Kansas Farmers Get Extra Time to Decide on ARC or PLC Programs

Kansas farmers have been advised to start evaluating their choices between the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2026 crop year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) recently announced that the election and enrollment period for 2026 will run from Sept. 16 through Dec. 11, with the 2027 crop year following from Nov. 2 through March 15, 2027.

Robin Reid, a Kansas State University agricultural economist, emphasized that the delayed decision deadline provides farmers with a unique opportunity to gather more information about their crops before making a choice. Harvesting this year’s crop before the decision deadline allows producers to utilize actual yield and price data, particularly beneficial for wheat, whose marketing year has already begun.

Reid explained that ARC offers income protection based on revenue, while PLC is tied to commodity prices. The choice between the two may hinge on county yields and price trends. If yields are low due to dry conditions, ARC might be preferable due to its revenue-based structure. Conversely, if yields are high, PLC could become more relevant as it requires lower prices to generate payments.

Kansas State University has developed an online spreadsheet to help farmers compare potential ARC and PLC payments under various price scenarios. Reid encouraged producers to begin considering their options but advised against rushing to FSA offices, suggesting they wait until after harvest to evaluate yields and make informed decisions.

The USDA also updated farmers on new base acres, noting that more than 30 million acres exceeded the national cap, resulting in a 3.69% reduction to newly allocated base acres. Existing base acres remain unaffected. Additionally, ARC and PLC payments for the 2025 crop are scheduled to begin in October 2026, with farmers receiving the higher payment regardless of the program they elected.