WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that $150 million out of a $12 billion assistance program for farmers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture in December announced $12 billion in payments, which are intended to offset low prices and market price impacts from tariffs on export markets for the 2025 crop year. The Farmer Bridge Assistance Program will provide $11 billion for traditional farm program commodities, including corn, soybeans, wheat, grain sorghum, barley, oats, cotton, peanuts, rice and other crops. Enrollment for the row crop program begins on Monday, Feb. 23.
The remaining $1 billion will be used for specialty crops and sugar. The USDA has announced the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers program, and rates are expected to be announced in March. The USDA on Friday, Feb. 20, announced $150 million of the $1 billion will go toward sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers. Sugar prices have been depressed due to a global glut of sugar, and sugar producers are dealing with the same higher input costs of other farmers, too.
The USDA said in a statement on Friday that it will work with sugar processors in the coming months to finalize agreements that will deliver assistance directly to farmer-members.
USDA is also providing $89.1 million in weather-related disaster assistance to sugarbeet producers who suffered losses due to excessive heat in 2024. This funding, provided by Congress via the American Relief Act of 2025, will be administered through eligible beet sugar cooperatives. Producers who are members of these cooperatives should contact their cooperative for more information.
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., who chairs the Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee said there is more work to be done.
“This $150 million in assistance builds upon the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, helping to support our sugar producers during times of market disruption and increased production costs,” said Hoeven. “While there is more work to be done to help our sugarbeet farmers through these challenging times, we appreciate USDA for working with us to make this assistance available, and we look forward to the administration finalizing its efforts with sugarbeet cooperatives to get this help out to producers.”
