Subsidies for cereal grain farming

In 2025, subsidies for cereal grain farming are expected to total $243.3 million, representing a 65.6% increase from the previous year. This incline follows considerable volatility in outlays in the preceding years. The one year increase is largely due to higher outlays for wheat and sorghum, dampened by a decline in outlays for barley.

Between 2021 and 2025, subsidies for cereal grain farming have been highly volatile. In 2021, government support surged to $2,060.7 million, largely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted supply chains and necessitated increased fiscal intervention. This period also saw the continuation of modifications under the 2018 Farm Bill, which enabled producers to make annual elections between the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) programs, and allowed for the updating of PLC payment yields. In 2022, additional policy responses followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the US government proposing an aid package aimed at compensating for production shortfalls resulting from limited Ukrainian exports. However, as global commodity prices for grains remained high, there was decreasing political support for additional emergency subsidies and payments declined sharply to $921.4 million in 2022 and further to only $69.6 million in 2023. This volatility reflects both external shocks and government efforts to stabilize domestic production or react to disruptions in international supply.

Over the five years through 2025, the value of subsidies has decreased overall, falling at an annualized rate of 20.6%. This contraction is primarily attributable to the diminished need for emergency government interventions as global grain markets stabilized and as commodity prices remained elevated due to lingering supply chain imbalances and strong international demand. Broader macroeconomic trends, such as rising inflation and tight public budgets, have also contributed to downward pressure on subsidy outlays. Additionally, with rising commodity prices, the triggers for PLC and ARC payments have been less frequently met, resulting in lower overall support. Wheat—historically the most heavily subsidized crop—has experienced a decline in its relative share of payments, as price recovery reduced eligibility for aid. These developments underscore the sensitivity of subsidy levels both to short-term crises and to underlying shifts in commodity market fundamentals.