Farmers can begin enrolling in the key farm safety net programs for the 2025 crop year later this month.

Enrollment for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs will be open from Jan. 21 to April 15.

The Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program enrollment will be open from Jan. 29 to March 31.

The American Relief Act, 2025 extended many farm bill-authorized programs for another year, including ARC, PLC and DMC. Farmers can submit applications to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA).

“Our safety-net programs provide critical financial protections against commodity market volatilities for many American farmers, so don’t delay enrollment,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said. “And at $0.15 per hundredweight for $9.50 coverage, risk protection through Dairy Margin Coverage is a relatively inexpensive investment in a true sense of security and peace of mind.”

ARC and PLC
Farmers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-County (ARC-CO) or PLC, which provide crop-by-crop protection, or ARC-Individual (ARC-IC), which protects the entire farm.

Although election changes for 2025 are optional, farmers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Also, if a farmer has a multi-year contract on the farm, it will continue for 2025 unless an election change is made.

If farmers do not submit their election revision by the April 15 deadline, their election remains the same as their 2024 election for commodities on the farm from the prior year. Farm owners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the cropland.

Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.

USDA also reminds farmers that ARC and PLC elections and enrollments can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products including Supplemental Coverage Option, Enhanced Coverage Option and, for cotton farmers, the Stacked Income Protection Plan (commonly referred to as STAX).

For more information on ARC and PLC, farmers can visit the ARC and PLC webpage or contact their local USDA Service Center.

DMC
DMC is a voluntary risk management program that offers protection to dairy farmers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the farmer.

DMC offers different levels of coverage, even an option that is free to farmers, minus a $100 administrative fee. The administrative fee is waived for dairy farmers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged or a military veteran.

DMC payments are calculated using updated feed and premium hay costs, making the program more reflective of actual dairy farmer expenses. These updated feed calculations use 100% premium alfalfa hay.

For more information on DMC, visit the DMC webpage.