President Donald Trump on Monday introduced a $12 billion farm aid package.
Most of the aid — $11 billion — will probably be directed towards crop farmers by one-time funds underneath the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, a White House official advised NCS forward of the announcement. The relaxation will go to farmers whose crops fall outdoors the umbrella of the help program.
“This money would not be possible without tariffs,” Trump stated at a roundtable on the White House, whereas each Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent touted the president’s dedication to farmers.
Rollins stated the cash can be flowing by February 28, 2026, and defined that $1 billion of the funding is being held again to verify all specialty crops are lined.
The farm aid announcement particulars had been first reported by Bloomberg, however Rollins hinted on the bridge funds at a Cabinet assembly final week.
At final week’s Cabinet assembly, Rollins urged that it was not the affect of the Trump administration’s tariffs, however reasonably Biden administration insurance policies, which have induced farmers to want help. She credited Trump for opening the markets by commerce offers with out instantly acknowledging how tariffs have impacted farmers.
“What you’ve been able to do is open those markets up and again, move toward an era where our farmers are not so reliant on government checks, but have the markets to sell their product. Having said that, we do have a bridge payment we’ll be announcing with you next week, as we’re still trying to recover from the Biden years,” Rollins stated.
“For so long, our farmers, many of them, have been farming for government checks instead of moving their product around the world. These trade deals change that forever,” Rollins stated.
Some farmers have beforehand balked on the thought of aid. Mark Read, District 5 director for the Illinois Soybean Association, beforehand told NCS, “Farmers don’t want free aid. We want free trade.” This was earlier than China agreed to once more buy soybeans from US farmers after turning to Brazil and Argentina amid a commerce struggle.
In late September, Rollins stated the farm financial system, and particularly row croppers, was dealing with “a significant challenge right now,” calling the affect of Trump’s tariffs a “time of uncertainty.”
“The president’s commitment of a ‘golden age’ for rural America, for our American farmers and workers, is just around the corner, but he has been very clear … that there could be a time of uncertainty, especially for our farmers and ranchers, and it’s clear we’re in that time of uncertainty now,” Rollins stated on the time.
This story and headline have been up to date with Monday’s announcement.