By Jamie Martin
The USDA introduced a major farmer support program designed to provide stability during a period of rising costs, inflation, and global market shifts. The new initiative allocates $12 billion in bridge payments to assist farmers until long-term policy changes and updated support programs are fully implemented.
The Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program will distribute up to $11 billion of this funding to row crop farmers across the country. Producers of barley, chickpeas, corn, cotton, lentils, oats, peanuts, peas, rice, soybeans, sorghum, wheat, canola, crambe, flax, mustard, rapeseed, safflower, sesame, and sunflower are eligible. Payments will be calculated using a consistent national formula based on acreage reports, production cost estimates, and national yield and price forecasts.
Farmers must ensure their 2025 acreage reports are accurate by December 19, 2025. Payment delivery is expected by February 28, 2026. Crop insurance participation is not required to receive aid, although growers are encouraged to review new risk-management tools that may offer stronger protection in future seasons.
The remaining $1 billion will support commodities outside the core FBA group, including specialty crops and sugar, with further details to follow. All funding will be administered through the Commodity Credit Corporation and delivered by the Farm Service Agency.
. “The plan we are announcing today ensures American farmers can continue to plan for the next crop year,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins . “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.”
Beyond the new bridge payments, USDA has implemented several programs since 2025 to address financial strain in the farm sector. These include disaster relief, marketing support for specialty crops, and block grants to address uncovered losses. Recent federal legislation also increased reference prices, expanded crop insurance flexibility, invested in conservation, and strengthened trade promotion programs.
In addition to financial support, new trade agreements and expanded market access opportunities aim to help farmers recover lost exports and grow new markets. Officials state that stabilizing the agricultural economy remains a top priority.
Overall, the bridge program provides immediate relief while creating momentum for long-term improvements in market access, risk management, and farm financial stability.
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Categories: National