LUBBOCK, TX – USDA has completed its first base-acre expansion in two decades as producers begin making Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage decisions for 2026. Nearly 30 million additional acres will enter the safety net beginning with the 2026 crop year.
Farm Service Agency employees reviewed planting histories from 2019 through 2023 to identify eligible acreage. Under Secretary Richard Fordyce told the Agribusiness Report that eligible land exceeded the national cap, requiring a 3.69% reduction in newly allocated base acres.
Producers can make 2026 elections and enroll through December 11. Enrollment for the 2027 crop year begins November 2 and runs through March 15, 2027.
Fordyce also says 2025 ARC and PLC payments are expected beginning next month. Those payments will use updated reference prices, but the newly added base acres will not enter calculations until the 2026 crop year.
USDA says 2025 payments, when triggered, cannot be issued before October 1.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Producers should review new base allocations as they prepare for upcoming 2025 payments and 2026 enrollment decisions.