By Jonathan LaPorte
Farm managers will eventually look to choose between Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agricultural Loss Coverage (ARC) for the 2026 production year. However, according to revisions brought about by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), sign-up will be delayed, likely after the 2026 production harvest.
The delay is due in part to procedural updates necessary for PLC and ARC payment calculations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) needs to finalize the allocation of up to 30 million additional base acres that may be newly eligible for inclusion in program sign-up. Additionally, the Historical Irrigated Percentage (HIP) in each county will use updated years, 2019-2023. HIP is used to determine how much of the program payment is based on irrigated versus non-irrigated acres. The updated percentage will also align with the years used in the added base acre allocations.
Concurrently, the USDA is also administering several disaster relief programs. The Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) for eligible crop, tree, bush and vine losses remains available to take applications through April 30, 2026. Stage 1 is available for producers with indemnified (covered) losses, while Stage 2 is available for non-indemnified (non-covered) losses. The USDA is also preparing pre-filled applications for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program due to market impacts and economic needs. Farms will begin to receive payments on Feb. 28, 2026.
In order to provide producers with the most accurate and up-to-date information towards their commodity program decision, Michigan State University (MSU) Extension will be postponing the Farm Bill Program Decisions: What Fits Your Farm? webinar sessions. These sessions are part of the annual Farm Policy and Risk Management Series. Producers are encouraged to sign up for the series to ensure they receive the latest news related to the rescheduled webinar sessions.
Source : msu.edu