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
| # | State | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $1.51B |
| 2 | Illinois | $1.27B |
| 3 | Texas | $1.16B |
| 4 | Minnesota | $993.6M |
| 5 | Kansas | $922.8M |
| 6 | Missouri | $817.6M |
| 7 | Nebraska | $716.4M |
| 8 | North Dakota | $711.3M |
| 9 | Arkansas | $692.0M |
| 10 | South Dakota | $642.0M |
| 11 | Indiana | $631.8M |
| 12 | Ohio | $535.0M |
| 13 | Georgia | $385.4M |
| 14 | Mississippi | $380.8M |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $357.1M |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $347.3M |
| 17 | North Carolina | $334.6M |
| 18 | Louisiana | $305.2M |
| 19 | Michigan | $242.2M |
| 20 | Kentucky | $212.3M |
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.