Nebraska farm organizations say USDA payments will help, but won’t fill gaps

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay farmers $30.88 per acre of soybeans and $44.36 per acre of corn as part of the new Farmer Bridge Assistance program. The federal assistance rates were announced quietly on New Year’s Eve as an olive branch to farmers who have suffered losses during trade disruptions in 2025.

As the Trump administration’s trade war with China hit a new height in 2025, many farmers, especially soybean farmers, lost out on export deals with the country. China is a key market for Nebraska agriculture producers. It made times especially tough, since farmers continue to see low commodity prices and high input costs.

In an attempt to offset the damage done, the federal government is giving $11 billion to farmers in 18 agriculture industries through the program. Mark McHargue, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau and a fourth generation farmer in Merrick County, said about $700 million of that will flow to Nebraska farmers, but it won’t cover all of their losses.

“They're appreciative of the dollars. They will put that to work,” McHargue said. “Those dollars will flow back into main street and our small communities around the state, but there will be additional need for dollars somewhere to ensure that they have viability long term.”

McHargue said he hopes to see other changes like year-round E-15 production and new trade agreements, both of which could help farmers fill those gaps.

Jason Lewis, a farmer in Hamilton County and member of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association board and the national board, said any amount helps, but it doesn’t solve the main problems facing farmers.

“At the national level, Nebraska level, corn growers have been kind of sounding the alarm that things have not been going well for the last couple of years,” Lewis said.

Lewis also wants to see follow-through on new trade agreements along with expansion of E-15. The Hamilton County farmer said more production of the gasoline blend, which utilizes ethanol derived from corn, would help farmers increase profits while also reducing some pollution.

“It's fine for all cars after [the] 1980s. There's been guys that run it in older cars, and they say there's no problem with it,” Lewis said. “It doesn't change any of the facilities. It doesn't change any, like, at the pumps. It can be straight blended and used, and it actually burns a little bit cleaner, so it reduces some of the pollution that comes off.”

John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, said he’d like to see an overhaul of foreign policy and trade policy that is in the best interest of national food security and economic interest. He said the tariffs implemented in 2025 have led to about $44 billion in losses to agriculture across the country.

“When calls are coming into the office that I'm $100 to $150 an acre upside down, getting an extra $30.88 per acre for soybeans, or another $44.36 per acre for corn is helpful, but that doesn't begin to fix $150-an-acre hole,” Hansen said.

Hansen said with the right policies in place, the federal government wouldn’t have to spend more money to help farmers. He wants to see Congress update the farm bill with better policies.

“Congress is not doing their job. They're not responding in an appropriate kind of way to a major [agriculture] turn down. We're struggling to get their attention and get an appropriate kind of response,” Hansen said. “So do we appreciate $11 billion? Yes, but does that fix the long-term problems? Unfortunately, it does not.”