USDA Farm Service Agency Announces Key Dates for New 2014 Farm Bill Safety Net Programs

The Farm Service Agency has outlined four phases of the new Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs designed to help farmers manage risk. The first phase began last month when farmers received written notices advising them of their current base acres, program yields and 2008-2012 planting history. Farmers should check the information to make sure it is correct. The second phase began this week. Farm owners can now update their crop yields and decide whether to retain the farm’s 2013 base acres or to reallocate. The third phase is the program election period planned for this winter. Producers will be able to make a one-time election for 2014-2018 crop years between the ARC or PLC programs. The final phase allows producers to complete their annual enrollment. Read more for dates and detailed information or review information about ARC-PLC.