USDA Announces Enrollment Period for Farmer Bridge Payments

On February 20, USDA announced the opening of the enrollment period for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program. The program provides $11 billion in one-time bridge payments to row crop producers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs. The FBA enrollment period closes April 17, 2026. The funds are intended to aid farmers until provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), such as reference price increases for major covered commodities, take effect on October 1.  

The following commodities are eligible for FBA: Barley, Chickpeas, Corn, Cotton, Lentils, Oats, Peanuts, Peas, Rice, Sorghum, Soybeans, Wheat, Canola, Crambe, Flax, Mustard, Rapeseed, Safflower, Sesame, and Sunflower. 

The Department also announced the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program, a bridge payment to address specialty crop market disruptions, input costs, inflation, and market losses due to unfair foreign competition. These producers have until March 13, 2026 to report their 2025 acres to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). 

For more information, including how to apply, click here. Producers can also contact their local FSA county office.