More than 200 national and state agricultural organizations appealed Monday to President Donald Trump for economic assistance, and a top White House official said an aid package would be announced “really, really soon.”

A letter sent to the White House Monday and signed by 215 groups doesn’t directly mention the impact of the president’s trade policy, which has resulted in China shutting down purchases of U.S. farm commodities.

The letter notes that while the budget reconciliation bill signed into law this summer included “significant” changes to commodity programs, farmers won’t see the resulting payments until October 2026. “In the meantime, growers will continue to face enormously challenging market conditions.”

The letter goes on to note that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is “considering additional ways to assist producers.

“We need help. We encourage you to continue using your considerable international leverage to secure new export market access for farm products. We also ask respectfully that you continue to champion domestic market expansion efforts. We know that building markets takes time, and while our producers do not want to be in the position of having to ask for more assistance, they do need a bridge to get to improved markets.”

In a separate letter Monday to Trump, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance asked for aid to specialty crop growers, who the group says “confront a host of unprecedented challenges. Rising input costs, overly burdensome regulations, limited access to labor, unfair trade practices by foreign countries, and natural disasters ranging from flood to drought have all impeded the global competitiveness of our growers.

“We greatly appreciate the steps your Administration is taking to fix each of these longstanding problems. However, it will take time for those efforts to bear fruit. In the meantime, our growers need a lifeline to stay afloat, and nothing short of the survival of our domestic industry is at stake.”

Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council, told Agri-Pulse that specialty crop producers want to make sure they are not overlooked in any tariff assistance package the administration is planning.  

"There has been a great deal of focus on the soybeans, just given their situation with China, but beyond that microcosm is a much larger chaotic and economic environment," Quarles said. "The need is much bigger than what has been reported."

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The letters come as both Congress and the Trump administration are considering farm aid packages on separate tracks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the administration would announce an assistance plan on Tuesday. Meanwhile, lawmakers are considering easing restrictions on USDA’s Section 32 spending authority to allow tariff revenue to be used to fund an aid program.

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“We’re taking big measures, and those big measures are going to be public really, really soon,” Kevin Hassett, who directs the White House’s National Economic Council, told CNBC on Monday.

Hassett acknowledged that China had stopped buying U.S. soybeans.

“Right now, the silos are full and there are soybeans sitting on the ground with tarps over them. That's unacceptable to the president. We're calling up all our soybean customers around the world as part of our trade negotiations and we're also getting ready to have really strong policies to support our farmers,” Hassett said.

Asked about progress in negotiations with India, Hassett said, “It’s still a work in progress.”

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