Trump Announces $8 Billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program to Offset Rising Diesel Costs for Farmers
President Donald Trump announced a new $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief program during a midterm campaign rally in Park City, Kansas, aiming to offset surging diesel costs and increased input expenses for agricultural producers.
Speaking at the Heartland Credit Union Arena near Wichita on Monday night, Trump pointed to disruptions in the global energy supply driven by attacks from Iran and its proxies in the Middle East as a primary factor behind the financial pressure facing the agricultural sector. The event served as a campaign stop for Senator Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, and gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson.
“Tonight, I’m also pleased to announce that the Department of Agriculture will be launching a new Harvest Fuel Relief program, providing our farmers with $8 billion in support to offset diesel costs during this harvest season,” Trump told the rally crowd, crediting Senator Marshall with pushing for the financial package.
The Department of Agriculture stated that the initiative will deliver proportional support based on modeled losses incurred during the 2026 crop year. Individual payments will be calculated using planted acres, production-cost estimates, crop yields, and market prices. Commodity-specific payment rates covering major crops are scheduled for release in November. The program will be administered through the Farm Service Agency and funded utilizing the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act.
In addition to the direct relief funds, Trump highlighted a recent executive order that waives the off-road requirement for red-dyed diesel. The measure allows farmers and truckers to purchase the fuel tax-free.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins issued a statement praising the initiative, emphasizing that the federal investment aims to provide financial certainty to producers during the busy harvest period. The administration noted that the new funding follows $12 billion in bridge payments distributed earlier this year to more than 560,000 farmers, alongside nearly $14 billion in recent Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage disbursements.
During his remarks, Trump contrasted the new $8 billion allocation with past agricultural assistance programs, recalling a $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance program issued earlier this year and a total of $28 billion directed to farmers during his first presidential administration.
