USDA Releases Payment Rates for $12 Billion Farmer Aid

The United States Department of Agriculture released specific payment rates for the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program, an initiative first unveiled by President Donald Trump on December 8. The program allocates $11 billion for producers of 19 eligible row crops and $1 billion for sugar and specialty crop farmers. Row crop payments, based on 2025 planted acres, range from $8.05 per acre for flax to $132.89 for rice. Other key rates include $48.11 for sorghum, $44.36 for corn, and $30.88 for soybeans.

Eligibility is limited to farmers with an adjusted gross income below $900,000, with payments capped at $155,000 per entity. The USDA expects funds to be deposited by February 28, 2026. The assistance follows an October agreement in which the Government of China promised to purchase 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by February.

Agricultural leaders expressed mixed reactions to the relief. While sorghum growers welcomed the aid, the American Soybean Association argued that the $30.88 per acre rate is insufficient to keep operations solvent. Some leaders characterized the funding as a temporary measure, urging the administration to develop permanent international and domestic markets to offset high input costs for seeds and fertilizer. In response, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that the payments provide a bridge while the administration works to open new markets and strengthen the farm safety net.