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North Dakota FSA eNews  -  January, 2025

USDA Announces 2025 Enrollment Periods for Crop and Dairy Safety-Net Programs

Producers Can Enroll in the 2025 Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs Beginning Jan. 21 and Dairy Margin Coverage Beginning Jan.29

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the 2025 enrollment periods for key safety-net programs – Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) as well as Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC). Agricultural producers can submit applications to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for ARC and PLC for the 2025 crop year from Jan. 21 to April 15 and for DMC for the 2025 coverage year from Jan. 29 to March 31.

ARC and PLC provide financial protections to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms. Meanwhile, DMC provides producers with price support to help offset milk and feed price differences.  

“Our safety-net programs provide critical financial protections against commodity market volatilities for many American farmers, so don’t delay enrollment,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “If you’re getting coverage through the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs, avoid the rush and contact your local FSA office for an appointment. Even if you are not changing your program election for 2025, you still need to sign a contract to enroll.” 

“And at $0.15 per hundredweight for $9.50 coverage, risk protection through Dairy Margin Coverage is a relatively inexpensive investment in a true sense of security and peace of mind.”   

The American Relief Act, 2025 extended many Farm Bill-authorized programs for another year, including ARC and PLC as well as DMC.  

ARC and PLC 

Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-County (ARC-CO) or PLC, which provide crop-by-crop protection, or ARC-Individual (ARC-IC), which protects the entire farm. Although election changes for 2025 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Also, if a producer has a multi-year contract on the farm it will continue for 2025 unless an election change is made.      

If producers do not submit their election revision by the April 15 deadline, their election remains the same as their 2024 election for commodities on the farm from the prior year. Farm owners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the cropland.       

Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.      

USDA also reminds producers that ARC and PLC elections and enrollments can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products including Supplemental Coverage Option, Enhanced Coverage Option and, for cotton producers, the Stacked Income Protection Plan (commonly referred to as STAX).  

For more information on ARC and PLC, producers can visit the ARC and PLC webpage or contact their local USDA Service Center.  

DMC 

DMC is a voluntary risk management program that offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer.  

DMC offers different levels of coverage, even an option that is free to producers, minus a $100 administrative fee. The administrative fee is waived for dairy producers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged or a military veteran. 

DMC payments are calculated using updated feed and premium hay costs, making the program more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses. These updated feed calculations use 100% premium alfalfa hay.   

For more information on DMC, visit the DMC webpage. 

More Information 

Producers can apply for ARC, PLC and DMC through the FSA at their local USDA Service Center.