President Donald Trump’s administration has pledged $15 billion to U.S. agricultural producers in the weeks before the midterm elections, with initiatives intended to offset higher diesel and fertilizer costs.
More than half of that total is for an $8 billion one-time payment plan for farmers facing higher diesel prices. The Agriculture Department said it would release further details about the payments this month; the timing of the payments is unclear.
The announced measures also include at least $5 billion in guaranteed loans for ranchers and fishermen and $1.8 billion in payments for producers and landowners who participated in conservation programs. Another $573 million is intended for fertilizer manufacturing projects.
Separately, the Agriculture Department plans $13.8 billion in safety net program payments for eligible producers for the 2025 crop year, addressing shortfalls for growers of crops including corn, soybeans, wheat and rice.
Gregg Ibendahl, a Kansas State University farm management specialist, said the ad hoc payments could help farmers who otherwise would not make a profit this year, but would not resolve the broader factors driving up prices.