LUBBOCK, TX – Farmers enrolled in Agriculture Risk Coverage can now purchase Supplemental Coverage Option crop insurance on the same acres, removing a restriction that previously forced producers to choose between the two programs. USDA says the change expands risk-management flexibility for the 2026 crop year.
Under Secretary Richard Fordyce told the Agribusiness Report the previous rule barred producers using either ARC-County or ARC-Individual from buying Supplemental Coverage Option coverage on those acres. That restriction has now been removed.
USDA also says producers can add Supplemental Coverage Option or Enhanced Coverage Option insurance regardless of their ARC or PLC election.
The change could alter how producers combine commodity programs with crop insurance, particularly in areas where Supplemental Coverage Option protection is widely used. Fordyce recommends reviewing those interactions with a crop insurance agent before making elections.
One restriction remains for cotton. Producers enrolling seed-cotton base acres in ARC or PLC cannot use Stacked Income Protection Plan coverage on planted cotton acres on that farm.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Producers now have more flexibility to combine ARC with supplemental crop insurance but should review coverage interactions before enrolling.