The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) released the below statement after the Trump Administration announced the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, which is providing over $12 billion in support to American farmers impacted by trade disruptions and declining crop prices.
“ARA strongly supports President Trump’s Farmer Bridge Assistance payments as a critical step to help farmers navigate an increasingly uncertain ag landscape. Agricultural retailers provide their farmer customers timely access to essential crop inputs, and with purchases being made now, these payments provide important assurance they can continue operating,” said Richard Gupton, ARA’s SVP of Public Policy and Counsel. “Retailers don’t set prices and cannot control factors like trade conditions, weather, or product availability, which is why greater certainty around tariffs—especially with our closest trading partners—and a modernized USMCA are urgently needed. We encourage the administration to explore practical credit and lending tools that help farmers access inputs today and pay over time, so retailers can continue serving as trusted advisors while operating on slim margins.”
