US President Donald Trump announced a $12bn farm aid package designed to support farmers dealing with low crop prices and the fallout from ongoing trade disputes. The administration says the plan will stabilize producers who have been squeezed by years of volatility, as well as inflation that has cut into profits across the agricultural sector.
According to the White House, $11bn will go toward one-time payments for row crop producers through the agriculture department’s Farmer Bridge Assistance programme. Another billion will be reserved for crops that fall outside that system. The move comes at a time when farmers, many of whom have backed Trump politically, are still feeling the effects of prolonged trade conflicts, especially with China.
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During the announcement at the White House, Trump appeared with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Members of Congress and farmers representing corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, rice, cattle, wheat, and potatoes were also present. Trump framed the effort as a step toward easing pressure on families and lowering food costs, saying, “Maximising domestic farm production is a big part of how we will make America affordable again and bring down grocery prices.”
Sorghum and soybean farmers have taken some of the hardest hits from China’s response to US tariffs. A White House official said the payments are meant to help farmers market this year’s harvest, plan for next season, and bridge the gap until the administration’s policies “deliver a better market environment.”
Rollins added that the remaining billion dollars will help officials evaluate the situation facing specialty crops and ensure the government is “making every forward-moving position that we need to.” Asked whether another round of aid might follow, Trump said “it depends” on how markets evolve. He added, “The farmers don’t want aid. They want to have a level playing field.”
Also Read: Farmers Warn Rural America is Dying and Washington Isn’t Fixing the Real Problem
The announcement comes at a moment when rising costs remain a top concern for many Americans. It also follows frustration from producers who lost access to Chinese buyers after tariff escalations earlier in the year. China, the largest soybean market in the world, halted most US imports for months. Purchasing has recently picked up, and Bessent told ABC that China may still meet its commitment made after Trump’s October meeting with Xi Jinping.
Farmers responding to the news welcomed the assistance but described it as a temporary fix. Mark Legan, a livestock, corn, and soybean farmer from Indiana, said government support would “help our bottom line,” though it won’t solve high production costs or shrinking export markets. Brad Smith, an Illinois farmer, echoed that sentiment, saying producers aren’t in a position to reject aid even if they hope to rely on it less in the future.
The administration has also revived pressure on Mexico, with Trump threatening a new 5% tariff over a long-standing dispute about water access under an 80-year-old treaty. Later in the day, he posted that the situation is “very unfair to our US Farmers who deserve this much-needed water.”
As part of a broader push, Trump signed an executive order creating food supply chain security task forces and directing officials to investigate anti-competitive behavior in agriculture.
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