USDA Details Bridge Payments for Southeast Farmers

USDA has released plans for $12 billion in bridge payments meant to cushion farmers facing ongoing trade instability and higher production costs. Roughly $11 billion will be directed through the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, which offers broad support to row-crop operations nationwide. For producers in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, the program applies to cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans, sorghum, and wheat.

According to USDA, the goal is to help farmers manage market disruptions, input cost spikes, inflation, and export setbacks influenced by foreign competitors. Payments will be determined using a uniform national model that estimates 2025 crop-year losses using planted-acre data, cost-of-production estimates, and national yield and price expectations.

USDA has reserved another $1 billion for commodities not covered under FBA—specialty crops and sugar among them—though details on how and when that funding will roll out are still pending. Producers with questions or concerns can reach USDA at farmerbridge@usda.gov

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