On December 31, 2025, the USDA provided more details on the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program. USDA is planning to make FBA payments to eligible producers by February 28, 2026.
As announced last year, $11 billion will be paid to American farmers through one-time FBA program payments. These payments are intended to assist farmers impacted by high input costs and trade-related price declines.
Eligibility
To be eligible, the USDA states that producers must meet the following requirements:
- Be actively engaged in farming.
- Have risk and interest in the eligible planted commodity.
- Report eligible acres for the 2025 crop year by 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 19, 2025.
- Late-reported acres are not eligible for this program.
Payment Rates
The USDA announced eligible commodities and their payment rates are as follows:
• Barley: $20.51
• Canola: $23.57
• Chickpeas (Large): $26.46
• Chickpeas (Small): $33.36
• Corn: $44.36
• Cotton: $117.35
• Flax: $8.05
• Lentils: $23.98
• Mustard: $23.21
• Oats: $81.75
• Peanuts: $55.65
• Peas: $19.60
• Rice: $132.89
• Safflower: $24.86
• Sesame: $13.68
• Sorghum: $48.11
• Soybeans: $30.88
• Sunflower: $17.32
• Wheat: $39.35
Payments are based upon 2025 reported acres. Commodities used for grazing, volunteer stands, experimental, green manure, left standing, abandoned or cover crops are not eligible. Prevent plant acres are also ineligible. Double crop acres are eligible, both for initial and subsequently planted crops.
No Further Details on Specialty Crop Payments
The USDA has not released any further information on the $1 billion that will be provided to commodities not covered by the FBA program. The program details and schedule are still in development.
Applications
USDA will use existing information to provide prefilled applications to eligible producers. The producer will then need to verify the information. The FSA intends to make the prefilled applications available the week of February 23, 2026.
Payment Estimator
The FSA has provided a payment estimator where producers can determine the estimated amount of their payment.
Payments Limits and AGI Limits.
The USDA states that the FBA payment limit is $155,000 per producer. This payment limit, the USDA says, applies to individuals and entities such as corporations, limited liability corporations, S corporations, and trusts.
The USDA also states that an AGI limit of $900,000 applies to each producer and legal entity, excluding joint ventures and general partnerships.
General Considerations
These payments are general government payment subject to income tax. They are not disaster payments, which is why prevent plant acres do not qualify.
It should be noted that this is an ad hoc program over which the USDA has flexibility. The agency has set the payment limit for this program at $155,000, which corresponds to the new payment limit provided in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) for farm program payments. The payment limit for the FBA, however, applies to pass through entities. In other words, an LLC or an S corporation is limited to a $155,000 payment, regardless of the number of members. The OBBBA has changed that rule for general farm program payments, presumably for the 2025 crop year.