Q&A: Farm program base acre increase
Written by Kent Thiesse, Farm Management Analyst
Eligible landowners will have the opportunity to increase their crop base acres for potential Ag Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) farm program payments in future years. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) recently announced that the eligible landowners will receive a notice of possible changes in their crop base acres, and will have from now until August 31, 2026 to finalize the proposed base acre updates. The so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) that was signed into law in 2025 provided for several updates to farm program provisions in the Farm bill, including the addition of crop base acres. This is the first opportunity to update crop base acres since 2022. Many questions have arisen regarding the potential crop base acre update
More from NDSU: Additional Base Acres in the Upper Midwest for Crop Year 2026
See a sample Base Allocation Summary here.
Following is a Q & A format of some common questions related to the crop base acre update:
Who actually makes the decision regarding the added crop base acres?
The information for potential crop base acre updates will be sent to landowners, and not to producers. By law, all base acre allocation decisions must be made by landowners. Producers make decisions on farm program enrollment and program choices. Farm operators with cash rented acres that could have added crop base acres may want to communicate with their landlords regarding the base acre update, in order to avoid confusion.
What is the process to accept or reject the proposed added crop base acres?
Landowners will be notified by direct mail from FSA regarding eligibility for upgrades to crop base acres. They will then be able to access the proposed changes in base acres by using a “login.gov” account, which is available online at: www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc. Landowners can also contact their local FSA office to receive a copy of the proposed changes in crop base acres on a farm unit. If landowners are in agreement with the crop base acre changes, they do not need to respond, and the base acres will be included for the 2026 crop year. If there are some discrepancies in the crop base data, landowners should contact their FSA office.
Which crops are eligible for added crop base acres?
The added base acres will be for acres planted to farm program crops that are currently not eligible for farm program benefits. Only existing farm program crops are eligible for the added base acres, and no new crops have been added for farm program eligibility.
How were the added crop base acre be determined?
Updates to base acres were determined from the actual planted crop acres each year from 2019 to 2023, based on planted acreage that was reported to FSA offices during those years. This includes any prevented planted acres that were reported. Landowners can not change or adjust those planted acres. Total crop base acres for all eligible crops on a farm unit can not exceed the total reported planted acres on that farm unit.
What will be the impact of the base acre update on existing crop base acres?
The base acre update is for added crop base acres and will not impact existing base acres. There will not be an opportunity to change or update existing crop base acres.
How many total crop base acres are being added and is there a potential adjustment?
The OBBB allows for the addition of up to a total of 30 million more farm program base acres, which will be allocated among eligible program crops. If the total added crop base acres in the U.S., exceed the established cap of 30 million acres, then the proposed added base acres for all landowners would be reduced on a prorated basis. For example, if the total allocated new crop allocated new crop base acres are 40 million acres, the proposed individual increases in base acres would be factored by .75. So, a proposed increase of 20 corn base acres on a farm unit would be factored lower to an increase of 15 corn base acres.
How will farm program yields be determined on the added crop base acres?
For the PLC farm program, the existing PLC yields on a given farm unit will also be applied on the new crop base acres, (For example, if the existing corn PLC yield is 160 bushels per acre, the same PLC yield would also be applied to any new corn base acres on the same farm unit.) There has not been an opportunity to update PLC yields in the past few Farm Bills. The yield on the new crop base acres for the ARC-CO program will be county benchmark yield that is used on all base acres of a given farm program crop within a County.
When will the new crop base acres be eligible for farm program payments?
The new crop base acres will be eligible for farm program benefits for the 2026 crop year. Potential PLC or ARC payments for corn and soybeans for the 2026 crop year will be calculated based on the market year average (MYA) prices from September 1, 2026 until August 31, 2027, with the MYA prices finalized on September 30, 2027. The marketing year for wheat and other small grain crops for the 2026 crop year will run from June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027, with MYA prices finalized on June 30, 2027. Amy PLC or ARC payments for 2026 would be paid after October 1, 2027.
When will sign-up for the 2026 farm program begin?
As of this writing, USDA has not announced any details regarding sign-up for the 2026 farm program; however, most likely 2026 farm program sign-up will not begin until after the conclusion of the process to update the crop base acres is completed on August 31, 2026. So, producers still have plenty of time to analyze the decision between the PLC or ARC-CO program for the 2026 crop year, or possibly even the ARC Individual (ARC-IC) farm program choice.
Where can landowners get more details on update of crop base acres?
For details on the crop base acre update, landowners can contact their local FSA office, or go to the special FSA website at: www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.
Which crops are likely to benefit the most from the added crop base acres?
Based on an analysis completed by the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Agricultural Risk Policy Center, it is estimated that over 85 percent of the new crop base acres will be allocated to corn, soybeans, and wheat base acres. The analysis estimates slightly over 10 million new corn base acres, slightly over 8 million new soybean base acres, and slightly over 7 million new wheat base acres will be added. Cotton was the only other program crop estimated to top 1 million new base acres.
Which areas of the U.S. are likely to benefit from the added crop base acres?
States that have converted large acreages of hay and grassland into commodity crop production in the past 20 years are likely to see the largest increases in crop base acres. Based on the NDSU analysis, North Dakota would top the list with over 2.8 new crop base acres. Other States estimated to add over 2 million new crop base acres include Texas, Minnesota, and South Dakota. Staes that are estimated to from 1 to 1.9 million new crop base acres include Iowa, Montana, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, and Kansas.
Bottom line on the added crop base acres
For most landowners and farm operators, no action will be necessary, as the new crop base acres on a farm unit will be automatically added to the existing base acres on that farm. However, it is probably a good idea to review the proposed changes to the crop base acres, once they are made available by FSA, in order to verify the accuracy of the data. It may also be advisable for producers that operate rented farms to communicate with their landlords regarding the potential changes to crop base acres, so there is no confusion. If either landowners or producers have questions regarding the updated crop base acre allocation, they should contact their local FSA office.
Note — For additional information contact Kent Thiesse, Farm Management Analyst
Phone — (507) 381-7960; E-mail — kentthiesse@gmail.com
