Trump announces $8 billion diesel relief programme for US farmers

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 20 Oct, 15:20 · Archive

President Trump announced an $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief programme to help US farmers offset high diesel costs.

President Trump announced an $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief programme at a rally in Kansas to help farmers affected by high diesel prices. The Department of Agriculture said the programme will pay farmers to cover part of their estimated losses for the 2026 crop year, using planted acreage reported to the Farm Service Agency, estimated production costs, and crop yields and prices from the USDA's World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report. Farmers do not need crop insurance to qualify.

Diesel prices have risen sharply. The average US price reached a record $6.53 per gallon on 22 September, compared with $3.62 a year earlier, though it has since eased slightly to $6.32 per gallon according to AAA data. "This $8 billion investment will help bring certainty to our farmers during this harvest so they can continue to feed our nation," US Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement.

The USDA will announce payment rates for major commodity crops in November, with details for other eligible products to follow. Payments will be administered by the Farm Service Agency. This is the second farm relief package announced by the Trump administration in recent months, following a $12 billion package in December and an executive order to ease limits on tax-free use of red-dyed diesel earlier this month.

How it is being reported

• Trump says he will give farmers $8 billion in relief over fuel pricesThe Department of Agriculture and President Donald Trump announced an $8 billion relief package for farmers on Tuesday to deal with high fuel prices.UPI · 20 Oct, 15:09
• Trump announces $8 billion relief money for farmers but their huge economic concerns lingerPresident Trump urged his supporters to turn out for Republican candidates at a rally in Kansas, where he also announced relief funds for farmers affected by inflation and the war in Iran. CBS News' Katrina Kaufman reports.CBS News · 20 Oct, 13:55
• Trump announces $8 billion in diesel relief for U.S. farmersThe USDA said farmers don't need crop insurance to qualify and can prepare to apply by creating a Login.gov account.CBS News · 20 Oct, 13:33

In this story: Donald Trump · Brooke Rollins · United States Department of Agriculture · United States · Kansas

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