Reuters – US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will launch what he termed a “new harvest fuel relief program,” which will provide farmers with $8 billion in subsidies to offset diesel costs during this season.
Trump added in a campaign speech delivered in Kansas ahead of the midterm elections: “Tonight, I am also pleased to announce that the Department of Agriculture will launch a new harvest fuel relief program, providing our farmers with $8 billion in subsidies to offset diesel costs during the season.”
This announcement came as the latest in a series of financial promises and commitments made by the Republican President to voters ahead of the midterm elections scheduled for November, which will determine control of Congress.
The Republican Party currently holds slim majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. However, Trump's approval ratings are declining due to his handling of the rising cost of living for Americans during the Iran war, which led to a surge in fuel prices.
Trump and the Republican Party are striving to maintain support in agricultural states facing fierce competition for Senate seats amid rising costs.
Earlier this month, the US President signed an executive order that he stated would expand access to tax-exempt diesel.
Following Trump’s speech on Monday, the USDA stated that it would provide $8 billion in “one-time payments to American farmers during the current harvest season to relieve burdens caused by temporary market disruptions and high input costs.”
The program will provide what the department described as “proportional support to producers,” based on a unified mechanism aimed at covering a portion of estimated losses during the 2026 crop season.
The department clarified that its Farm Service Agency will administer the distribution of payments.
