Farmers across the United States are now learning how much financial aid they can expect from a $12 billion package announced recently by President Donald Trump, as the agricultural sector continues to grapple with the fallout from the ongoing trade war with China.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released figures on Wednesday detailing the amount of aid per acre for various row crops. The information arrives after most farmers have already arranged financing and placed orders for next year’s crops, but officials have promised that payments should arrive by the end of February.
Soybean farmers, hit especially hard after China—previously the world’s largest buyer of American soybeans—halted purchases in response to U.S. tariffs, will receive $30.88 per acre. Corn farmers will get $44.36 per acre, while sorghum farmers will receive $48.11 per acre. The aid amounts are calculated using a USDA cost-of-production formula.
The relief package is designed to help farmers weather the current trade disruptions until China resumes purchases under an agreement announced in October, and until new provisions from the administration’s budget bill take effect later this year. In total, $11 billion will go to row crop farmers, with an additional $1 billion set aside for specialty crops and sugar, though details for those crops remain forthcoming.
Despite the financial support, many farmers say the aid only partially alleviates the difficulties they face. Rising costs for fertilizer, seeds, and labor continue to squeeze profit margins, and agricultural trade groups warn that thousands of farmers could be at risk of going out of business. Others, however, believe that most farmers have the resources and equity needed to survive the current downturn.
Kentucky soybean farmer Caleb Ragland, who recently served as president of the American Soybean Association, called the aid “a Band-Aid on a deep wound,” adding, “We need competition and opportunities in the market to make our future brighter.”
Jed Bower, president of the National Corn Growers Association, emphasized the need for new and expanded markets: “While this financial assistance is helpful and welcomed, we urgently need the administration and Congress to develop markets in the United States and abroad that will provide growers with more long-term economic certainty.”
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins echoed that sentiment, promising ongoing efforts to open new markets and strengthen the agricultural safety net.
The aid payments will be capped at $155,000 per farmer or entity, and eligibility is limited to farms with less than $900,000 in adjusted gross income. According to the USDA, the average farm size in the U.S. was 466 acres last year, though many operations are larger as consolidation in the industry continues.
Most farmers remain supportive of President Trump’s broader policies, expressing hope that the trade disruptions will ultimately lead to better deals for American agriculture. For now, many say the aid offers much-needed, if temporary, relief as they await more permanent solutions.