USDA sets per-acre payment rates under Farmer Bridge Assistance Program

The US Department of Agriculture has released per-acre payment rates under its Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, outlining how $11bn in one-time aid will be distributed to eligible row-crop producers in early 2026.

Farmers who qualify for the program will receive pre-filled applications and can expect payments by February 28. The assistance is based on 2025 planted acreage and is intended to provide interim support ahead of broader changes to federal farm programs scheduled to take effect later in the year.

Rice and cotton will receive the highest per-acre payments, at $132.89 and $117.35 respectively. Corn payments are set at $44.36 per acre, soybeans at $30.88, wheat at $39.35 and sorghum at $48.11. Other eligible crops include peanuts ($55.65), oats ($81.75), barley ($20.51), canola ($23.57) and sunflowers ($17.32). Chickpeas qualify at $26.46 per acre for large varieties and $33.36 for small varieties.

According to USDA, payment rates were calculated using a uniform formula that incorporates planted acreage reported to the Farm Service Agency, cost-of-production estimates from the Economic Research Service, and yield and price data from the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report. Double-cropped acres are eligible, while prevent-plant acres are excluded.

The payments are funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation and will be administered by the Farm Service Agency. Payments are capped at $155,000 per individual or entity.

The Farmer Bridge Assistance Program is positioned as a temporary measure ahead of changes included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which expands federal crop insurance options and other risk management tools beginning in October 2026. Crop insurance participation is not required to receive FBA payments, though USDA has encouraged producers to use the expanded insurance provisions.

Of the $12bn authorized for the program, $1bn is reserved for specialty crops and sugar. Payment timelines for those sectors are still under development, prompting concern among specialty crop groups, which have argued the allocation falls short given the sector’s share of US agricultural output.

Farm economists and lenders have largely welcomed the payments as a source of near-term liquidity but have cautioned that the program does not address longer-term challenges facing US agriculture, including high input costs, trade uncertainty and margin pressure across major commodities.

Additional details on eligibility and payment calculations are available through USDA’s Farm Service Agency.