President Donald Trump\u2019s administration recently announced $12 million in one-time payments to farmers to offset what the administration calls \u201cunfair market disruptions.\u201d
According to a statement from the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), \u201cOf the $12 billion provided, up to $11 billion will be used for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, which provides broad relief to United States 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.\u201d
The remaining $1 billion of the $12 billion in bridge payments will be reserved for commodities not covered in the FBA Program such as specialty crops and sugar, for example, though details including timelines for those payments are still under development.
The announcement indicates, \u201cFarmers who qualify for the FBA Program can expect payments to be released by February 28, 2026. Eligible farmers should ensure their 2025 acreage reporting is factual and accurate by 5pm ET on December 19, 2025.
Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue released a statement shortly after the announcement, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNebraska’s farm and ranch families believe in the free market and its ability to reward us for our efforts growing the food, feed, and fiber for consumers across the globe. At the same time, our businesses and our profitability are often impacted by things outside of our control including weather, international trade, and government policies both foreign and domestic.\u201d While the news was welcomed by farmers who have been struggling with falling crop prices, increasing production costs and the loss of multiple markets, others view it as tacit admission that President Trump\u2019s trade policies are failing the American ag industry. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) issued the following statement, \u201cDonald Trump\u2019s trade war is taxing families, killing markets for our farm goods and driving farmers into bankruptcy. Trump\u2019s plan to bail out farmers won\u2019t even get agriculture communities back to even. They\u2019re still paying more for fertilizer, equipment and seeds, while grown-in-the-USA farm goods are facing more obstacles than ever in foreign markets. Don\u2019t forget that all of this trade destruction and taxing was to raise money for Trump\u2019s massive handouts to billionaires and the ultra-wealthy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" President Donald Trump\u2019s administration recently announced $12 million in one-time payments to farmers to offset what the administration calls \u201cunfair market disruptions.\u201dAccording to a statement from the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), \u201cOf the $12 billion provided, up to $11 billion will be used for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, which provides broad relief<\/p>\n
\u201cPresident Trump’s announced plan to provide farmers with a ‘bridge’ payment given the current state of the agricultural economy is truly welcomed by Nebraska’s farmers. At the same time, we remain steadfast in our support for additional policy priorities including advancing Senator (Deb) Fischer’s and Congressman (Adrian) Smith’s efforts to secure access to E15 year-round, and a federal legislative fix to California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3, as well as continued work to expand market access both domestically and abroad,\u201d wrote McHargue. \u201cNow perhaps more than ever, Nebraska’s farm and ranch families stand ready to work with President Trump and Nebraska’s congressional delegation to secure these much needed policy victories.\u201d<\/em>
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