The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an $8 billion farm-aid program to cover part of modeled 2026 crop losses, while a separate $5,000 pledge from President Donald Trump remains contingent on Republicans retaining both chambers of Congress.
The Harvest Fuel Relief program will make one-time payments during the 2026 harvest. USDA said its formula will use a national loss average based on reported planted acres and estimates for production costs, yields and prices. The payments are meant to cover part of modeled losses for the 2026 crop year; the formula does not establish each farmer’s individual loss. USDA has not announced an application period.
The department’s September forecast put fuel and oil expenses $4.8 billion higher in 2026 than in 2025, a 28.8% increase. It also projected net farm income would decline 2.6% in nominal terms, to $158.4 billion. U.S. on-highway diesel averaged $6.276 per gallon on Oct. 19, $2.656 above its year-earlier level, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) figures released Oct. 20.
Price increases have also reached consumers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that consumer prices rose 3.7% in the 12 months through September; its gasoline index increased 9.1% from August on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Trump made the $5,000 pledge at a Republican convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, saying recipients would have to spend the money in the United States. He told CBS Texas on Sept. 10 that he did not think congressional approval was needed. House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN on Sept. 13 that he assumed Congress would have to act. The White House announcement sets out no payment date or detailed financing mechanism.
The administration has also announced smaller payments. The White House said nearly 1 million people in 30 states who use the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange and do not receive premium assistance were expected to get $500 refunds beginning in October. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said 20.8 million eligible Original Medicare Part B beneficiaries were expected to receive a one-time $90 rebate in October.
USDA said more than 560,000 farmers received a combined $12 billion through its Farmer Bridge Assistance program in 2026. It expects to release initial payment rates for Title I commodities in November, with methods for other eligible commodities to follow.
