$12B Farm Aid Package Leaves Out Specialty Crops
Duer, Brook
$12B Farm Aid Package Leaves Out Specialty Crops
The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance says it stands “ready to work with the administration and Congress to advance a meaningful assistance package to support specialty crop growers during this difficult period.”
Updated December 09, 2025 10:40 AM
The USDA announced Monday that it will make $12 billion available in one-time bridge payments to American farmers in response to “temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs.”
Of the $12 billion provided, up to $11 billion will be used for the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, which provides broad relief to U.S. row crop farmers, according to a news release.
USDA says the remaining $1 billion of the $12 billion in bridge payments will be reserved for commodities not covered in the FBA Program, “such as specialty crops and sugar, for example, though details including timelines for those payments are still under development and require additional understanding of market impacts and economic needs.”
In response, the co-chairs of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance issued the following statement:
“We are disappointed that specialty crop growers were not included in today’s announcement. As we wrote
to the President on October 6, 2025, family farms that produce safe and nutritious fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts, as well as cultivate the trees, flowers, and plants that play a vital role in the nation’s health and wellbeing, continue to face
unprecedented economic challenges.
“We stand ready to work with the administration and Congress to advance a meaningful assistance package to support specialty crop growers during this difficult period.”
A national coalition of more than 150 organizations representing growers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance was established to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop
agriculture and improve the health of Americans by broadening the scope of U.S. agricultural public policy.
The SCFBA is co-chaired by Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association; Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers; and Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council.
Christmas Comes Early: Trump Administration Announces $12 Billion in Bridge Payments for Farmers
When Are Farmer Assistance Payments Expected?
Based on information released from USDA on Monday, the timing of the payments are as follows:
- Dec. 19, 2025 (5 p.m. ET): Deadline for producers to make sure 2025 acreage reporting is accurate.
- End of December 2025: USDA expects to release commodity-specific payment rates.
- By Feb. 28, 2026: USDA says eligible FBA payments should be released.
- Oct. 1, 2026: USDA points to farm bill-related improvements in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), including higher statutory reference prices for major commodities, reaching eligible farmers starting on this date.
What Farmers Need to Know
Here’s how the new tariff-funded aid package breaks down and what producers can expect it to mean for their operations.
- $12 billion total in one-time assistance tied to 2025 conditions, framed as a short-term bridge while new trade access and longer-term safety net changes take effect.
- Up to $11 billion is slated for the FBA Program focused on row crops, using a “simple, proportional” national formula intended to cover a portion of modeled 2025 crop-year losses.
- $1 billion is reserved for commodities not covered by FBA, including items such as specialty crops and sugar, but USDA says details and timelines are still being developed.
- No crop insurance link required to receive FBA payments, though USDA is urging producers to use OBBBA risk management tools going forward.
Which Crops Are Covered Under the New FBA?
USDA says FBA applies to producers of a broad list of row crops and oilseeds, including:
- Barley
- Corn
- Cotton
- Peanuts
- Oats
- Rice
- Sorghum
- Soybeans
- Wheat
- Plus crops such as canola, flax, mustard, rapeseed, safflower, sesame and sunflower, among others.
Is $12 Billion Enough?
The administration had been expected to roll out as much as $15 billion in aid back in October, but Rollins said the 43-day federal government shutdown pushed back the timeline.
During his first term, Trump directed about $23 billion in aid to farmers. Reuters reports producers this year were already on track to receive nearly $40 billion in ad-hoc disaster and economic assistance.
The new trade aid package is widely welcomed, but many U.S. farmers say the damage from the trade war, and China’s boycott of U.S. soybeans through harvest, has already taken its toll. Billions of dollars in lost soybean sales pushed China toward South American suppliers, creating long-term financial and market consequences.
While USDA finally unveiled its long-needed trade aid package, delayed by the 43-day government shutdown, many question whether it’s sufficient. Ed Elfman, senior vice president of agriculture and rural banking policy at the American Bankers Association, says the support will help but won’t fix structural issues.
“Any aid will help,” Elfman says. “It’ll help make cash flow work a little better. It’ll make the margins look a little better. Profitability will go up, but at the end of the day, it’s just a Band-Aid. It’s not a long-term solution.”
For some farmers already in financial distress, the relief comes too late.
Brook Duer, Staff Attorney
Center for Agricultural and Shale Law
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