Federal Aid Package for Farmers

Pres. Donald Trump announces billions in relief for farmers impacted by the trade war.

Administration officials and farmers gathered at the White House Monday to announce details.

It’s a $12 billion package with Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins saying $11 billion will be available for row crop producers by February.

The Rural Radio Network visited with Rep. Adrian Smith as he attended the Nebraska Farm Bureau Convention in Kearney. He said he’s not a fan of tariffs but said Trump’s actions have resulted in new trade deals. He said the aid package would help producers.

Sen. Deb Fischer attended the White House roundtable. While she did not speak at the event, she issued a statement in support of the package that the president said would be funded with tariff revenue.

Of the $12 billion provided, up to $11 billion will be used for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, which provides broad relief to United States row crop farmers .

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..

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.