Overview
- The package directs $11 billion to row-crop producers and $1 billion to specialty-crop growers, with USDA using per-acre formulas to set payment rates.
- Payments are capped at $155,000 per farm or individual and limited to operations with under $900,000 in adjusted gross income, with applications expected to open in the coming weeks and first disbursements targeted for Feb. 28, 2026.
- Against an administration claim of 12 million metric tons this season, USDA data show China has purchased only about 2.25–2.8 million tons of U.S. soybeans, and the deadline for those purchases has been extended to the end of February.
- Farmers and economists welcome the aid but describe it as a temporary Band-Aid that does not resolve lost market access, higher input costs, or industry consolidation.
- Republican lawmakers are also seeking relief for agricultural equipment costs as Trump signals potential regulatory rollbacks tied to lower prices, and the administration orders antitrust scrutiny across the farm supply chain.