Trump promises farmers $8 billion to offset high diesel costs
President Trump says farmers will get $8 billion to help cover high diesel costs during harvest season. He announced the Harvest Fuel Relief program at a Kansas rally Monday night. Diesel averaged $6.32 a gallon on Tuesday, up from $3.62 a year ago.
The Trump administration will pay farmers $8 billion to help offset soaring diesel prices, President Donald Trump announced at a rally in Kansas on Monday night, CBS News, the New York Post and The Washington Post reported.
"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 said. He was campaigning for Republican Senator Roger Marshall, the New York Post reported.
Diesel hit a record $6.53 a gallon on September 22 and has since eased to $6.32, up from $3.62 a year ago, CBS News reported, citing AAA data. The New York Post tied the price jump to the war with Iran, which disrupted oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Agriculture Department said payments will cover part of farmers' estimated losses for the 2026 crop year using a standard formula, CBS News reported. Payment rates for major crops will be announced in November, and farmers won't need crop insurance to qualify. A similar program in December paid $12 billion to more than 560,000 farmers hurt by trade wars, the New York Post reported.
The aid comes as Republicans struggle in once-reliable farm states ahead of the midterm elections, The Washington Post reported.
The American Farm Bureau Federation welcomed the program, the New York Post reported. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said it "will help bring certainty to our farmers during this harvest."
Critics said it doesn't fix the cause. "It's like an arsonist putting out a fire that he caused," Gary Wertish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union, said in the New York Post. Gbenga Ajilore, chief economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said ending the war with Iran and the tariffs would help farmers more, according to CBS News.
What we know: The administration plans $8 billion in diesel relief, with payment rates due in November.
What we don't: How much individual farmers will receive, and when payments will arrive.
Where outlets agree CBS News and the New York Post both report that Trump announced the $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief program at a Kansas rally and that diesel averaged $6.32 a gallon.
Where they differ The New York Post reports the American Farm Bureau Federation's praise alongside a farm union's criticism, while CBS News quotes an economist who says ending the war with Iran and tariffs would help farmers more.