BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring applauds the Dec. 8 announcement by President Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Rollins and others that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $12 billion available in one-time bridge payments to American farmers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs.
The Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program will provide up to $11 billion of the $12 billion in relief to U.S. 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.
“We are thankful to the Trump Administration for standing with our farmers during these challenging times,” Goehring said. “The Farmer Bridge Assistance program will give important support so farmers can keep working hard to grow food for our country and the world.”
Farmers who qualify for the FBA program can expect payments to be released by the end of February 2026. Eligible farmers should ensure their 2025 acreage reporting is factual and accurate by 4 p.m. CT on Dec. 19, 2025. Commodity-specific payment rates will be released by the end of the month. Crop insurance linkage will not be required for the FBA program.
The remaining $1 million will be reserved for commodities not covered by the FBA program such as specialty crops and sugar, for example, though details and timelines have not been released.
The $12 billion in farmer bridge payments, including those provided through the FBA program, are authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and will be administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA).
To submit questions, justification for USDA farmer bridge aid, or to request a meeting on farmer bridge aid, producers can reach out to farmerbridge@usda.gov.