USAupdated 2h ago2 min read
Trump Announces $8 Billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program To Offset Diesel Costs For Farmers
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Trump announced $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief to offset farmers' diesel costs this harvest. Program will provide one-time payments to eligible agricultural producers via the USDA.
13 outlets told this the same way.
$8 Billion Diesel Relief
President Donald J. Trump said his administration will provide $8 billion in aid to farmers hurt by soaring diesel prices and announced that the Department of Agriculture will launch a new Harvest Fuel Relief program to offset diesel costs during this harvest season.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement that the plan will provide “$8 billion dollar investment” to bring “certainty to our farmers during this harvest so they can continue to feed our nation.”
The USDA said the Harvest Fuel Relief program will pay farmers to cover part of their estimated losses for the 2026 crop year using a standard formula that uses planted acreage reported to the Farm Service Agency, estimated production costs and crop yields and prices from the USDA's World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report.
The USDA said it will announce payment rates for major commodity crops in November and that farmers won't need crop insurance to qualify, with application steps tied to creating a Login.gov account linked to USDA.
How the Program Works
The Harvest Fuel Relief program provides one-time payments to American farmers to help offset elevated diesel costs and other increased input expenses during the 2026 harvest season and crop year amid temporary market disruptions. The program is structured similarly to the earlier Farmer Bridge Assistance program, delivering proportional support via a uniform formula designed to cover a portion of modeled losses for the 2026 crop year.
The program is authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and will be administered by the Farm Service Agency, with commodity-specific payment rates for Title I commodities scheduled for release in November 2026. The USDA said crop insurance linkage is not required, and the USDA encouraged producers to create a Login.gov account in advance so pre-filled applications can be available online for those with accounts linked to USDA.
Stakes for Farmers and Politics
The USDA estimates that net farm income will drop 2.6% this year as production costs rise 4.5%, and the agency said fuel and oil expenses alone are expected to jump nearly 30% according to a September forecast.
President Trump announced the Harvest Fuel Relief program during a rally in Kansas stumping for GOP Sen. Roger Marshall, who is running for reelection against Democrat Adam Hamilton.
The Hill said the $8 billion will “offset diesel costs during this harvest season,” and it described farm state Republicans pushing for action on high diesel prices amid the war with Iran.
The New York Times said the plan would reimburse farmers for a “portion” of their losses using a formula based on how many acres and which crops farmers planted, with payment rates announced next month and farmers receiving money at a later date.