Congress Looks to Boost Ad-Hoc Aid

OMAHA (DTN) -- Congress has quickly engaged in putting together potential aid packages for farmers that would more than double the Trump administration's $12 billion under the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program.

Politico reported Thursday three key Republican leaders in Congress met Wednesday to discuss adding $15 billion in farmer aid to appropriation bills Congress is looking to pass this month. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, met with Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., who chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Agriculture.

Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee also announced their own proposal Thursday, "The Farm and Family Relief Act," which would provide $17 billion in additional aid to farmers beyond FBA payments. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, is spearheading the bill. Democrats said the bill would provide "supplemental economic assistance to family farmers struggling with high input costs and market losses caused by President Trump's tariffs and trade wars."

The FBA, announced in December, provides $11 billion in payments to commodity farmers and sets aside $1 billion for specialty crops -- fruit and vegetable growers -- as well as sugar growers. Lawmakers from both parties have called for increasing the funds for specialty crop losses.

USDA has detailed how the $11 billion will be divvied up by commodities but has not specified how the funds for specialty crop losses will be distributed.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) earlier this month released a Market Intel report highlighting more than 200,000 farms grow more than 300 different specialty crops. Just looking at almonds, apples, blueberries, lettuce, potatoes and strawberries, AFBF estimated more than $7 billion in losses for those growers when comparing farmgate value to the costs of production.

Boozman, Thompson and Craig all spoke earlier this week at AFBF's annual meeting about the need for additional aid and the potential of passing a farm bill in 2026.

Thompson has specifically said he believed another $10 billion in aid was needed beyond the FBA program.

"I'm sort of agnostic whether this additional support comes through the administration or legislation," Thompson told reporters at AFBF's meeting. "I make that very clear. I just believe we need more. I'm really looking and trying to solicit feedback from commodity groups in terms of what that first $11 billion goes to, building on top of the $10 billion that we rolled out a year ago, and to see if we're satisfied with that. But I can tell you for sure, we need more for specialty crops, which includes sugar."

Boozman made similar comments about the need for more aid. "If you're growing something in the ground, it really doesn't matter what you're growing -- you're losing money. Because of that, we're going to need additional help."

In a news conference on Thursday, Craig said the aid package for farmers would cover up to 65% of farmer losses over the past year.

"We can't cover the full losses of this administration, they have been too tremendous," Craig said in a news conference on Thursday.

The bill would provide more direct aid, "particularly those left behind by USDA's Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA), including foresters, specialty crop and sugar beet growers." Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., said there has been no explanation about how USDA came up with the $1 billion for specialty crops, but Democrats said the FBA plan "picks winners and losers."

The Democratic bill would also include aid payments for 5 million acres that were prevented planting in 2025, which do not receive support under the FBA.

Also, the Democratic bill would look to restore some funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that was cut in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill would delay shifts in benefits and administrative costs.

Also see, "Lawmakers See Opening to Finish Farm Bill, Tackle Labor Shortages in 2026," https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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