The Trump administration has announced an $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief program that will provide one-time payments to U.S. farmers during the 2026 harvest season as producers contend with higher input costs and temporary market disruptions.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture announcement, the Farm Service Agency will administer the program, funded under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act. Payments are intended to provide proportional support to producers using a uniform formula tied to modeproducers with proportional supporthe calculation will incorporate Farm Service Agency-reported planted acres, Economic Research Service cost-of-production estimates, and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates for yields and prices.
Commodity-specific payment rates for Title I commodities are expected to be released in November. USDA said it will announce the payment methodology for other eligible commodities separately.
Participation in the Harvest Fuel Relief program will not require producers to be linked to crop insurance. USDA is nevertheless encouraging farmers to use enhanced risk-management tools available through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to manage future price volatility and other agricultural risks.
The department is also seeking information from producers of non-Title I commodities. Specialty crop growers and fishermen are encouraged to submit data on higher fuel costs so USDA can consider those expenses when setting payment rates.
Farmers interested in participating are being encouraged to establish a Login.gov account before the application period opens. USDA plans to make pre-filled applications available online for producers whose Login.gov accounts are connected to USDA systems.
The newly announced program follows several other agricultural support initiatives cited by USDA. The department said the Farmer Bridge Assistance program delivered $12 billion in one-time payments to more than 560,000 farmers earlier in 2026. USDA also said nearly $14 billion in gross payments were recently provided through Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs.
The Harvest Fuel Relief program adds another targeted assistance mechanism as USDA seeks to offset a portion of operating and market pressures affecting agricultural producers during the 2026 crop year.
KEY QUOTE:
“President Trump is the most pro-farmer president of my lifetime and he is continuing to put Farmers First every day. Today, I am proud to announce alongside President Trump more targeted relief is coming to our farmers through the Harvest Fuel Relief program. This $8 billion dollar investment will help bring certainty to our farmers during this harvest so they can continue to feed our nation.”
Brooke L. Rollins, U.S. Secretary Of Agriculture
