USDA officials say they remain on track to meet a late-February rollout for the Farm Business Assistance program, with payments expected to begin flowing on schedule and new digital tools being introduced to streamline the process for producers.
Speaking with Jesse Allen on Agriculture of America Friday, USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce said the agency’s timeline for administering the FBA program remains solid as procedural steps near completion.
“We’ve gotten most of the procedural things done in order to get the payments out by the end of February, and that timeline looks good,” said Fordyce. “We’re very confident we’re going to be able to do that.”
As part of the rollout, USDA plans to administer the program through login.gov, a federal portal already used by multiple agencies. Fordyce said the system will allow producers to access, review, and sign required FBA forms electronically.
Once FBA forms are available, farmers will be able to complete the process directly through the platform. Fordyce encouraged producers to set up accounts ahead of time to avoid delays once forms are released.
“When your FBA form is available for you to view and to sign, you can do it through the login.gov platform,” Fordyce said. “I’m just urging farmers to take about 10 or 15 minutes when they’ve got a little bit of downtime, just go to login.gov, and set up an account.”
Fordyce acknowledged that some producers may need assistance with the signup process and said local Farm Service Agency offices will remain a key point of support for producers who encounter challenges with the new system. He added FSA staff are prepared to assist farmers through the account setup process and help ensure access does not become a barrier to participation.
“And certainly, if you have trouble setting up a login.gov, feel free to call the local Farm Service Agency office.”
He added that USDA views the FBA program as an early test case for broader use of login.gov in future farm programs, as the department looks to modernize delivery systems while maintaining local office support.
USDA officials say additional guidance will be shared as the end-of-February deadline approaches. For more information on how to sign up for a login.gov account, visit this USDA resource: https://www.farmers.gov/account?utm
You can also hear the full conversation with Richard Fordyce during Segment Two of the Friday, February 6th, 2026 episode of the Agriculture of America radio program via the podcast link below:
