(NAFB.com) – The Department of Agriculture does not plan to issue additional emergency farm aid beyond the recently announced $12 billion assistance package, even as financial stress deepens across the farm sector, said Richard Fordyce, USDA’s undersecretary for farm production and conservation. The payments are intended to help producers cope with low commodity prices, elevated production costs and reduced export demand tied to ongoing trade tensions. But economists and farm advocates warn many operations may continue to struggle without further support or stronger export growth. U.S. agriculture has traditionally posted trade surpluses, but rising imports and slowing exports have pushed the sector into a widening trade deficit. That shift has weighed heavily on farm income, particularly for row-crop producers dependent on foreign markets. USDA officials say budget constraints and existing authorities limit the department’s ability to offer more aid in the near term. Many farmers, however, say long-term relief will depend less on direct payments and more on expanded trade opportunities.