White House Announces $12 Billion in Trade-Related Farm Assistance
Earlier this week, the White House announced $12 billion in economic assistance directed at farmers and ranchers “in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs.” The Trump administration pointed to challenges under the previous administration as contributing factors.
Of the total funds, $11 billion will go toward a Farm Bridge Assistance Program supporting the following commodities: barley, chickpeas, corn, cotton, lentils, oats, peanuts, peas, rice, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, canola, crambe, flax, mustard, rapeseed, safflower, sesame and sunflower.
Specialty crops and other commodities will receive just $1 billion in support, with distribution details still unclear. Throughout the year, California Farm Bureau has advocated for equitable representation of specialty crops in trade-related assistance programs. Unfortunately, this announcement does not reflect what we consider a fair allocation. Farm Bureau is working with industry partners to identify opportunities to expand support for specialty crop producers. We will continue to update members as more information on the assistance program and other funding becomes available.
Staff contact: Matthew Viohl, mviohl@cfbf.com.
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