On December 9, 2025, President Trump announced a $12 billion aid plan to support farmers in the United States. The announcement was made during a roundtable meeting at the White House. The plan includes a one-time payment of $11 billion to farmers, with some farmers in attendance at the event where Trump unveiled the relief plan.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly stated that this assistance demonstrates Trump’s commitment to farmers. Trump mentioned during the meeting, “Without tariffs, this money wouldn’t be possible.”
According to White House officials who spoke to CNN before the announcement, up to $11 billion of the aid will be allocated to a new program called the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, specifically targeting row crop farmers impacted by trade disputes.
On that day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins were present at the White House roundtable meeting. Farmers who plant crops like corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, rice, raise livestock, and grow wheat and potatoes were said to be attending the meeting.
Cordt Holub, a fifth-generation farmer from Iowa, reportedly told the president during the meeting that the $12 billion relief plan is like an early Christmas for farmers across the country. “Everything you’re doing in Washington, D.C. is effective,” Holub said. He also urged Trump to further reduce red tape to help produce gasoline/ethanol blended fuel, E15.
Both Rollins and Bessent praised the president for his commitment to farmers. Despite record harvests for American farmers this year, Beijing turned to South American suppliers in the fall, causing American farmers to lose billions of dollars in soybean sales.
Since November of last year, China has agreed to purchase soybeans from the United States. Bessent mentioned that the Chinese have been fulfilling the agreement and consistently buying soybeans.
Rollins stated that the funds will start flowing before February 28, with $1 billion being set aside to ensure all specialty crops are covered.
Originally, the government intended to announce an agricultural aid plan worth up to $15 billion in October. Rollins had previously stated that the 43-day federal government shutdown delayed the launch of the plan.
During Trump’s first term, he provided approximately $23 billion in aid to farmers affected by his trade war.