WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump will unveil a $12 billion aid package for American farmers on Monday, two White House officials said, a boost to an industry hit hard by his trade policies.
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Trump will announce the aid at a 2 p.m. (1900 GMT) roundtable at the White House alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and members of Congress, a White House official said. Growers of corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, rice, cattle, wheat and potatoes will attend, the official said.
Up to $11 billion of the aid is meant for a newly designed Farmer Bridge Assistance program for row crop farmers hurt by trade disputes and higher costs, the official said. The remaining $1 billion is for other crops and specific details are still being determined, the official said.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the aid demonstrates Trump’s commitment to farmers.
Net farm income could fall by more than $30 billion in 2026 due to a decline in government payments and low crop prices, according to an estimate from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri. Farmers are set to receive a near-record $40 billion in government payments this year, fueled by ad-hoc disaster and economic aid.
During his first term, Trump gave about $23 billion in aid to farmers hurt by his trade policies.
Reporting by Steve Holland and Leah Douglas in Washington; writing by Doina Chiacu and Leah Douglas; Editing by Doina Chiacu, Chizu Nomiyama and Andrea Ricci
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