Lawmakers Eye More Farm Aid on Top of USDA Bridge Assistance

By Ryan Hanrahan

Agriculture Committee leaders in the United States House of Representatives are looking to provide at least an additional $10 billion in farmer aid to supplement the recently announced Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. That additional aid would likely have to be driven by Congress, as a USDA undersecretary says it’s unlikely the agency will provide a second farmer aid package.

Congress Must Provide More Aid, House Ag Chair Says

Agri-Pulse’s Lydia Johnson reported that “Congress needs to provide at least $10 billion in additional aid to farmers to supplement the $12 billion being provided by the Trump administration through its Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, says House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson.”

“In an interview with Agri-Pulse on Tuesday, Thompson, R-Pa., said lawmakers need to provide payments to sectors such as dairy, timber and specialty crops,” Johnson reported. “The administration’s program is largely targeted to row crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and rice, although $1 billion has been set aside for other commodities.”

“‘I think it [Farmer Bridge Assistance Program payments] will open up opportunities for a lot of farmers and ranchers to get credit for next year, but it’s not enough,’ Thompson said,” according to Johnson’s reporting. “Thompson didn’t provide a timeline for moving a supplemental assistance package in Congress. Lawmakers have been looking at changes to USDA’s Section 32 authority which is funded through customs receipts. Under existing law, Congress couldn’t use Section 32 to spend more than $350 million on payments to farmers.”

“‘It’s got to be really just enough to make the bridge sustainable to 2026, but not an overreach. We don’t want to replace the market,’ Thompson said of a supplemental package,” Johnson reported.

USDA Official Says More Farmer Aid Unlikely from the Agency

Bloomberg’s Erin Ailworth reported that “the US Department of Agriculture is unlikely to do a second-round package of aid for struggling farmers struggling in the midst of trade tensions and low crop prices. That’s according to Richard Fordyce, an agency undersecretary, who spoke in an interview on Thursday and cited current budget constraints.”