American farmers facing record diesel costs are set to receive $8 billion in assistance from the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump unveiled the relief plan Monday, just weeks before the harvest season and midterm elections get underway.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Kansas for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, Trump said the Department of Agriculture would launch a new Harvest Fuel Relief program to help producers absorb soaring fuel expenses.
“When the Republicans win, we will pass even more funding for our farmers,” Trump told the crowd, adding, “We love our farmers.”
Diesel prices have climbed 75% over the past year, reaching a recent high of $6.53 per gallon on Sept. 22. The average had slipped slightly to $6.32 by Tuesday, according to AAA.
According to the Agriculture Department, the Harvest Fuel Relief program will offer producers straightforward, proportional payments calculated through a uniform formula designed to cover part of their projected losses during the 2026 crop year.
The Farm Service Agency’s data will be used to determine the size of individual payments, the department said.
The federal government introduced a comparable assistance effort in December, distributing $12 billion to more than 560,000 farmers affected by trade wars that weakened overseas demand for American agricultural products.
The latest farm relief package is intended to offset costs linked to the war on Iran. Oil shipments were severely disrupted after the Strait of Hormuz closed, while continued Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities have added to uncertainty in global energy markets.
Farmers are also paying more for nitrogen fertilizer, adding to the pressure on operating budgets.
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The financial strain has contributed to an especially difficult year across the agricultural sector. Monthly Chapter 12 bankruptcy filings, which allow farmers to restructure debt, reached a six-year high in April, according to Law360.
The American Farm Bureau Federation endorsed the administration’s new farm assistance initiative.
“Farmers and ranchers welcome the administration’s announcement of $8 billion in relief through the Harvest Fuel Relief program,” the organization said, describing the funding as help for producers struggling with elevated diesel prices.
The group said it expects to work with Trump and the USDA to make sure specialty-crop growers, livestock producers, fishermen and other agricultural businesses receive the support needed to keep supplying food to American families.
But the proposal has also faced skepticism from some farm advocates, who question whether the payments will make a meaningful difference.
Gary Wertish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union, compared the policy to “an arsonist putting out a fire that he caused,” he told The Post.
Wertish said the assistance would have limited impact, arguing that farmers rarely see costs fall after prices rise.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins praised Trump as “the most pro-farmer president of my lifetime.”
“More targeted relief is coming to our farmers,” Rollins said in a statement. She added that the $8 billion investment would provide greater stability during harvest and help producers continue feeding the nation.
