The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA), providing $12 billion in one-time bridge payments to support American farmers facing high input costs, trade-related market disruptions, and depressed commodity prices. These payments are intended to serve as an economic bridge until benefits from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) reach farmers, with many program improvements set to begin October 1, 2026.

Up to $11 billion will support producers of major row crops, including barley, chickpeas, corn, cotton, lentils, oats, peanuts, peas, rice, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, canola, crambe, flax, mustard, rapeseed, safflower, sesame, and sunflower. Payments will be based on a national “modeled loss average,” using reported 2025 planted acreage from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), cost-of-production estimates from the Economic Research Service (ERS), and yield and price data from the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE).

Producers must submit accurate 2025 planted-acreage reports to FSA by 5:00 p.m. ET on December 19, 2025, to qualify. Commodity-specific payment rates are expected by the end of December 2025, with distributions beginning by February 28, 2026. Crop insurance is not required for eligibility.

The remaining $1 billion is reserved for commodities not covered by FBA, such as specialty crops and sugar. Details on eligibility criteria and timelines for this portion are still under development.

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall issued the following statement in response to the announcement:

“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.

"America’s farmers have been hit from every direction during this economic storm. More of their income is going to household bills and higher operating costs, including loans, equipment, and supplies. At the same time, farmers are receiving historically low prices for most major crops. They are expected to lose $34 billion this year alone. Many specialty crop farmers have been operating in the red for several consecutive years.

"We appreciate that Congress addressed many economic challenges in legislation earlier this year, but several farm program improvements will not kick in until next year. Recent legislation to improve safety-net investments in Title 1 programs like ARC/PLC and expanded crop insurance will strengthen long-term stability, but farmers need support to reach that point. Most safety-net improvements won’t reach farmers until next year.

"The assistance announced today will make an immediate impact by providing a lifeline for farmers who work to ensure a healthy, safe, and abundant food supply. Bridge payments can stabilize the farm economy now and help keep family farms in business for generations to come.

"We appreciate the $1 billion committed to help specialty crop farmers. We are looking forward to additional details soon from USDA to ensure these payments get out the door quickly to support specialty crop growers who have experienced extreme economic cost pressure and negative margins.

"We are encouraged to see trade deals and frameworks being secured by the administration, but we need to ensure that these markets materialize and keep farms running in the interim."

Early estimates suggest losses for many growers may exceed the available support. Both the American and Arizona Farm Bureau will continue working with Congress and the Administration to monitor program coverage, advocate for timely distribution of the specialty crop portion, and identify options for additional funding where gaps remain.

To submit questions, justification for USDA farmer bridge aid, or to request a meeting on farmer bridge aid, producers can reach out to farmerbridge@usda.gov.