Corn Growers Nationwide Expected to Receive $3.8 of the $10 Billion; North Dakota Ranks 5th in Projected Total Payments for all Crops; $176 million for ND Corn Growers
By Brenda Elmer, North Dakota Corn Growers Association, January 7, 2025
Right before the holidays, December 21, Congress passed and sent to the President for enactment, the bipartisan American Relief Act of 2025, contained in a continuing resolution (CR). In a major win for corn farmers, the package contained $31 billion in economic and disaster relief for farmers, including almost $10 billion in what some coin as “market relief payments” for 20 covered crops, including corn. The market relief proposal was initially brought forward early last year, as corn leaders testified before the U.S. House Agriculture Committee on financial conditions in farm country (July 23, 2024). Since then, the farm economy has worsened overall that has especially already hit southern states. Ag producers face significant economic losses, prompted by a steady decline in crop prices and relentless, increasing total production or input costs. USDA forecasts that U.S. farmers are expected to lose a quarter of their income in two years.
The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) conducted an analysis of the relief payments, and North Dakota is expected to come in seventh among the states with estimated total payments to ag producers here totaling about $597 million. Corn nationally is expected to get about $3.829 billion. FAPRI developed special online calculators for farmers so they could estimate potential payments based on the current understanding of the legislation, estimated payment rates, and their number of acres planted and prevented planted for each of the crops eligible for payments. The calculators are valid for all farms in the United States, since payment rates per acre are nationally determined. Go to ndcorngrowers.org/news-resources/public-policy to access these resources. Growers can expect the payments within the 90-day enactment of the law, so by about March 21, 2024.
North Dakota U.S. Senator John Hoeven, who supported the package, said that, “Our farmers and ranchers have faced severe challenges this year from both market conditions as well as wildfires and other natural disasters. This assistance for our producers is vital to keep their operations going and ensure that Americans continue to have access to high-quality, low-cost food.”
The 2018 Farm Bill that expired initially September 30, 2023, and has since been temporarily extended, was once again extended in this legislation through September 30, 2025. NDCGA and NCGA and other state corn grower association
North Dakota U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, also a yes vote, commented on the Farm Bill extension, saying that, “A farm bill is important. We are now on year 7 of a 5-year farm bill, which means a clean extension of the farm bill will not provide an adequate safety net for the bankers and the farmers that need to have that assurance.” North Dakota had no vote on the proposal in the House, with former Congressman Kelly Armstrong already sworn in as the state’s new Governor, and Representative-elect Julie Fedorchak’s term not yet starting. NDCGA thanked the North Dakota Congressional delegations for support of the package, citing that food security is national security.
Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute Analysis and Payment Calculators
