The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a new $12 billion aid package to help farmers deal with high input costs, unstable markets, and recent trade disruptions. The package includes direct support for crop growers and additional funding for producers who fall outside traditional programs.
This new support is meant to help farmers manage the 2025 crop year while they wait for updated safety-net programs that begin in 2026 under the newest farm legislation.
Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA)
Most of the funding—up to $11 billion—will go to the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA). This program offers short-term help to row-crop growers facing higher costs and market uncertainty.
Eligible crops include:
-
corn, soybeans, wheat, and sorghum
-
cotton, peanuts, and rice
-
barley, oats, canola, sunflowers, flax, mustard, and several others
USDA will use a uniform national formula to determine payment levels. The formula looks at planted acres, cost-of-production estimates, projected yields and prices, and other market data.
USDA plans to send payments by February 28, 2026.
Producers should make sure their 2025 acreage reports are accurate by December 19, 2025. USDA will release crop-specific payment rates later this month.
Although crop insurance isn’t required for FBA payments, USDA encourages producers to review new risk-management tools rolling out in 2026.
Support for Specialty Crops and Other Commodities
The remaining $1 billion will support commodities not included in the FBA program, such as specialty crops and sugar. USDA is still working on details and timelines for this part of the package.
How USDA Will Deliver the Aid
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will run these programs under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act. Because of this, USDA can move funds quickly and reach producers across many sectors.
Other USDA Actions Highlighted in the Announcement
The press release also outlined other steps USDA has taken this year to support farmers. These include:
-
expanded disaster assistance programs
-
updates to crop insurance and loan programs
-
higher reference prices for major crops beginning in 2026
-
large investments in conservation programs
-
efforts to address input costs and supply-chain competition
-
steps to reduce farm labor costs and simplify hiring programs
-
ongoing Section 32 food purchases that support producers and foodbanks
-
new and expanded market-access efforts with countries around the world
Together, these efforts aim to give farmers more stability, more risk-management options, and larger export opportunities.
Learn More
You can read the full USDA announcement, including all program details and timelines, here: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/12/08/trump-administration-announces-12-billion-farmer-bridge-payments-american-farmers-impacted-unfair
