U.S. President Donald Trump formally requested Congress approve an additional $11.1 billion in aid for farmers, according to a White House supplemental funding request. This new funding package is intended to help farmers grappling with elevated fuel and fertilizer costs stemming from the Iran war, in addition to existing low crop prices and the impact of Trump's trade policies. This new request comes after the administration had already disbursed $12 billion in aid to farmers earlier this year.
The bulk of the new aid, $10 billion, is designated for row and specialty crop producers for crops planted in 2026. The remaining $1.1 billion is specifically allocated to Florida farmers who experienced significant losses due to winter storms in late 2025 and early 2026. This financial assistance aims to mitigate the economic pressures on the agricultural sector, which has seen rural approval ratings for Trump decline to 50% in June, down from 60% in February 2025, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.
If approved, this additional aid would bring the total direct payments to farmers from the administration to approximately $55.4 billion for 2026, based on U.S. Department of Agriculture data. This figure would represent roughly 33% of total farm income for the year, marking the highest level of direct payments since 2001, as noted by Wesley Davis, a partner at Meridian Agribusiness Advisors. The request is part of a larger $87.6 billion supplemental spending package sought by the White House, which also includes funds for Iran war costs and Ebola response efforts.
