By Trevor Hunnicutt, Bo Erickson and Leah Douglas
WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday that the Trump administration will announce a “bridge payment” for farmers next week that is designed to provide short-term relief while longer trade and aid packages are finalized.
Farm groups and Republican lawmakers have pushed the administration to issue aid as farmers face low crop prices and billions in lost soybean sales to China during tense trade talks between the two countries.
“We do have a bridge payment. We’ll be announcing with you next week,” Rollins told Trump at a cabinet meeting at the White House.
Trump’s spending bill known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” expanded some farm supports but farm groups say growers need additional money now to support planting for the next crop year.
The U.S. government is already expected to spend more than $40 billion on payments to farmers in 2025, the second-highest amount since 1933, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, fueled by ad-hoc disaster and economic aid.
AID AMOUNT STILL UNCLEAR
John Boozman, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and John Hoeven of North Dakota, chair of the Senate agriculture appropriations committee, said they expect some aid to reach farmers by the end of the year, but are waiting on the administration to settle on the amount and timing.
“I’m not exactly sure on the amount, but you know, we’ll see, I think that’s still being worked on,” Hoeven said.
Boozman said one challenge was getting aid out as fast as possible given the delay due to the 43-day government shutdown.
“The need is definitely there. Our farmers are in a situation that right now, if you’re growing something out of the ground, you’re losing money,” Boozman said.
Money for the aid will come from the Commodity Credit Corporation, a discretionary USDA funding pool, and the White House continues to look for additional funding sources, Boozman said.
(Reporting By Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Leah Douglas and Bo Erickson in Washington; editing by Deepa Babington)
Comments