Farm Bridge Assistance package comes at critical time for farmers
Biram noted that the amount in the bridge package is about 10 percent higher than payments released earlier this year through USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, or ECAP.
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Dec. 9, 2025
Fast facts
- Farm Bridge Assistance funds to be disbursed by Feb. 28
- Payment rates to be released at year’s end
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LITTLE ROCK — While commodity payment rates won’t be released until the end of December, the $12 billion Farm Bridge Assistance package announced Monday will provide funding at a critical time for farmers, an economist said.
Of the amount, $11 billion will be used for growers of 20 crops, including corn, cotton, peanuts, rice, sorghum, soybeans and wheat. The remaining $1 billion will be distributed to growers of specialty crops. Timelines for specialty crop payments were still under development and require additional understanding of market impacts and economic needs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
“Secretary of Agriculture Rollins said these payments would be disbursed by Feb. 28, which is crucial given that farmers have cash flow needs now to pay 2025 loans and to renew for 2026,” Hunter Biram said on Tuesday. Biram is an extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “It is very important that those payments do get disbursed by the end of February.
USDA advised eligible farmers to ensure their 2025 acreage reporting is factual and accurate by 5 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 19, 2025. Commodity-specific payment rates will be released by the end of the month.
A USDA statement said the Farm Bridge Assistance program uses a uniform formula to cover a portion of 2025 crop year losses.
“This national loss average is based on Farm Service Agency reported planted acres, Economic Research Service cost of production estimates, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates yields and prices and economic modeling,” the USDA statement adds.
Biram noted that the amount in the bridge package is about 10 percent higher than payments released earlier this year through USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, or ECAP.
“I would not be surprised to see similarities between the Farmer Bridge Assistance and ECAP,” he said.
To learn more about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu