SALEM, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will pay $12 billion to farmers struggling as a result of trade disruptions and rising production costs, meant as an “economic bridge” to the next planting season.
The one-time payments are intended to hold producers over until major funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act comes through in 2026, including increases in reference prices for key commodities like soybeans, corn and wheat, which take effect on Oct. 1 of next year.
President Donald Trump unveiled the program Dec. 8 during a White House roundtable with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers and farmers.
“We looked at how they were hurt, to what extent they were hurt,” Trump said, explaining how the administration came up with the size of the package. Trump said the money for the program will come from tariff revenue.
The Farmer Bridge Assistance Program will immediately use $11 billion to provide relief to American row crop farmers who produce barley, chickpeas, corn, cotton, lentils, oats, peanuts, peas, rice, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, canola, crambe, flax, mustard, rapeseed, safflower, sesame and sunflower. The remaining $1 billion will be reserved for commodities not covered in the program, like specialty crops, though details, including timelines for those payments, are still under development.
“I want to stress that this program is simple, proportional and fair with no complicated factors, no carving out producers by crop or region,” Richard Fordyce, undersecretary for the Farm Production and Conservation Mission Area said in a call with media on Dec. 8. “If you plant an eligible crop and you’ve taken a hit, then you’ll receive support.”
The farmer bridge payments are authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and will be administered by the Farm Service Agency.
Farmers who qualify for the program can expect payments to be released by Feb. 28. Eligible farmers should ensure their 2025 acreage reporting is factual and accurate by 5 p.m. Dec. 19. Commodity-specific payment rates will be released by the end of the month.
To submit questions or to request a meeting on farmer bridge aid, producers can reach out to farmerbridge@usda.gov.
“President Trump will not let our farmers be left behind, so he directed our team to build a bridge program to see quick relief while the president’s dozens of new trade deals and new market access take effect,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins in a statement.
National farm groups chimed in with a swelling chorus of support for the program, including the American Soybean Association which noted soybean farmers have faced a perfect storm of low crop prices, high production costs and loss of markets.
“We appreciate the administration’s attention to the challenges farmers continue to face in today’s market,” said ASA President Caleb Ragland. “While we await additional details, we believe the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program is a positive first step to restore certainty as soybean farmers market this year’s crop and plan for the 2026 planting season.”
National Farmers Union President Rob Larew said in a statement that across the country, farmers are confronting the combined pressures of disrupted trade, rising input costs and depressed commodity markets. The program, he said, is a lifeline.
“This relief will provide near-term support for many farmers working hard just to stay afloat,” he said. But he called one-term payments a first step.
“What we truly need are long-term structural fixes that restore viability and stability to family farms and ranches for generations to come,” he said.
How do producers justify the administration sending 40 billion to Argentina to support their farmers and only 12 billion for Americans. Further the trade policies have caused the market collapse. A bailout should not be applauded when the cause is tariffs that historically have been disastrous.
How can producers support an administration that offers a bailout that is necessary because of trade policies. The 40 billion payment to Argentina supporting their farmers does not help Americans. Further, the bailout is necessary due to tariffs that historically have been disastrous for American agriculture and manufacturing.