A farm management analyst in southern Minnesota says the USDA’s Farmer Bridge Assistance Program provides a boost for producers.
“Without these government payments, farmers of all sizes would have some struggles out there,” says Kent Thiesse.
USDA announced the program payment rates on Wednesday.
The former extension educator and ag banker says the per-acre payment rate for corn, at more than $44 per acre, is the highest for many Midwestern farmers, and there are payment limits.
“Farmers with just under 3,500 acres of corn would max out on that,” he says. “If you had all corn and you had more than 3,500 acres, you’re probably gonna max out the limit. If you had half corn, half soybeans, you’ll probably max it out somewhere over 4,000 acres.”
Soybean payment rates, at more than $30 per acre, aren’t as high as corn, but Thiesse says that’s likely due to the boost in prices after the U.S. and China trade deal announcement.
“The soybeans actually projected out a little better than they did a year ago,” he says. “The payment amount for soybeans is actually very similar to a year ago. I believe on the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program it was just under $30 an acre and on this one, it’s just over $30 per acre.”
The USDA says farmers should receive the money in late February. Thiesse says it’s good timing to pay for 2026 crop inputs.
“Sometimes these farm program payments are a year late, but certainly for farmers when they manage on an accural basis, it ends up being payments for the 2025 crop year, but it actually helps pay for inputs for this new season.”
Thiesse says the payments won’t make farmers whole.
“These payments probably only account for around 30 to 40 percent of the negative income or negative income, compared to expenses for last year, and that doesn’t include in many cases returns for labor and management.”
The USDA says $12 billion will be paid to farmers in the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, and of that amount, $11 billion will go toward one-time FBA payments.
The agency says the remaining $1 billion in assistance is reserved for specialty crops and sugar. The timelines for payments to producers of the specialty crops are still being developed. USDA says it requires additional understanding of market impacts and economic needs.
USDA says the program responds to high input and production costs farmers are facing, along with a lack of new trade deals. More information about the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program can be found here.
