2018 Farm Subsidies
USDA farm subsidy spending and payments for fiscal year 2018.
🌐 Trade war tariffs triggered Market Facilitation Program
$15.23B
Total Spending
3,538,051
Payment Records
#4 of 9
Rank (2017–2025)
+6%
vs. Average
Top States in 2018
Top Programs in 2018
| # | Program | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Market Facilitation Program (Crops) | $4.89B |
| 2 | Price Loss Coverage Program | $2.07B |
| 3 | CRP Annual Rental | $1.81B |
| 4 | Agriculture Risk Coverage (County) | $1.09B |
| 5 | Livestock Forage Program | $454.8M |
| 6 | Wildfires & Hurricanes Indemnity Program | $340.0M |
| 7 | Market Facilitation Program — Dahg | $274.9M |
| 8 | Margin Protection Program — Dairy | $253.2M |
| 9 | Cotton Ginning Cost Share Program | $215.2M |
| 10 | Market Access Program | $182.5M |
| 11 | Non-Insured Assistance Program | $171.9M |
| 12 | Wildfires And Hurricanes Indemnity Program | $105.5M |
| 13 | Emerg Assist Livestock Bees Fish (Elap) | $64.3M |
| 14 | Livestock Indemnity Program | $37.6M |
| 15 | Ecp Cost Share Fy 2018 | $29.0M |
All Years Comparison
📊 Why 2018 Data Matters
The US-China trade war began in 2018, triggering the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) — a direct payment program to farmers affected by retaliatory tariffs. MFP represented a new model of farm subsidies: ad-hoc emergency payments decided by the executive branch rather than through the traditional Farm Bill legislative process. This year marked the beginning of a structural shift in how farm subsidies work, with emergency spending increasingly dwarfing the traditional programs that were designed to provide stable, predictable support.