U.S. Representative Shomari Figures, D-Alabama, introduced legislation Wednesday that would provide financial relief to small and midsize farmers.
The Tariff Impacted Farmer Support Act of 2026 would authorize up to $15 billion in funding from the Commodity Credit Corporation for temporary direct assistance to qualifying soybean, cotton, corn, peanut and poultry producers.
Eligibility would be limited to small and midsize family farms with annual revenue of $500,000 or less.
Figures said the legislation would support farmers facing revenue losses and higher production costs since 2024.
“Alabama farmers are the backbone of our economy and of rural communities throughout the state,” Figures said. “Amid incredibly difficult economic challenges, farmers have repeatedly demonstrated their resilience and grit, but many smaller operations lack the financial reserves necessary to withstand prolonged market disruptions, lost export sales and the uncertainty created by President Trump’s tariffs.”
“Our farmers deserve our support, and my bill will provide the financial assistance needed to help preserve family farming operations, strengthen rural economies and ensure that our producers can continue feeding, fueling and clothing our nation,” Figures said.
Figures’ office said the legislation followed a meeting between Figures and farmers in Macon County. During the meeting, farmers expressed concerns about rising costs, market instability and lower profits since 2024.
“Farmers across Alabama and the nation continue to face rising production costs, market volatility and economic uncertainty that have placed extraordinary pressure on family farming operations,” Figures’ office said.
“These challenges are compounded by retaliatory tariffs resulting from the Trump administration’s trade policies. For farmers operating on thin margins, a single year of substantial losses can threaten the long-term viability of their operations.”
While the Trump administration reduced tariffs on foreign farm machinery in June, steel and aluminum tariffs have increased the cost of tractors and combines. U.S. tractor purchases fell more than 18% in June compared with the same month a year earlier.
The administration also lowered tariffs on foreign fertilizers last month. However, the war in Iran has further squeezed agricultural producers by increasing fuel and fertilizer costs.
Soybean farmers have been among the hardest-hit agricultural producers, with major international buyers such as China halting purchases of U.S. agricultural goods and shifting toward competing nations such as Brazil.
An agreement was reached in late 2025 to end China’s effective boycott of U.S. soybeans, with China agreeing to purchase at least 25 million metric tons of soybeans annually for the next three years. However, the American Soybean Association estimated that U.S. soybean farmers lost about $75 per harvested acre in 2025.
The Tariff Impacted Farmer Support Act is cosponsored by U.S. Representative Bennie G. Thompson, D-Mississippi, and has been endorsed by the Alabama Poultry Growers Association.
