Ag News
USDA announces commodity payment rates for bridge assistance
Posted on Jan 16, 2026 at 11:24 AM
On Dec. 31, 2025, the USDA announced the next phase in the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA), the eligible commodity per-acre payment rates. The program calls for $12 billion to be paid to American farmers in 2026. Of that amount, $11 billion consists of one-time FBA program payments.
Eligible row crop commodities and per-acre payment rates:
Barley: $20.5, 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, and wheat: $39.35
Eligibility, Program Applications, and Crop Insurance Linkage
FBA payments are based on 2025 planted acres, Economic Research Service cost of production, and the World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate Report. Double crop acres, including all initial and subsequently planted crops, are eligible. Prevented planting acres are not eligible.
All intended row crop uses are eligible for FBA except grazing, volunteer stands, experimental, green manure, crops left standing and abandoned or cover crops.
Crop insurance linkage is not required; however, USDA strongly urges producers to take advantage of the new risk management tools provided for in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The OBBBA federal crop insurance improvements include expanding benefits for beginning farmers and ranchers, increasing coverage options, and making crop insurance more affordable.
Specialty Crop Assistance
Of the $12 billion being provided by the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, up to $11 billion is being directed to eligible row crop producers. The remaining $1 billion is reserved for specialty crops and sugar. Timelines for payments to producers of these crops are still under development and require additional understanding of market impacts and economic needs. Producers, including specialty crop producers and stakeholder groups, can submit questions to farmerbridge@usda.gov.
More information FBA is available online at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/fba or by contacting the local USDA FSA county office.
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