URBANA, IL – A new provision in the 2025 Farm Bill allows farms to add base acres if their recent planted acres exceed current base acreage. While the rule appears straightforward, it raises a number of implementation questions and could shift payment distributions across states and crops.
Eligible farms must have planted a covered commodity at least once between 2019 and 2023. If the farm’s planted acres exceed its current base, additional base acres may be allocated. These new base acres will be assigned proportionally based on the farm’s historical planting mix from 2019–2023. However, total new base acres nationwide are capped at 30 million, so USDA may apply a pro-rated reduction.
An analysis from the University of Illinois estimates roughly 38.7 million acres qualify, exceeding the cap. This would mean a 77.5% allocation rate if the provision is enacted as written.
The largest increases in base acres are expected in the Plains and Midwest, including Texas, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Kansas. Some states with traditionally lower base acre counts—especially those producing peanuts and rice—may benefit more per acre due to higher average payments. Meanwhile, farms with closely aligned planted and base acres could see little or no benefit.
Importantly, this provision may signal a long-term shift toward broader inclusion of crop types in federal programs. Still, it will be up to taxpayers to fund the expansion, which could reach billions in new outlays depending on market conditions and how the USDA interprets eligibility.
Attribution:
This summary is based on the article: Zulauf, C., G. Schnitkey and N. Paulson. “The New Base Acre Provisions in the 2025 Farm Bill.” farmdoc daily (15):126, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, July 11, 2025.
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