President Donald Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced Monday that the administration was planning to disburse a $12 billion dollar aid package as part of the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, to make targeted, one-time payments to crop farmers.

The FBA is designed to be an “economic bridge” to the next planting season.

For months the administration had promised farmers and producers it would provide relief after the devastating effects of trade wars and rising production costs. Administration officials had planned to draw out $12 billion in bailout funds from the USDA’s emergency funds even though Trump had also promised in September that he would earmark tariff revenue for farmers whom he said would “… for a little while going to be hurt until the tariffs kick into their benefit.”

Rod Hahn, a Colorado farmer and board member of the Western Region Soybean Growers, said that the past year had been “terrible, terrible, terrible” as farmers struggled with a large soybean crop due to tremendous weather and historic low prices. In 2023, Hahn got $12 a bushel, but this year he said he’d be lucky to get $10.

Hahn began growing soybeans in 1997 in Yuma in the northeast part of the state. He is one of the nearly 1,500 soybean farmers who rotate their fields with soybeans, corn and wheat. The soybean sector in Colorado is shrinking, with 19,000 acres harvested in 2017 and 964,000 bushels. In 2024, it dropped to 10,000 acres and under 400,000 bushels.

China is one of the biggest purchasers of U.S.-grown soybeans. However, furor over 35% tariffs saw Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans plunge from $62.4 million in May to $37,000 in June and $8,000 in July. China instead bought soybeans from Brazil and Argentina, leaving U.S. farmers scrambling.

Trump continued to inflame tensions, stating in October that 100% tariffs were under consideration and on Oct. 14 wrote on his Truth Social platform:

“I believe that China purposefully not buying our Soybeans, and causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers, is an Economically Hostile Act,” wrote Trump. “We are considering terminating business with China having to do with Cooking Oil, and other elements of Trade, as retribution. As an example, we can easily produce Cooking Oil ourselves, we don’t need to purchase it from China.”

Said Hahn: “China bought 54% of our exports, stopped buying, and then they’ve come back and are buying again. But there is a very long time lag between the agreement and purchasing, which creates a market problem for farmers.”

Soybeans for export are either shipped to Washington state or to New Orleans, from which they go through the Panama Canal and onto China. It’s not until the soybeans reach China and are then inspected that payment is processed.

Hahn said that in his father’s days, farmers were able to charge input costs and then pay them when the crop was sold. This has changed drastically. The FBA Program aid package will likely not reach farmers until February at the earliest.

“Most farmers have bank loans to pay costs which demand payments between 30-60 days and they can’t be deferred,” Hahn said.

The American Soybean Association released a statement upon the announcement of the aid package.

“We appreciate the Administration’s attention to the challenges farmers continue to face in today’s market,” said ASA President and Kentucky farmer Caleb Ragland. “While we await additional details, we believe the FBA Program is a positive first step to restore certainty as soybean farmers market this year’s crop and plan for the 2026 planting season.”

Ragland wrote that the ASA was looking forward to long-term, market-driven solutions that would strengthen demand for U.S. soy and allow farmers to thrive in the global market.

“Soybeans are great for soil because as a legume, they put nitrogen into the soil and encourage soil fertility,” said Hahn. “Soybean oil has been converted into applications like tennis shoes and astroturf and firefighting foam.”

Unlike other states, Colorado does not have its own soybean board but uses the individual contributions of 0.5% of the market price per bushel sold each season a “commodities checkoff.” Half of the contribution goes toward the national checkoff — United Soybean Board — and the other half goes toward Qualified State Soybean Boards for Colorado this is the Western Region Soybean Board.

The soy checkoff invests in education, promotion and research. The soy checkoff has joined organizations to drive innovation and market development to grow and market U.S. soybeans.