Trump Announces $12 Billion Farm Relief Package
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The USDA will distribute $11 billion to growers of 20 crops by the end of February to offset expected 2025 losses, said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Later, it plans to distribute $1 billion to specialty crop farmers, including apple, cherry, and pear growers, after studying economic losses.
Although checks won’t be issued until late February, growers of the selected 20 crops should know their individual amounts by then. "So as you go to your lender … you will have that number in hand,” said Rollins.
The Trump administration has been discussing farm aid, particularly for soybean farmers temporarily blocked from Chinese markets. China has resumed buying U.S. soybeans. The White House framed the aid as a “bridge” to better times.
“This country and our farm economy are facing a crisis that we inherited that most of these farmers have never seen in their lifetime,” declared Rollins.
The $12 billion will be funded through tariffs. President Trump argued that tariffs have strengthened trade deals that benefit U.S. farmers.
“This is going to be the golden age,” he stated. “Farmers don’t want aid. They want a level playing field because if they have a level playing field, they’ll do better than anyone else.”
Eligible farms have adjusted gross incomes below $900,000. Individual payments will be capped at $155,000 per farmer or legal entity. The Farm Service Agency will administer the program.
Producer reaction was positive, with one Iowa farmer praising the move. However, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, representing vegetable, fruit, and tree nut growers, expressed disappointment at being left out of the initial payments.
The package, while aiding many farmers, was criticized by some for its uneven distribution, with Angie Craig, the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, noting it picked winners and losers.
The 20 crops covered by the initial payments, according to the USDA, are:
- Barley
- Chickpeas
- Corn
- Cotton
- Lentils
- Oats
- Peanuts
- Peas
- Rice
- Sorghum
- Soybeans
- Wheat
- Canola
- Crambe
- Flax
- Mustard
- Rapeseed
- Safflower
- Sesame
- Sunflowers