Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times,
President Donald Trump announced a new Department of Agriculture program offering $8 billion to farmers during harvest season, as rising diesel costs strain operations nationwide.
"And when the Republicans win, we will pass even more funding for our farmers," Trump told a standing-room-only crowd of thousands during a rally in the Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, just north of Wichita, Kansas.
The Harvest Fuel Relief program will use a formula to determine losses and offset increased diesel costs, with calculations similar to those used in the established Farmer Bridge Assistance program, according to a statement from the Department of Agriculture.
Farmer Cliff Carter works on an irrigation system for one of his rice fields in Rector, Ark., on June 5, 2026. Karen Pulfer Focht/Reuters
"This $8 billion dollar investment will help bring certainty to our farmers during this harvest so they can continue to feed our nation," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement released shortly after the president's announcement.
Diesel prices averaged $6.18 per gallon nationwide as of Oct. 12, up about $2.51 per gallon from the same time last year, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
During an approximately 90-minute address, Trump highlighted recent policies his administration enacted to benefit farmers and rural Americans, including raising prod
