On Dec. 31, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the next phase in the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, the eligible commodity per-acre rates. As announced earlier in December by President Trump and Secretary Rollins, $12 billion will be paid to American farmers in 2026 and $11 billion of that will consist of one-time FBA payments.
According to the USDA.gov website, “This is in response to four years of disastrous Biden administration policies that created record-high input and production costs, zero new trade deals, and a forgotten rural America.”
FBA payments are based on 2025 planted acres, cost-of-production data, and market conditions. Double-cropped acres are eligible, while prevented-plant acres are not.
Crop insurance participation is not required to receive FBA payments, though USDA continues to encourage producers to utilize available risk-management tools. Farmers who qualify can expect payments in their bank accounts by Feb. 28.
The per-acre rate for some common Kansas commodities are:
• Corn, $44.36
• Sorghum, $48.11
• Soybeans, $30.88
• Sunflower, $17.32
• Wheat, $39.35
So, what do farmers say?
Successful Farming reported some responses after the rates were announced.
The American Soybean Association “is grateful to the Trump administration and USDA for recognizing the economic losses farmers are experiencing, but due to significant trade losses this year, the payment rate for soybeans will likely not be enough for soybean farmers to keep their operations financially solvent as we move into the next planting season,” said ASA president and Ohio farmer Scott Metzger.
A press lease from National Association of Wheat Growers President Pat Clements states, “Wheat growers are closing the books on a difficult year marked by extremely high input costs and stubbornly low wheat prices. NAWG appreciate’s the Trump Administration’s response to the market challenges facing farm families and its efforts to deliver much-needed assistance. While the rates announced today do not come close to making wheat farmers who for the per-acre losses experience in 2025, the $39.35 per acre payment for planted wheat will help lighten the blow of a challenging year.”
National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower released a statement. “We are appreciative of Secretary Rollins and the USDA for creating the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, which begins to assist growers facing economic pain and hardships.
“Corn growers have been sounding the alarm about the fact that farmers have been faced with multiple consecutive years of low corn prices and high input costs.
“While this financial assistance is helpful and welcomed, we urgently need the administration and Congress to develop markets in the United States and abroad that will provide growers with more long-term economic certainty.”
Here’s the press release from the National Sorghum Producers:
“National Sorghum Producers appreciates the administration’s support of sorghum farmers during a year marked by significant trade disruption and economic uncertainty,”said NSP Chair Amy France, a farmer from Scott City, Kan. “These payments provide near-term certainty while longer-term improvements to the farm safety net and risk management tools take effect. That stability matters as growers plan for the upcoming planting season and work through the impacts of a year of lost international trade.”
“At the same time, we’re encouraged to see international demand beginning to re-emerge,” said Tim Lust, CEO of National Sorghum Producers. “U.S. sorghum exports have exceeded one million metric tons in just the past few weeks, which is a positive signal for growers as global markets begin to reopen.”
The Kansas Farmers Union issued a statement on Dec. 9, 2025, on the Federal government’s Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. KFU members had gathered for their state convention at McPherson in November to debate and consider policy priorities for 2026.
One of those policies includes language that reads, “If a farmer cannot raise a crop that covers the cost of inputs and makes a profit, then they are not making a living wage.”
The post on the KFU website continues: “Unfortunately, that is where most farmers have been trying to live for some time, and this misguided trade war compounded already high input costs, low commodity prices, rising inflation, and growing corporate control of the ag industry.
“These bridge payments may help some farmers cover some of their costs, but according to North Dakota State University economists, farmers have lost in excess of $44 billion with all of the aforementioned factors taken into account, and there are some farmers who won’t benefit from these payments at all.
“The Trump administration’s $12 billion bailout to farmers won’t come anywhere close to covering all of the losses incurred, and we are not convinced these proposed payments will be equitably distributed based on past relief programs. At the end of the day, farmers want trade, not aid.
“We call on Congress and the administration to prioritize developing and passing a new Farm Bill that reflects today’s challenges and realities. A better farm safety net, stable and fair markets, and stronger protections to address consolidation in agriculture must also be prioritized if we truly want to make systematic change that benefits farmers, consumers, and the economy.”
Here’s what Sen. Jerry Moran said on Dec. 9 after the announcement of the $12 billion in federal economic assistance for American farmers. Moran (R-Kansas) is a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
“Years of drought, high input costs and trade uncertainty have created economic hardships for American farmers,” said Sen. Moran. “This package is a necessity that will help farmers weather the current uncertainty while the administration works to increase markets for farmers to sell their crops. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on the Senate Agriculture Committee and with the administration to make certain we are providing farmers and ranchers with the resources they need to continue feeding, fueling and clothing the world, and maintaining their businesses and livelihoods.”
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) also issued a statement at that time: “President Trump is ensuring our great farmers get quick relief as our new trade deals and renewed market-access efforts take hold, After years of crippling tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and soaring inflation under the disastrous Biden Administration – which failed to enforce past agreements, drove input prices to record highs, and delivered zero new deals – this bridge support is vital to help farmers gear up for next season across Kansas and the nation.”
