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Economic Support to Agriculture

 

 

Resources and Updates

Wheat field
2025 Updates

 

Updates for this chapter may overlap with a number of other pages. Please refer to those pages for specific resources. For example, Trump administration Executive Orders and related executive department actions are posted on the Trump Administration Actions page.

 
Summary of Major Changes (Sept. 4, 2025)
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The Farm Bill

 

The Farm Bill remains stalled with the extension set to expire soon. The current extension, included as part of the The American Relief Act, 2025 runs until Sept. 30, 2025 and covers the 2025 crop year. In addition to providing for the extension, that bill provided $21 billion for agricultural disaster funding and $10 billion of that dedicated to economic losses associated with the 2024 crop year. For a summary and analysis of the agricultural portions of the bill:

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Budget Reconciliation

 

The budget reconciliation bill dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill" contained two sections (10101 and 10108) that also provided significant amounts of economic support to farmers, singling out specific programs and interest groups for support.

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  • Farm bill commodity support programs were extended through crop year 2031

  • Revenue guarantees and reference prices under the ARC and PLC programs were increased 

  • A one-time opportunity to adjust base acres was granted 

  • Payment limitations were increased for ARC and PLC.

  • Marketing Assistance Loan rates were increased

  • Modifications were made to the sugar import program

  • Production limits for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program were increased

  • Changes were made to the permanent disaster assistance programs including:

    • expanding the types of covered losses

    • increasing the coverage levels

    • lowering the threshold level for triggering losses

    • allowing entities with AGI over $900,000 to participate in certain disaster and conservation programs

  • ​Changes were made to the Federal Crop Insurance Program, including:

    • Increasing certain federal subsidies for insurance

    • Increasing coverage levels for Supplemental Coverage Option and Whole Farm Revenue Protection

    • Increasing the A&O subsidies paid to insurance providers

    • Increasing funding for integrity and compliance

  • Funding was secured to FY2030 for the Nat'l Animal Health Laboratory Network, the Nat'l Animal Disease Preparedness Response Program, and the Nat'l Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank

  • Funding was provided for the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program

  • Funding was provided to extend the trust funds supporting the pima cotton, wool, certain textiles and the citrus industries

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A detailed summary is available at: 

 

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For critical analysis see: 

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Regarding the "orphan" programs, many were extended by reconciliation. For details see Budget Reconciliation: Farm Bill Programs Without a Budget Baseline and Trade Promotion, Research, Horticulture, and Animal Health Programs with a Budget Baseline, Cong. Res. Serv. Insight Rep. 12573 (June 26, 2025).

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USDA Contracting

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Pursuant to President Trump's Executive Order, USDA grants and cost-share contracts were frozen. During a lengthy and in some cases, an ongoing review process, some agreements were abruptly cancelled, some were modified, and some were allowed to move forward. Particularly at risk were contracts involving conservation activities, under-served farming communities, and those intended to address climate-change. The Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities was renamed as the Advancing Markets for Producers program. More details are listed below under the USDA Implementation button, but it has been extremely difficult to track.

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Grist has assembled a guide that summarizes the changes, listing the grants and programs that have been cancelled and frozen. Following the USDA’s Food and Farm Funding, Grist (Aug.6, 2025).

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Emergency Commodity Assistance Program

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The Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), authorized by the American

Relief Act of 2025 was designed to mitigate producers' increased input costs and falling commodity prices. In March 2025, Secretary Rollins announced that the USDA would be issuing $10 billion directly to producers of covered commodity crops. See, USDA News Release (Mar. 28, 2025) and the FSA implementation page at Emergency Commodity

Assistance Program (ECAP). These payments relate to the 2024 crop year.

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Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC)

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On December 10, 2024, the USDA under the Biden Administration announced the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops program (MASC) to provide eligible producers of specialty crops with marketing assistance funding to help them expand domestic markets. Funding for the program was set at $2 billion and provided through the § 5(e) of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (& U.S.C. § 714(c)(e). 89 Fed. Reg. 99,212 (Dec. 20, 2024) (notice of funds available).

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On January 8, 2025, changes were announced, increasing the amount available to $2.65 billion, increasing the payment limitation from $125,000 to $900,000, and extending the application period slightly. 90 Fed. Reg. 1434 (Jan. 8, 2025).

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​On April 29, 2025, Secretary Rollins announced that up to $1.3 billion in additional MASC assistance would be available. USDA Press Release, USDA to Issue $1.3 Billion to Specialty Crop Producers Through Second Marketing Assistance Program Payment (Apr. 29, 2025).

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USDA ERS Farm Income Report​ (Sept. 2025) 
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  • USDA ERS projections for 2025 Farm Program Payments: "Direct Government farm program payments are forecast at $40.5 billion for 2025, a $30.4 billion increase from the $10.1 billion total for 2024. This overall increase reflects higher anticipated payments from supplemental and ad hoc disaster assistance, mainly from the funding authorized in the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025 contained in the American Relief Act, 2025." Farm Sector Income & Finances - Farm Sector Income Forecast, USDA, ERS (Sept. 3, 2025).

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USDA Reorganization Plan

 

Secretary Rollins has proposed a dramatic downsizing and relocation plan for USDA. It is detailed in a Memorandum (July 24, 2025) and requested comments. In an unusual move, the notice was not published in the Federal Register and comments were supposed to be sent directly to the USDA by September 30, 2025. See, USDA Press Release, USDA Opens Public Comment Period on Department Reorganization Plan (Aug. 1, 2025).​ There is at this time, no public record of comments made, as there would be with a Federal Register notice. Democratic Senators have asked for additional time to respond and for comments to be made public. Senate Ag Leaders Call for More Review Time and Transparency with USDA Reorganization Plan, Civil Eats (Aug. 25, 2025)

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Background Reports (see Farm Bill for related background resources)

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USDA Implementation Issues

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USDA Contracts 

 

There is continued confusion regarding the impact of Trump administration policies on existing USDA contracts and grants with farmers and rural communities, with some contracts canceled, some honored, and others in unknown status.

 

The following updates attempt to monitor a confusing scenario.

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August 6, 2025 Update:

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April 16, 2025 Update:

  • A Rhode Island District Court issued a preliminary injunction enjoining the USDA, EPA, HUD, and the departments of Energy and Interior from freezing, halting or pausing funding that was duly awarded under the Inflation Reduction Act or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The injunction orders the agencies to resume processing, disbursement and payment. See Federal Agencies Must Release IRA Funds, Progressive Farmer (Apr. 16, 2025). Other judges have ruled consistently.

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April 14, 2025 Update:

  • Some farmer individual contracts with USDA have been honored; some have not; Contracts and cooperative agreements with entities for work are being reviewed and either accepted, modified or rejected depending on the work to be done and the wording of the contract. In April USDA published a list of entity contracts that had all been canceled.

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  • The Biden Administration program, Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities was reviewed and referred to as a "green new scam." The Trump administration rejected or reformed some of the partnerships, affirming others and renamed the program the Advancing Markets for Producers Initiative. See USDA announcement, USDA Cancels Biden Era Climate Slush Fund, Reprioritizes Existing Funding to Farmers, USDA Press Release (Apr. 14, 2025).  See USDA Reboots Biden-Era Climate Program, Progressive Farmer (Apr. 14, 2025).

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March 18, 2025 Update:

  • The USDA announced that the sign up period for the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for 2024, as mandated by the American Relief Act, 2025 (the stop gap funding bill passed in December 2024) will begin on March 19, 2025. Pre-filled ECAP applications for the direct payments are being mailed to producers. Up to $10 Billion will be available. USDA Expediting $10 Billion in Direct Economic Assistance to Agricultural Producers, USDA FSA News Release (Mar. 18, 2025).

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March 12-14, 2025 Update:

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  • Rep. Chelley Pingree, along with 82 member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Adam Schiff along with a a group of 32 U.S. Senators each sent letters on March 14, 2025 to USDA criticizing the USDA decision to cancel local food contracts:  Pingree House Letter ; Schiff Senate letter

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March 10, 2025 Update:

  • Reports indicate that the USDA is reviewing all spending and allowing some contracts to move forward while delaying or cancelling other programs and contracts with farmers; There is confusion as to what is moving forward and what is not. Programs funded by the Inflation Reduction Act are thought to be particularly vulnerable, as is assistance directed to under-served farmers and climate-related project

  • For an excellent article on the confusion and the direct impact, see Farmers put plans, investments on hold under Trump USDA spending freeze, Reuters (Mar. 10, 2025)

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March 6, 2025 Update:  

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February 24, 2025 Update: 

  • Inside the USDA, Staffers Struggle with Trump’s Funding Freeze (One office in the Agriculture Department provides a window into how efforts to comply with Trump’s DEI order have halted some grant payments, even as judges have ordered the federal government to end its broad funding freeze.) Wash. Post (Feb. 24, 2025).

 

February 20, 2025 Update:

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February 18, 2025:  

  • There is considerable fear and uncertainty among farmers and rural communities as aid that they depend on is withheld, contracts are placed on hold for review, and markets are lost​. Trump administration actions up to this point have not been good for farmers or the farm economy. The following news segment explains. 

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​See also:  Letter from President of Farmers Union, Trump’s funding freeze leaves American farmers like me out in the cold, Rob Larew (Feb. 16, 2023)

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The National Farmers Union is collecting information from farmers who have contracts with the USDA that are not being honored or program benefits that have been frozen or denied. Please pass this collection website on to farmers and ranchers effected. Anonymous posting is an option. 

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Farm Bill Resources & Information

See General Updates Above for the most current information)

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Tariffs and Trade

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General Resources

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  • The Congressional Research Service has numerous reports on specific trade agreements, tariff impositions and retaliatory actions, many of which impact agriculture. For a listing of these reports, I recommend a search for "tariffs" and "agriculture". See results as of August 31, 2025)

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Rough timeline on relevant trade issues

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Numerous news outlets are reporting on concerns about the impact of the Trump trade wars on farmers and the agricultural economy:  See, e.g., the following news reports: 

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How Tariffs Raise Costs for Farmers, Making Food More Expensive, NY Times (Aug. 1, 2025)

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Trump’s tariffs are hurting U.S. agriculture. Some farmers still support them, Investigate Midwest (June 24, 2025)

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Tallying Up the Latest Retaliatory Tariffs, Farm Bureau (Mar. 18, 2025)

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North Dakota went big for Trump. Now many farmers say they face an uncertain future, NPR (Mar. 14, 2025)

 

Farmers strongly back Trump. A new trade war could test their loyalty, NPR (Mar. 7, 2025)

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Farmers face steep losses in the middle of Trump's trade war and funding cuts, NBC News (Mar. 14, 2025).

 

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Websites
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University of Illinois provides excellent information on both current developments and longer term analysis:

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General Legal Resources
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Agricultural Law Resources

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Farm Bill Resources & Information
Tariffs and Trade
Background Reports
USDA Implementation Issues
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2010 - present

2010 - present

 

 

 

 

 

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