The Trump administration on Monday unveiled a sweeping $12 billion package in one-time farmer bridge payments, aiming to help American producers weather ongoing market disruptions, high input costs and persistent inflation. The initiative, titled the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, will dedicate up to $11 billion to farmers raising staple crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, chickpeas, cotton, lentils, oats, peanuts, peas, rice, sorghum, canola, flax, mustard, rapeseed, safflower, sesame and sunflowers. Commodity-specific payment rates are expected to be announced by the end of the month.
An additional $1 billion will be allocated for other commodities not covered in the main program—such as specialty crops and sugar—with details and payment timelines for those sectors still to be determined.
“The plan we are announcing today ensures American farmers can continue to plan for the next crop year,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in Monday’s announcement. “It is imperative we do what it takes to help our farmers, because if we cannot feed ourselves, we will no longer have a country. With this program serving as a bridge to the improvements President Trump and Republicans in Congress have made, it will allow farmers to leverage strengthened price protection risk management tools and the reliability of fair trade deals so they do not have to depend on large ad hoc assistance packages from the government.”
Farmers who qualify for the program can expect payments to be released by February 28th. The USDA is urging eligible farmers to update their 2025 acreage reporting by 4 p.m. on December 19th. The $12 billion in bridge payments are authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and will be administered by the Farm Service Agency.
Illinois Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan welcomed the relief, saying, “This additional support will provide much-needed relief at a time when input costs have significantly outpaced crop prices due to declining markets and rising production expenses. This relief is not just for farm families, it supports rural communities. Local businesses, lenders and communities depend on a productive farm economy, and timely assistance helps ensure stability as farmers prepare for the 2026 planting season.”
Duncan emphasized the need for long-term solutions that strengthen market demand and expand trade opportunities, noting that persistent cost pressures and falling crop receipts since 2022 have eroded farm finances and community stability.
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall added: “Farmers are grateful to President Trump and Secretary Brooke Rollins for providing resources that, for many, could make the difference between staying in business to plant another crop, or shuttering a family farm.”