Trump Announces $8 Billion Diesel Relief for Farmers at Kansas Rally for Sen. Roger Marshall

President Trump announced Monday night that the Agriculture Department will pay farmers $8 billion to help cover diesel costs this harvest season. He made the announcement at a rally in Park City, Kansas, for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who is in a close race two weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms.

"Tonight, I'm also pleased to announce that the Department of Agriculture will be launching a new harvest fuel relief program, providing our farmers with $8 billion in support to offset diesel costs during this harvest season," Trump said, according to Reuters. He credited Marshall with pushing for the aid, KMBC reported.

What USDA Said

USDA said after the speech that the money will go out as "one-time payments to American farmers this harvest season to provide relief during temporary market disruptions and increased input costs." Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the "$8 billion dollar investment will help bring certainty to our farmers during this harvest so they can continue to feed our nation."

How the Harvest Fuel Relief Program Works

The Harvest Fuel Relief program will pay farmers based on a formula that covers part of their estimated losses for the 2026 crop year, USDA said. The Farm Service Agency will run it with Commodity Credit Corporation money. Payment rates for major crops will be released in November, and farmers will not be required to have crop insurance to take part, Pro Farmer reported.

Diesel prices have climbed to record levels, partly because of the Iran war, which cut shipments of refined fuel from the Middle East, Pro Farmer reported.

The Kansas Senate Race

At the rally, Trump called Marshall's Democratic opponent, Adam Hamilton, a "radical left phony," KMBC reported. Hamilton is trying to become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Kansas since 1932. The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up.

Sources: USDA press release (Oct. 19, 2026): https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/10/19/trump-administration-announces-8-billion-harvest-fuel-relief-program ; Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-launch-8-billion-support-program-farmers-offset-diesel-costs-trump-says-2026-10-20/ ; KMBC: https://www.kmbc.com/article/trump-kansas-rally-roger-marshall/74186551 ; Pro Farmer: https://www.profarmer.com/news/policy-update/trump-administration-announces-8b-diesel-fuel-relief-payments