Trump plans billions in new farm payments amid tariff strain
- Media Logic Radio
- Oct 3
- 2 min read
October 3rd, 2025 | Bryce Doeschot
The Trump administration is preparing to roll out a new round of payments to farmers in the coming weeks, according to a report from Politico.
The payments are expected to total billions of dollars, likely drawn from USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation fund, which has about $4 billion remaining. The fund was previously tapped during Trump’s first term to deliver $28 billion in aid to farmers hit by China’s retaliatory tariffs during the U.S.–China trade war.
This time, the money may not be enough. Officials are also considering using tariff revenues or other funding sources, a move that could spark a major fight in Congress. Some Republican lawmakers estimate farmers may eventually need $35 billion to $50 billion in support to withstand high input costs and ongoing trade impacts.
The president signaled on social media that American soybean farmers should expect support.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 01:53 PM EST 10/01/25
The Soybean Farmers of our Country are being hurt because China is, for “negotiating” reasons only, not buying. We’ve made so much money on Tariffs, that we are going to take a small portion of that money, and help our Farmers. I WILL NEVER LET OUR FARMERS DOWN! Sleepy Joe Biden didn’t enforce our Agreement with China, where they were going to purchase Billions of Dollars of our Farm Product, but Soybeans, in particular. It’s all going to work out very well. I LOVE OUR PATRIOTS, AND EVERY FARMER IS EXACTLY THAT! I’ll be meeting with President Xi, of China, in four weeks, and Soybeans will be a major topic of discussion. MAKE SOYBEANS, AND OTHER ROW CROPS, GREAT AGAIN!
The timing of the aid rollout is complicated by the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has forced large portions of the Agriculture Department to close. It is unclear whether payments can begin before the government reopens, according to Politico.
For Nebraska soybean farmers, who remain heavily dependent on access to Chinese markets, the relief could provide temporary help but also comes with uncertainty. Past programs gave producers short-term cash flow but did little to restore long-term export demand.
