There is an enrollment period underway soon for the USDA’s Farmer Bridge Assistance Program.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says ag producers can begin enrolling Monday through April 17. Farmers and ranchers who filled out their crop acreage reports shortly after the program was unveiled late last year will have pre-filled applications available online if they have login.gov accounts; those can be found online at fsa.usda.gov/fba. Producers can also get pre-filled applications through their Farm Service Agency county offices.
There is a notable list of eligible commodities:
*Barley
*Canola
*Chickpeas
*Corn
*Cotton
*Crambe
*Flax
*Lentils
*Mustard
*Oats
*Peanuts
*Peas
*Rapeseed
*Rice
*Safflower
*Sesame
*Sorghum
*Soybeans
*Sunflower
Farmer Bridge says all intended uses for eligible commodities are eligible — with a few exceptions like cover crops, experimental, grazing or green manure. Prevent-plant acres are not eligible, but initial acres, double-crop acres and subsequently-planted acres are. Crop insurance linkage is not required. Payment rates are based on 2025 planted acres, the World Agriculture Supply and Demand or WASDE report and the USDA’s Economic Research Service cost of production calculation.
The program is offering one-time payments to row crop farmers to offset a range of issues, including market losses, increased input costs and increased inflation as part of a $12 billion overall package.
