As economic pressures persist across rural America, expanded farm assistance is gaining momentum in Washington. Senate leaders are working to include broader support for agricultural producers in the next funding package to help farmers and ranchers manage ongoing financial strain and bridge the gap until long-term policy improvements take effect.
What Lawmakers Are Proposing
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Agriculture Appropriations Committee Chairman John Hoeven (R-N.D.) are championing a proposal that builds on the USDA’s existing Farmer Bridge Assistance program. The plan aims to provide farm assistance to more producers by broadening coverage, addressing a wider set of losses, and tailoring support to specialty crop growers, sugar beet and cane producers, and farms facing tight credit conditions.
Under the proposal, expanded assistance would cover prevent-plant acres — fields that could not be planted due to adverse conditions — and align payment limits with updated Farm Bill provisions such as those in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act. Lawmakers are also pushing for increased loan limits for farm ownership and operating loans to improve access to capital for producers dealing with rising costs.
Why Expanded Farm Assistance Matters Now
Farm groups and rural advocates have urged Congress to act as multi-year losses, high input costs, and weak commodity prices continue to erode farm balance sheets. More than 55 agricultural organizations, led by the American Farm Bureau Federation, have publicly supported expanded aid to stabilize farm income and protect the food supply.
Farm Credit Council leaders also praised the push for expanded farm assistance and higher farm loan limits as a stopgap measure until updated Farm Bill programs, including stronger crop insurance and disaster protection, take effect.
What Producers Can Expect
Although the exact funding levels remain under negotiation, this expanded proposal signals increased recognition of the economic challenges that producers face. Lawmakers aim to include these measures in a continuing resolution or upcoming appropriations bill to ensure support remains available ahead of key planting and marketing periods.
Producers should stay informed about funding developments, deadlines, and eligibility rules. Engaging with industry organizations and their congressional delegation can also help ensure that expanded farm assistance programs address the needs of both row crop and specialty crop operations.
Sources
Senate Leaders Push Expanded Farm Assistance to Help Producers through 2026 — RFD TV
