Agricultural producers can now begin making elections and enrolling in two key federal farm safety-net programs following the largest expansion of base acres in two decades.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Sept. 15 that enrollment is open for the 2026 Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs, with producers able to make elections and sign contracts through Dec. 11. Enrollment for the 2027 crop year will run from Nov. 2, 2026, through March 15, 2027.
The changes follow the allocation of more than 30 million new base acres nationwide, authorized under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. USDA’s Farm Service Agency said eligible acreage exceeded the nationwide 30-million-acre limit, resulting in a 3.69% across-the-board reduction in newly allocated base acres.
The base-acre expansion is the first such increase in 20 years. Base acres are used to determine eligibility and payment calculations under ARC and PLC, which provide financial assistance when commodity prices or farm revenues fall below specified levels.
For Ohio producers, covered commodities include corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, barley, grain sorghum, canola, sunflower seed and several other crops.
Landowners had until Aug. 31 to review their base allocation summaries and request corrections, designate subsequent acres or opt out of adding base acres. USDA said landowners did not lose base acres through the allocation process.
Base allocation notifications became available Sept. 16. Landowners with a Login.gov account can access their information online through USDA’s ARC and PLC webpage. Those without a Login.gov account can contact their local FSA county office.
With the allocation process complete, producers now face a separate decision involving which safety-net program to elect.
Producers can choose ARC-County, PLC or ARC-Individual. ARC-County and PLC provide protection on a crop-by-crop basis, while ARC-Individual provides protection based on the overall performance of the farm.
While changing a 2026 election is optional, producers must complete an annual enrollment contract. USDA said previous multi-year contracts ended with the 2025 crop year, but producers can now sign a new multi-year contract covering 2026 through 2031.
Producers who do not submit a 2026 election by Dec. 11 will retain the same election they had for 2025, but the farm will be ineligible for payments for the 2026 program year. Landowners also cannot enroll in ARC or PLC unless they have a share interest in the farm.
The decision is particularly important because ARC and PLC elections can interact with some crop insurance products.
One change under the new law allows producers to purchase Supplemental Coverage Option and Enhanced Coverage Option coverage regardless of their ARC or PLC election. Previously, producers who elected ARC-County or ARC-Individual generally could not purchase SCO on the same acres. USDA’s Risk Management Agency has confirmed that restriction has been removed.
SCO provides additional insurance coverage for part of the underlying crop insurance policy’s deductible, while ECO provides additional area-based coverage. USDA’s Risk Management Agency said the premium subsidy for SCO and similar supplemental products was also increased to 80% under the law.
The combination of ARC, PLC and crop insurance options means producers will need to consider their individual farm operations, crops, coverage levels and risk exposure when making 2026 elections.
Some land-grant universities have developed online decision tools that allow producers to evaluate ARC and PLC options using crop and farm-specific data. USDA also encourages producers to work with their local FSA offices and crop insurance providers when evaluating the interaction between farm programs and insurance coverage.
Producers can complete ARC and PLC elections and enrollment online through USDA’s ARC and PLC webpage with a Login.gov account or make an appointment with their local FSA county office.
USDA’s ARC and PLC programs provide financial assistance when actual farm revenue falls below an ARC guarantee or when the effective price for a covered commodity falls below its effective reference price.
With the new base acres now allocated and the 2026 enrollment window open, producers have until Dec. 11 to review their options and complete their 2026 ARC and PLC enrollment.
Source - https://ocj.com
