Farmers and ranchers with base acres in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) safety net program may now enroll for the 2018 crop year.
The enrollment period will end on Aug. 1, 2018.
“Since shares and ownership of a farm can change year-to-year, producers must enroll by signing a contract each program year,” Farm Service Agency (FSA) Acting Administrator Steve Peterson said. “I encourage producers to contact their local FSA office to schedule an appointment to enroll.”
Farmers who are not enrolled for the 2018 enrollment period will not be eligible for financial assistance from ARC or PLC programs for the 2018 crop should commodity prices or farm revenues fall below the historical price or revenue benchmarks established by the program.
Farmers who made their elections in previous years must still enroll during the 2018 enrollment period.
“This week, FSA is issuing approximately $850 million in rice payments,” Peterson said. “These payments are part of the $8 billion in 2016 ARC and PLC payments that started in October to assist enrolled producers who suffered a loss of revenue or price, or both. Over half a million producers will receive ARC payments and over a quarter million producers will receive PLC payments for 2016 crops.”
The ARC and PLC programs were authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and offer a safety net to agricultural producers when there is a substantial drop in prices or revenues for covered commodities.
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 (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity.
For more details regarding these programs, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.
For more information, farmers are encouraged to visit their local FSA office. To find a local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.