President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is launching an $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program for farmers, in an attempt to offset rising diesel fuel prices.
During his remarks at a rally in Kansas Monday night, Trump said incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall fought for it to happen. The president is in the state to stump for Marshall as he faces Democrat Adam Hamilton in the upcoming midterm election.
Marshall, a doctor, is currently in the seat that has been held by the GOP since 1919, the longest ever for any party. Election forecasters have shifted the race recently toward Democrats, however, as both Sabato’s Crystal Ball and The Cook Political Report have it rated as a Toss-Up.
Meanwhile, midterm elections are commonly viewed as a test of the political environment facing the party in power, and the president's party has historically lost seats during them. Republicans now hold a narrow majority in both the House and Senate.
Trump's overall approval rating and ranking on specific policy issues like the economy, immigration, jobs and the ongoing war in Iran have slipped as households across America are consistently flagging affordability concerns.
The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $4.2953 and $6.3187 for diesel, according to AAA. In Kansas, the average for a gallon of regular is $3.9783 and $6.0722 for diesel.
What We Know About the Program
The $8 billion will be made available for one-time payments to farmers during harvest season "to provide relief during temporary market disruptions and increased input costs," the USDA said in a release on Monday.
The program will provide proportional support to producers using a uniform formula, the USDA said, to cover a portion of losses incurred during the 2026 crop year. The national loss average will be based on World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates prices and yields, cost of production estimates from Economic Research Service and Farm Service Agency's (FSA) reported planted acres.
“President Trump is the most pro-farmer president of my lifetime and he is continuing to put Farmers First every day,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said in the release. “Today, I am proud to announce alongside President Trump more targeted relief is coming to our farmers through the Harvest Fuel Relief program. This $8 billion dollar investment will help bring certainty to our farmers during this harvest so they can continue to feed our nation.”
The program funds are authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and will be administered through the FSA, the release says. The USDA notes that commodity-specific payment rates for Title-I commodities will be released next month. Crop insurance linkage will not be required for the program, but producers are encouraged "to take advantage of the enhanced risk management tools included in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to best protect against price risk and volatility in the future," the release says.
Payment methodology for other eligible commodities will be announced later—per the release—and producers of non-Title-I commodities, like fisherman and specialty crop growers, are asked to provide data related to rising fuel costs to the USDA via email at HarvestFuel@usda.gov for consideration when determining the payment rates.
Farmers are also advised to create an account on Login.gov ahead of the application period announcement, as pre-filled applications will be made available.
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Trump's announcement comes on the heels of farmers slamming him over the sky-high diesel prices. John Boyd, founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, previously told Newsweek his fellow farmers "just can't survive" the fuel prices along with other financial stressors.
The promise of funds amid rising prices is not new this election cycle.
During the RNC midterm convention last month, Trump said that if Republicans win the midterm elections, he would issue a $5,000 dividend check to millions of Americans.
He also announced that over 20 million seniors will be getting a check of nearly $100 to help them pay for Medicare Part B premiums. Trump said the funding will come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, which he labeled a "pointless 'Slush Fund'" used by the Democrats.
This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward T. Cummins