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| U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks at the 2025 NASDA Annual Meeting in Rogers, Arkansas. Courtesy of NASDA. |
By Ryan Hanrahan, University of Illinois’ FarmDoc project
Reuters’ Leah Douglas reported that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture is working with Congress to evaluate whether economic aid might be needed for the nation’s farmers this autumn amid trade disputes and record-high yields, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Monday.”
“U.S. farmers have missed out on billions in soybean sales to China as stalled trade talks halt exports, and the USDA’s recent forecast of a record corn crop this autumn will likely weigh on a farm economy already saddled with low prices and rising fertilizer and seed costs,” Douglas reported. “Rollins pointed to inflation, high yields and the stalled talks with China as reasons for a year of projected losses for farmers.”
“‘We are working with our colleagues in Congress and closely monitoring markets daily to evaluate the amount of additional assistance that might be needed this fall,’ Rollins said at a conference of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture in Rogers, Arkansas,” Douglas reported. “Rollins also said the USDA is reviewing fertilizer markets, ‘ranging from ensuring input suppliers are giving farmers a fair shake, to exploring options to provide relief.'”
Unclear How Economic Aid Might be Funded
Agri-Pulse’s Steve Davies reported that “with the ag economy in dire straits, the pressure on the Trump administration to make trade deals to open up markets for U.S. producers continues to grow.”
“‘It is not lost on me that this course correction is coming at a time when American farmers and ranchers can least afford it,’ Rollins said. ‘I do not have a silver bullet. I sure wish I did,'” Davies reported. “Rollins said the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the GOP spending and tax legislation enacted in July, includes numerous commodity program changes sought by ag producers, but farmers won’t see the increased payments until the fall of 2026.”
‘”We are very aware that farmers find themselves in this transition period with a lot of weight on their shoulders,’ she said. ‘So I’ll be very clear with this: Just like he did in his first term, President Trump is going to stand by his producers,'” Davies reported.
“In Trump’s first term, he used the Commodity Credit Corporation to compensate farmers with $23 billion for lost markets due to trade wars,” Davies reported. “It’s not clear how the aid would be funded this time. The CCC account is running low, and House Ag Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., said last week it doesn’t appear that Congress can tap tariff revenue to fund the payments.”
More Congressional Lawmakers Also Eyeing Farm Aid
Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported that “lawmakers are starting to eye federal bailouts for farmers before the end of the year due to a record-high crop yield and trade uncertainty.”
“Thompson said he’s starting to look at options to subsidize farmers in addition to a potential farm bill package this fall,” Yarrow reported. “‘Unfortunately … we’re going to need some additional economic assistance for our farmers,’ Thompson told MA. ‘We really do have a significant sense of urgency. I’ve never seen it this bad in terms of what our farmers are experiencing.'”
“‘This is about getting through to next year,’ said Senate Appropriations Ag-FDA subcommittee Chair John Hoeven (R-N.D.). ‘And it’s very important that we do it,'” Yarrow reported.
