President Trump Announces $8 Billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program

The U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $8 billion available to American farmers through a new Harvest Fuel Relief (HFR) Program aimed at helping producers manage higher input costs and temporary market disruptions during the2026 crop year. President Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the program Oct. 19, with payments to be administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency and funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation. The program is expected to provide one-time, proportional payments based on a formula using planted acres reported to the Farm Services Agency, USDA cost-of-production estimates, and projected yields and prices.

USDA said payment rates for major Title I commodities will be announced in November, with payment methodology for other eligible commodities to follow. Crop insurance will not be required to participate, and producers are encouraged to establish a Login.gov account ahead of the application period so pre-filled applications can be accessed when available. The program comes as farmers face significantly higher fuel costs during harvest and follows $12 billion in Farmer Bridge Assistance payments earlier this year. USDA also recently issued nearly $14 billion in Agriculture Riskl Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments, making the Harvest Fuel Relief Program the latest in a series of significant federal assistance programs supporting agricultural producers in 2026.

‍