(WASHINGTON D.C.) — As details of the Trump Administration’s $12 billion farmer aid package are being rolled out on Monday afternoon, multiple farm groups have weighed in with responses.
“We are appreciative of the Trump administration for developing a farmer bridge assistance program to account for the economic circumstances harming producers of crops across the nation,” says Ohio farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower. “While we await additional details to assess the impact that the farmer bridge assistance program will have on corn growers, we also need immediate market-based solutions. Congress can quickly take a first step in that direction by passing the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025. The legislation would expand access to fuel with 15% ethanol blends year-round, increasing demand for corn for ethanol and saving consumers money at the pump. We also encourage the administration to work as expeditiously as possible to secure new trade opportunities that will open foreign markets to corn and corn products.”
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives President and CEO Duane Simpson said the announcement was welcome, but further congressional action is still needed. “Farmer co-ops welcome President Trump’s announcement that his administration will move forward with a major assistance package to help producers navigate one of the toughest economic periods we’ve seen in years,” according to Simpson. “With cash prices under pressure, export markets disrupted, and farm balance sheets stretched thin, producers across the country have been shouldering sustained financial strain. This support is both timely and necessary. The Farmer Bridge Assistance program, as outlined, recognizes the dual challenges farmers are facing: sharp losses in key overseas markets and a prolonged slump in commodity prices. Taking both into account is essential to ensuring that the aid reflects real-world conditions on the ground.
Simpson added that “while we commend the Trump administration’s action today, USDA is now at the limit of what it can do without further congressional action. Therefore, we urge lawmakers to do their part and pass any needed additional assistance, ideally as part of finishing a new farm bill.”
National Sorghum Producers thanked the Trump Administration for announcing new emergency assistance for U.S. farmers through the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, emphasizing the support will provide timely and essential relief as producers continue to face financial pressure.
NSP board members Garrett Love and Barry Evans were honored to meet with the President in the White House Cabinet Room during today’s announcement. “It means a great deal that our challenges are being heard directly at the highest level. Today’s announcement reinforced how important this support is for farmers across the country, and I’m grateful for the Administration’s commitment to getting assistance out quickly,” said Evans, a sorghum farmer from Kress, Texas.
“We appreciate the Administration’s recognition of the tough conditions farmers are navigating right now,” NSP Vice Chair Garrett Love, a sorghum grower from Montezuma, Kansas, said. “This support through the FBA Program will be vital for producers in the short term, and we are grateful it is moving quickly. Sorghum farmers are working hard to plan for next year, and this bridge will help keep operations steady as we transition into a new planting season.”
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew today released the following statement in response to the administration’s announcement of $12 billion in one-time bridge payments for American farmers struggling with volatile markets, high input costs and trade uncertainty.
“We appreciate the administration’s decision to deliver economic assistance to family farmers and ranchers at a time of serious stress. Across the country, farmers are confronting the combined pressures of disrupted trade, rising input costs, and depressed commodity markets. This relief will provide near-term support for many farmers working hard just to stay afloat,” according to Larew. “Short-term payments, while important, are only a first step. What we truly need are long-term structural fixes that restore viability and stability to family farms and ranches for generations to come. In real-time, we are experiencing the consequences of farm policy that is woefully outdated. The farm safety net can’t keep up with today’s economic realities. Input costs remain high, trade relationships are uncertain, access to affordable healthcare is in danger and the stress on rural communities continues to grow.”
Larew added “That is why NFU is committed to working with Congress to design a new farm bill that reflects today’s realities. We’re investing in research, convening with our members, and bringing forward bold, forward-looking ideas from a reimagined farm safety net and stable market mechanisms, to strengthened protections against consolidation driving up costs for both farmers and consumers.”
Of 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. 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.
“USA Rice appreciates the many months of work by the Administration and thought that went into developing the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program and recognizing that rice farmers have been in trouble since before they even put their seed in the ground this year,” said Fred Zaunbrecher, Louisiana rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice Farmers Board. “Our economic difficulties were not caused by President Trump’s trade actions but by years of the U.S. and other governments turning their heads with regard to India, Thailand, China, and Vietnam’s over-subsidization and global market price suppression.”
Some agriculture groups are pointing out that the Trump Administration is not addressing the root cause of problems impacting U.S. agriculture.
“Farmers across the country are hurting,” according to Joe Maxwell, Farm Action’s chief strategy officer and co-founder. “We are glad to see help is on the way, including a reported $1 billion in assistance for specialty crop growers. This package recognizes that all farmers, not just row crop producers, are suffering from tariffs, soaring input costs, and years of volatile markets. Yet, the current problems facing our agriculture system have been decades in the making due to failed policy that prioritizes commodity crops for export, which only benefits global grain traders and meatpackers. Without addressing the root causes of this issue, farmers will be left to continue relying on government assistance into the future. That is why Congress must take action and fix our failed subsidy system in the next farm bill.”
Read more on the farm aid announcement here: https://www.americanagnetwork.com/2025/12/08/trump-administration-announced-12-billion-aid-package-for-u-s-farmers/
Trump Administration Announced $12 Billion Aid Package For U.S. Farmers
