FBA: Farmer Bridge Assistance for 2025 Row Crops
Enrollment deadline: April 17, 2026
FBA is a one-time $11 billion program authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It pays a flat per-acre amount on 2025 planted acres for 20 covered commodities. Enrollment closes at close of business April 17, 2026 — no extension announced.
Enroll online at landmark.usda.gov/fba (Login.gov account) or at your local FSA office. One application covers all your eligible commodities nationwide.
Last Updated: April 2026 | Source: USDA-FSA, USDA press releases, American Farm Bureau Market Intel
This is a free guide, not financial or legal advice. Always verify with your local USDA office. Report an error
The Short Version
FBA is a one-time bridge payment from the 2025 farm bill extension (OBBBA). It’s designed to tide row-crop producers over between trade disruptions / elevated input costs and the new higher reference prices that take effect after October 1, 2026. The rate is fixed per commodity and multiplied by your 2025 reported planted acres.
If you planted one of the 20 covered commodities in 2025 and filed an FSA-578 acreage report, you are almost certainly eligible. FSA mailed pre-filled applications to producers with 2025 acreage on file. Review, sign, return by April 17.
The payment cap is $155,000 per person or entity across all FBA commodities. AGI limit is $900,000 (7 CFR Part 1400). Crop insurance is not required. ARC/PLC is not affected.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) |
| Authorizing law | One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), 2025 |
| Appropriation | $11 billion (separate $1 billion ASCF for specialty crops) |
| Covered crop year | 2025 planted acres only |
| Enrollment deadline | April 17, 2026 (close of business) |
| Payment type | Flat per-acre, paid once |
| Payment cap | $155,000 per person or legal entity |
| AGI limit | $900,000 (7 CFR 1400) |
| Crop insurance required? | No |
| Online enrollment | landmark.usda.gov/fba |
Covered Commodities and Per-Acre Rates
Twenty commodities are eligible. Rates were announced by USDA on December 31, 2025 and are paid on reported 2025 planted acres (including double-crop and subsequent-crop acres). Prevent-plant acres do not count. Neither do acres used for grazing, cover crops, green manure, or experimental purposes.
| Commodity | Rate ($/acre) |
|---|---|
| Rice | $132.89 |
| Cotton (upland) | $117.35 |
| Oats | $81.75 |
| Peanuts | $55.65 |
| Sorghum | $48.11 |
| Corn | $44.36 |
| Wheat | $39.35 |
| Chickpeas (small) | $33.36 |
| Soybeans | $30.88 |
| Chickpeas (large) | $26.46 |
| Safflower | $24.86 |
| Lentils | $23.98 |
| Canola | $23.57 |
| Mustard | $23.21 |
| Barley | $20.51 |
| Peas (dry) | $19.60 |
| Sunflower | $17.32 |
| Sesame | $13.68 |
| Flax | $8.05 |
| Crambe | Eligible; no 2025 acres reported |
Quick example: 500 acres of corn × $44.36 = $22,180. 250 acres of soybeans double-cropped after wheat × $30.88 = $7,720. If you grow both on the same farm, both count, subject to the $155K cap.
Who Qualifies
- You planted one of the 20 covered commodities during the 2025 crop year.
- Your acreage was reported to FSA on a 2025 FSA-578 (acreage report). If your 578 is incomplete or late, fix it at your county office.
- AGI does not exceed $900,000 (per 7 CFR Part 1400).
- HELC/WC compliance (AD-1026) is on file.
- You are a U.S. citizen, lawful alien, or an entity of U.S. citizens.
Crop insurance and NAP are not prerequisites. You do not have to purchase coverage to receive FBA. (The SDRP forward-linkage requirement does not apply here.)
How to Apply
Option 1: Online (fastest)
- Go to landmark.usda.gov/fba
- Sign in with a Login.gov account. If you do not have one, create it at login.gov and follow the FBA portal prompts.
- Review your pre-filled application (drawn from your 2025 FSA-578 and entity records).
- Correct anything wrong, sign electronically, submit.
Option 2: Local FSA office
- Find your county office at farmers.gov/service-center-locator or call 1-877-508-8364.
- FSA can mail, email, fax, or hand you a printed application.
- Return signed by close of business April 17, 2026.
Forms That Apply
AD-2047 (application), CCC-901 (members of entities), CCC-902I/E (entity information), CCC-941 (AGI certification), AD-1026 (HELC/wetland compliance), SF-3881 (ACH banking information). FSA can print whichever of these are missing from your file.
How FBA Interacts with Other Programs
- ARC/PLC: no conflict. FBA is a one-time bridge payment; ARC/PLC continues unchanged.
- Crop insurance & NAP: no conflict. FBA does not reduce or offset 2025 indemnities.
- SDRP (2023–2024 disaster losses): different programs for different years and purposes. SDRP covers 2023 and 2024 disaster losses; FBA is a 2025 bridge payment. Having one does not affect the other.
- ASCF: FBA excludes specialty crops and sugar. Those crops flow through the separate $1 billion ASCF program. A producer with both row crops and specialty crops may qualify for both.
- ECAP (2024 economic loss): different program year. ECAP signup is already closed; FBA is the current-year analog for 2025 acres.
What to Do Today
If FSA mailed you a pre-filled application: open it, check the acreage, sign, return by April 17. In person or online at landmark.usda.gov/fba are both fine.
If you planted a covered commodity and haven’t seen anything from FSA: call your county office today. Confirm your 2025 FSA-578 is on file and ask about FBA enrollment.
If you think your 578 is wrong or missing acres: fix it with FSA before you sign the FBA application. The app pays based on what FSA has on record.
FBA is a bridge to the higher ARC/PLC reference prices that kick in after October 1, 2026 under OBBBA. It is a one-time payment for 2025 only. If you grew covered row crops last year and file an acreage report, the math is straightforward — don’t leave it unsigned on your desk.
- ASCF (Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers)
- SDRP (2023–2024 Disaster Relief)
- ARC/PLC overview
- FSA official FBA page
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