrive in nighttime heat.

USDA Chief Economist Dr. Robert Johansson will retire at the end of January and will be replaced by Dr. Seth Meyer.

The landscape has changed from what was expected for ag issues.

A new tool seeks to use tweets as an early warning system for drought.

Senator Chuck Grassley's record streak of not missing a vote has ended due to possible COVID-19 exposure.

A post election analysis from Jim Wiesemeyer of Pro Farmer and John Herath of Farm Journal.

Traders were expecting bullish numbers from Tuesday’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), but the projections were even friendlier than anticipated.