The USDA’s one-time Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program sets a different payment rate for each eligible row crop, ranging from $8.05 per acre for flax to $132.89 for rice. Commodity groups welcomed the aid announced December 31, 2025, but said it would not resolve the low prices, high costs, market uncertainty and debt confronting many growers.
What are the Farmer Bridge Assistance payment rates?
The USDA announced these per-acre rates for eligible row crops, based on 2025 planted acres:
| Crop | Rate per acre |
|---|---|
| Barley | $20.51 |
| Canola | $23.57 |
| Large chickpeas | $26.46 |
| Small chickpeas | $33.36 |
| Corn | $44.36 |
| Cotton | $117.35 |
| Flax | $8.05 |
| Lentils | $23.98 |
| Mustard | $23.21 |
| Oats | $81.75 |
| Peanuts | $55.65 |
| Peas | $19.60 |
| Rice | $132.89 |
| Safflower | $24.86 |
| Sesame | $13.68 |
| Sorghum | $48.11 |
| Soybeans | $30.88 |
| Sunflower | $17.32 |
| Wheat | $39.35 |
These are crop-specific rates, not a uniform payment for every farmer. The USDA’s announcement describes how the program calculates and delivers aid; it does not establish that a particular grower will receive a particular total. USDA’s December 31, 2025 announcement says calculations use 2025 planted acres, Economic Research Service cost-of-production data and the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report.
Who qualifies, and what acreage counts?
FBA applies to qualified producers of eligible row crops. USDA said double-crop acres could qualify, but prevented-planting acres could not. It also excluded grazing, volunteer stands, experimental or green-manure crops, crops left standing or abandoned, and cover crops. Crop insurance was not a requirement for FBA, according to the agency.
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USDA announced that qualified producers could expect funds in their bank accounts by February 28, 2026. That was the agency’s expected date; the announcement alone does not verify that all payments were delivered on schedule.
What did the USDA announce about the wider aid package?
The December 31 announcement described a $12 billion 2026 assistance package, including $11 billion for one-time FBA payments and up to $11 billion directed to eligible row-crop producers. USDA reserved the remaining $1 billion for specialty crops and sugar, but said their payment timelines were still under development at the time of the announcement. The agency’s figures describe the package and allocations, not a recurring annual benefit.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why do farm groups say the payments fall short?
Commodity organizations generally welcomed near-term assistance while arguing that one payment cannot repair broader financial pressures. Their statements are assessments by the groups; the cited sources do not independently compare each crop’s total 2025 losses with its FBA rate.
Soybeans
The American Soybean Association said the aid recognized growers’ economic losses, but that the soybean rate might not keep some operations financially solvent into the next planting season. It called for stronger domestic markets and action on biofuel feedstock preferences, biomass-based diesel volumes and guidance for the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit.
Wheat
The National Association of Wheat Growers welcomed the response but said $39.35 per acre did not make wheat farmers whole for their 2025 per-acre losses. It cited high input costs and low wheat prices. NAWG president Pat Clements said the rate would “help lighten the blow of a challenging year,” while calling for regulatory certainty, positive crop returns, competitive trade and support for farmers paying down debt incurred after years of market adversity. These are the organization’s stated priorities, not a separate calculation of the gap between payments and losses. NAWG’s December 31, 2025 statement contains its full remarks.
Corn
The National Corn Growers Association welcomed aid for growers facing multiple years of low prices and high input costs. It also urged the development of U.S. and export markets to provide longer-term certainty.
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Cotton
The National Cotton Council called the assistance welcome, saying it could help producers manage current economic pressures and give growers and lenders confidence to continue investing.
Sorghum
National Sorghum Producers described the payments as near-term certainty amid trade disruption and economic uncertainty, while calling for longer-term improvements to the safety net and risk management. Its chair also cited a recent return of export demand; that is the organization’s observation, not independent trade data.
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Texas producers
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller praised the program as timely relief for producers planning for the 2026 growing season. That is a state-level political endorsement, not an independent assessment of whether the rates cover growers’ losses.
The groups’ reactions reflect different concerns: immediate cash and solvency, the pressure of input costs and crop prices, market development, trade disruption, and longer-term policy or risk-management needs. A per-acre payment can provide support without resolving those underlying conditions.
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