Trump Administration Announces $12 Billion Farmer Assistance Program Update

Louisiana farmers experiencing financial pressure from declining crop revenues and high input costs will receive federal assistance through a $12 billion program announced by the Trump administration.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced payment rates this week for the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, with $11 billion in one-time payments going to American farmers in 2026. The program responds to what the administration calls four years of policies that created record-high input and production costs.

“President Trump committed to increase certainty in the farm economy, and farmers can count on these payment rate calculations when going to the bank as they plan for the spring planting season,” Rollins said. “These one-time payments give farmers the bridge to continue to feed and clothe America and the world while the Trump Administration continues opening new markets and strengthening the farm safety net.”

Louisiana crops eligible for assistance

Louisiana farmers growing rice, soybeans, corn, cotton, and other eligible crops will receive per-acre payments based on planted acres. Key crops for Louisiana producers include:

• Rice: $132.89 per acre

• Cotton: $117.35 per acre

• Soybeans: $30.88 per acre

• Corn: $44.36 per acre

• Wheat: $39.35 per acre

Dr. Michael Deliberto with LSU’s AgCenter said the financial challenges facing farmers require multiple solutions.

“There’s just no cure for the situation we’re in where if we just fix commodity prices or we just fix input prices, it’s really 1, 2, 3, 4 things that are compounding on itself to really produce and generate the situation that we’re in right now,” Deliberto said.