By Ryan Hanrahan
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher reported that “the Trump administration is discussing some type of ‘bridge’ financial assistance to help farmers make it into 2026, says Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden.”
“Talking to reporters at the Farm Progress show in Decatur, Illinois, on Tuesday, Vaden provided no details of what the assistance would look like, but he noted that the department’s spending authority under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) would typically be refreshed in November,” Brasher reported. “Congress enhanced the two main commodity programs for row crops, Price Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Coverage, in the budget reconciliation law enacted in July, but farmers won’t see any payments as a result of those changes until October 2026.”
“‘We’re seeing the same thing that farmers are seeing with regard to commodity prices, and we know that many of the most important pieces of the One Big Beautiful Bill don’t come into effect until 2026. So, we’ve got to get them from this growing season to the next growing season,’ Vaden said,” according to Brasher’s reporting. “He added, ‘We are seeking to develop policy solutions to bridge that … and that’s what the secretary and I are working on, and what she’s constantly talking to not only the president but other members of her cabinet about. You can rest assured that when we have those announcements to make, we’ll do it.'”