Trump Unveils $8 Billion Fuel Relief for Farmers at Kansas Rally

President Trump announced Monday night that the Agriculture Department will launch a new $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program to help American farmers offset diesel costs during harvest season, according to Reuters. The money will go out as one-time payments to farmers this harvest season, according to a USDA press release.

“Tonight, I’m also pleased to announce that the Department of Agriculture will be launching a new harvest fuel relief program, providing our farmers with $8 billion in support to offset diesel costs during this harvest season,” Trump said in a midterm campaign speech in Kansas, according to Reuters. In a clip of the speech posted by the Rapid Response 47 account on X, Trump also credited Roger Marshall, saying “@RogerMarshallMD is the leader who fought for that to happen.”

.@POTUS IN KANSAS: "I'm also pleased to announce that @USDA will be launching a new Harvest Fuel Relief Program, providing our farmers with $8B in support to offset diesel costs during this harvest season— and @RogerMarshallMD is the leader who fought for that to happen." pic.twitter.com/dDLZeml0Ro

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 20, 2026

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the program alongside the president, according to USDA. “President Trump is the most pro-farmer president of my lifetime and he is continuing to put Farmers First every day,” Rollins said, according to KWWL. “Today, I am proud to announce alongside President Trump more targeted relief is coming to our farmers through the Harvest Fuel Relief program,” she said, according to Ohio’s Country Journal. “This $8 billion dollar investment will help bring certainty to our farmers during this harvest so they can continue to feed our nation,” Rollins added, the outlet reported.

USDA said the money is meant to provide relief during temporary market disruptions and increased input costs, according to the department’s release.

How the payments will work

The program is modeled on the earlier Farmer Bridge Assistance program and will use a uniform formula to cover a portion of modeled losses for the 2026 crop year, according to Ohio’s Country Journal. That national loss average will be built from Farm Service Agency planted-acre reports, Economic Research Service cost-of-production estimates and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates yields and prices, KWWL reported.

The payments are authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and will be run by the Farm Service Agency, according to KWWL. USDA will release payment rates for Title I commodities in November, and the method for other eligible commodities will be announced later, KWWL reported.

Farmers will not have to be linked to crop insurance to take part, according to Ohio’s Country Journal, though USDA is urging producers to use the risk management tools in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, the outlet reported. Specialty crop growers and fishermen are being asked to send data on their higher fuel costs to HarvestFuel@usda.gov so USDA can weigh it when setting rates, according to KWWL.

USDA is also encouraging eligible producers to set up a Login.gov account before the application period is announced, according to KWWL, and producers who link that account to USDA will get pre-filled applications online, according to Ohio’s Country Journal. More details on application timelines are expected in the coming weeks, the outlet reported.

Building on earlier farm aid

The new program adds to earlier aid. The Farmer Bridge Assistance program delivered $12 billion in one-time bridge payments to more than 560,000 farmers earlier this year, according to KWWL. Producers also received nearly $14 billion in gross payments through the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act two weeks ago, which KWWL reported is about $8 billion more than they would have received without the law.

Sources

• Reuters (via Devdiscourse): US to give farmers $8 billion in support to offset diesel costs
• KWWL: Trump Administration Announces $8 Billion in Relief Payments for American Farmers
• Ohio’s Country Journal: Trump unveils $8 Billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program
• USDA press release: Harvest Fuel Relief Program
• Rapid Response 47 on X: Trump announces the program in Kansas

Reporting by Daily Beltway.