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Experts say 2025 farm income hinges on combined bridge payments and safety net programs

The $11 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance Program from the USDA is likely to change next year’s income forecast for most grain farmers.

Gary Schnitkey, farm management specialist with the University of Illinois, says official details of the program haven’t been released, but projections show significant per-acre payments.

“We come out close to $45 for corn per planted acre and $25 for soybeans,” he says.

AUDIO: Gary Schnitkey – University of Illinois

He says expected farm safety net payments triggered by changes in this summer’s reconciliation package should also boost farm incomes.

“Combine that with what we’re projecting to be a $60 ARC/PLC payment, and we’re getting close to $100 of government support out there per acre.”  He says, “That’s going to change returns from a projected negative to positive.”

However, U of I professor Nick Paulsen tells Brownfield, “So definitely a help in the short term, but some concerns in terms of this just delaying market adjustments that need to occur to get us back to a profitable situation for farmers without having to rely on government payments.”

Brownfield spoke with both at the 2025 FarmDoc Farm Assets Conference in Bloomington.

AUDIO: Nick Paulsen – University of Illinois