(Washington, D.C., February 20, 2026) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $150 million in assistance to American sugar beet and sugar cane farmers in response to temporary market disruptions and increased production and processing costs. These one-time payments build upon the previously announced Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program and Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program which are designed to ensure producers have the financial stability needed to continue operations and plan for the upcoming crop year.
USDA will work with sugar processors in the coming months to finalize agreements that will deliver assistance directly to farmer-members.
“President Trump is committed to standing by all of our great American farmers who were unjustly hurt by President Biden’s economic mismanagement that drove up the cost of inputs and dereliction of global trade that impacted commodity markets,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “Today’s announcement serves as a bridge to improvements President Trump and Republicans in Congress have made to the U.S. sugar program including the first meaningful increase to sugar loan rates in 40 years.”
Disaster Assistance Provided to Beet Sugar Cooperatives
USDA is also providing $89.1 million in weather-related disaster assistance to sugar beet producers who suffered losses due to excessive heat in 2024. This funding, provided by Congress via the American Relief Act, 2025, will be administered through eligible beet sugar cooperatives. Producers who are members of these cooperatives should contact their cooperative for more information.
Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued a statement after the USDA announcement.
“This $150 million in assistance builds upon the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, helping to support our sugar producers during times of market disruption and increased production costs,” said Hoeven. “While there is more work to be done to help our sugar beet farmers through these challenging times, we appreciate USDA for working with us to make this assistance available, and we look forward to the administration finalizing its efforts with sugar beet cooperatives to get this help out to producers.”
The American Sugar Alliance also issued the following statement on today’s announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on assistance to American sugarbeet and sugarcane producers:
“America’s sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers greatly appreciate President Donald Trump, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden for recognizing the challenges facing rural America and announcing needed economic aid for sugar producers. This will be a critical aid infusion for our farmers who are experiencing tight – and in many cases, negative – margins, threatening the economic viability of multi-generational family farms and the sustainability of the entire domestic sugar industry. This Administration continues to put America’s farmers, and our national food security, first. As we look ahead, we know there are growers who are facing dire straits, both economic and due to the recent freeze, and we will continue working with Congress and the Administration to greenlight additional assistance where needed.”
