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Farmers should expect delays in ARC and PLC signups due to program changes

The vice president of crop insurance with Farm Credit Illinois says farmers should expect delays in signing up for farm safety net programs this year.

Lee Waters says changes to the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs brought by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are pushing back deadlines.

“The crop insurance deadline is March 15th.”  He says, “Usually, ARC and PLC’s for the current year is the same time.  It is not available to be done yet.  Due to the changes, and you know, USDA doesn’t have the staff level they used to, so we’re hearing minimum summer to fall even to sign up.”

Since reference prices for the programs are based on the full marketing year, Waters says a delayed signup should work in producers’ favor.

“The further we wait to sign up for it, the more likely we kind of know the bias of each product, because you will be going back to picking one or the other again,” he says.

He tells Brownfield that if commodity prices stay at current levels, the higher trigger prices mean farmers will see program payments this fall.

“$30 to $60 is going to be a range as of today.”  He says, “I feel pretty confident on the lower end of it, but if our prices don’t improve over the next eight months, that payment will be higher.”

Waters says the USDA is expected to release more information about ARC and PLC sign ups later this year.

AUDIO: Lee Waters – Farm Credit Illinois