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Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2023 crop year have until March 15, 2023, to elect and enroll a contract. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers these two safety net programs to provide vital income support to farmers experiencing substantial declines in crop prices or revenues.
Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-County or PLC, which are both commodity-by-commodity, or ARC-Individual, which covers the entire farm. Although election changes for 2023 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Additionally, if a producer has a multi-year contract on their farm and makes an election change for 2023, they will need to sign a new contract.
If producers do not submit an election by the March 15, 2023, deadline, the election remains the same as the 2022 election for commodities on the farm. Farm owners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the commodity.
Producers who do not complete enrollment by the deadline will not be enrolled in ARC or PLC for the 2023 year and will not receive a payment if triggered.
Producers are eligible to enroll farms with base acres for the following commodities: barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium and short grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
Decision Tools
In partnership with USDA, two web-based decision tools are available to assist producers in making informed, educated decisions using crop data specific to their respective farming operations:
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Gardner-farmdoc Payment Calculator, a tool available through the University of Illinois allows producers to estimate payments for farms and counties for ARC-CO and PLC.
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ARC and PLC Decision Tool, a tool available through Texas A&M University that allows producers to estimate payments and yield updates and expected payments for 2023.
Crop Insurance Considerations and Decision Deadline
ARC and PLC are part of a broader safety net provided by USDA, which also includes crop insurance and marketing assistance loans. Producers are reminded that ARC and PLC elections and enrollments can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products.
Producers on farms with a PLC election have the option of purchasing Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) through their Approved Insurance Provider. However, producers on farms where ARC is the election are ineligible for SCO on their planted acres for that crop on that farm.
Unlike SCO, the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) is unaffected by an ARC election. Producers may add ECO regardless of the farm program election.
Producers should contact their crop insurance agent to make certain that the election and enrollment made at FSA follows their intention to participate in STAX or SCO coverage. Producers have until March 15, 2023, to make the appropriate changes or cancel their ARC or PLC contract.
For more information on ARC and PLC, producers can visit the ARC and PLC webpage or contact their local USDA Service Center.
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages you to review available USDA crop risk protection options, including federal crop insurance and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage, before the crop deadline of March 15, 2023.
Federal crop insurance covers crop losses from natural adversities such as drought, hail and excessive moisture. NAP covers losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available.
Annual crops, hemp, and spring-seeded small grains in MA have a NAP application deadline of March 15th.
You can determine if crops are eligible for federal crop insurance or NAP by visiting the RMA website.
NAP offers higher levels of coverage, from 50 to 65 percent of expected production in 5 percent increments, at 100 percent of the average market price. Producers of organics and crops marketed directly to consumers also may exercise the “buy-up” option to obtain NAP coverage of 100 percent of the average market price at the coverage levels of between 50 and 65 percent of expected production. NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production.
For all coverage levels, the NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties.
Beginning, underserved, veterans and limited resource farmers are now eligible for free catastrophic level coverage.
Federal crop insurance coverage is sold and delivered solely through private insurance agents. Agent lists are available at all USDA Service Centers or at USDA’s online Agent Locator. You can use the USDA Cost Estimator to predict insurance premium costs.
For more information on NAP, service fees, sales deadlines, contact your County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Qualified veteran farmers or ranchers are eligible for a service fee waiver and premium reduction, if the NAP applicant meets certain eligibility criteria.
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USDA needs your vital feedback to make programs more accessible, equitable and easier to use.
Are you a farmer, rancher or forest manager? Please share your vital feedback with USDA by taking a nationwide survey at farmers.gov/survey! The survey is completely anonymous, will take about 10 minutes to complete, is available in multiple languages, and will be open until March 31, 2023. The survey focuses on gathering feedback about the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency.
All farmers, ranchers and forest managers are encouraged to take the survey. USDA would especially like to hear from prospective customers: those who don’t know about USDA or have yet to work with USDA, and those who were unable to participate in the past. The survey will help USDA enhance support, improve programs and services, increase access, and advance equity for new and existing customers.
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Did you know you can subscribe to receive free email and text message updates from USDA related to urban agriculture and innovative production here in Massachusetts?
Whether you’re scrolling through emails on your break or checking a text message between tasks, USDA wants to keep you posted on the latest news in urban agriculture and innovative production. Subscribe now to receive emails and text messages about important program information, eligibility requirements and deadlines from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA) related to urban agriculture, specifically in MA.
You can sign up for email alerts by visiting farmers.gov/subscribe (select “MA – Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production”). Urban agriculture is one of the many topics available to producers. If you subscribe online, you can also sign up for information on other topics, including disaster assistance, conservation programs, crop insurance and farm loans. Participants may unsubscribe at any time.
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Date: Wednesday, March 22
Time: 3 p.m. Eastern
The Schedule F is used to report taxable income earned from farming, ranching, and agricultural activities. Join USDA and Guido van der Hoeven, President, Land Grant University Tax Education Foundation, Inc. (LGUTEF), for a line-by-line review of this tax form.
Register in advance for the webinar on March 22, 2023.
Be a voice for your industry by serving on a Research & Promotion Program board with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Join a group that represents all facets of your industry - from producers to processors, manufacturers to importers - and help strengthen the future of American agriculture.
Research and Promotion programs focus on nutrition, research, marketing, and consumer
outreach efforts that improve, maintain, and develop opportunities for agricultural commodities and products. The programs allow stakeholders across an industry to pool their expertise and resources. These programs are administered by a board or council whose members are nominated by the specific industry and then appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
There are over 20 national research and promotion programs serving a variety of commodity industries.
AS A BOARD MEMBER, YOU WILL:
- Develop leadership and communication skills.
- Collaborate and network with stakeholders and
board members from across the industry.
- Build consumer confidence and protect the
industry’s reputation.
- On average, attend 2-6 meetings per year (6-15 days) &
receive reimbursement for travel costs for non-virtual
meetings.
For more information, click HERE.
On April 21 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts will host a statewide Local Working Group meeting over Zoom. This meeting is an opportunity to provide input on natural resource priorities in their region for the NRCS and the state conservationist. Agricultural producers, owners/operators of nonindustrial private forest land, professionals representing agricultural and natural resource interests, and individuals representing a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, plant, forestry, and wildlife sciences are all welcome. A registration link for the Zoom meeting is forthcoming.
For more information, contact Austin Miles, MACD Outreach Coordinator: amilesmacd@gmail.com.
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