Donald Trump announced at a campaign rally in Kansas on Monday, 19 October 2026, that the Department of Agriculture would launch an aid program worth about $8 billion for farmers. He framed the money as support to offset diesel costs during the harvest season. The USDA plan is called the Harvest Fuel Relief program. Trump credited the initiative to Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who is seeking reelection against Democrat Adam Hamilton in a race that several recent polls show as close. Kansas has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, according to the Washington Post. In a department statement, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the aid would support farmers facing rising costs and market disruption.
The USDA says payments will be calculated with a formula based on farmers' planted acres, combined with cost, yield and price estimates. La Repubblica reports that the Farm Service Agency will manage the $8 billion in payments. Trump said the one-time payments would cover part of the estimated losses in the 2026 crop year. Farmers will not know how much to expect for several more weeks. Even if the plan is approved, three people close to the plans, who were granted anonymity, said payments would not arrive before late November or early December. Politico also reported that the payments could still face a fight in Congress.
Diesel now averages $6.32 per gallon according to AAA, nearly double the price a year earlier, after the Iran war that the United States started with Israel in February. High diesel prices have raised the cost of harvesting and shipping, and they have worsened fertilizer costs, which are also tied to oil. Tariffs have added to equipment costs and export problems, while weaker crop prices make it harder for farmers to cover expenses. Politico reported that Trump's decisions to import more foreign beef, his tariffs and high fuel costs have angered farmers and ranchers, a key GOP voting bloc. The USDA began $12 billion in payments earlier this year under the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, making the new package the second direct-payment round in a year.
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Republicans are defending tight races in farm states that were once reliable, and Trump has held rallies in Iowa and Texas, where polls show Senate races as toss-ups. Races in Nebraska, South Carolina and Mississippi are also more competitive than usual. Spiegel reported that Trump's low approval ratings, linked to the Iran war and higher fuel prices, weigh on many Republican candidates, while polls give Democrats good chances to win the House. Trump has also proposed $5,000 checks for all adult citizens if Republicans win the midterms, a idea that analysts, economists and some Republicans in Congress have met with skepticism. La Repubblica reports that Trump also said a one-time payment of $90 would go to more than 20 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, and that he signed an executive order earlier this month to widen access to tax-free diesel. At the Kansas rally, Trump also criticised the protests in France and European migration policy, saying the United States would have no choice but to leave Europe if it did not soon find the right path.
Several dates frame the package. Trump signed an executive order in early October, according to La Repubblica, and announced the Harvest Fuel Relief program on 19 October. Election Day on 3 November follows about two weeks later. The earliest payments would arrive in late November or early December, if the plan is approved. The timeline below sets these dates out in order.
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The Harvest Fuel Relief program will pay farmers using planted acres, cost, yield and price estimates, but the money may not arrive until late November or early December.
AI text based on reports by POLITICO, Washington Post, Spiegel Online and other publishers. Published .