POLICY
Kenya and the United States must continue to work together—on national security, on healthcare, and above all on the international trade that can help us both prosper.
Farmers need to be prepared to pay substantially more for their coverage in 2026, unless Congress acts now to address the impending price surge.
As farmers wait for official rates expected the week of Dec. 22, Paul Neiffer shares his calculation for six crops. Richard Fordyce with USDA also lays out the timeline for delivering payments and what farmers need to do to be on the list.
USDA will deliver $11 billion in one-time bridge payments to help farmers offset 2025 trade disruptions and rising costs. Eligible producers must verify 2025 acreage reports by Dec. 19, with payments expected by Feb. 28, 2026.
Awaiting word on USDA ‘bridge assistance’
The government should get out of American farmers’ way and allow market forces to work. Don’t give us handouts. Let us sell what we grow to the people who want to buy it, at home and abroad.
Because of this administration’s trade war, however, our traditional customers are now turning to growers in countries that have chosen to engage in economics rather than to play politics. They are starting to give their business to Australia, Spain, and elsewhere.
Federal government will cut the bureaucracy to support the dairy industry, focused on tougher measures to stop major animal disease problems and improve labor availability.
The U.S. government shutdown has delayed the release of key economic data, including the October consumer price index and jobs reports.
To overcome this challenge, it will take farmers like me. We can’t fight in the court of law, but we can make our voices heard in the court of public opinion.