WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. farmers are eligible for approximately $13.8 billion in federal crop-support payments for the 2025 growing season, the largest annual total since the programs began in 2014, as expanded price protections and weaker commodity revenues trigger substantial government assistance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said payments under its Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs will reach eligible producers as the Farm Service Agency completes calculations.
The $13.8 billion represents gross payments before statutory payment limits and a mandatory 5.7% sequestration reduction. The total exceeds payouts for every previous crop year since the programs were established under the 2014 Farm Bill.
The record payments follow changes enacted through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which increased statutory reference prices and revised calculations used to determine federal commodity assistance beginning with the 2025 crop year.
For 2025, producers will automatically receive whichever payment rate is higher under ARC or PLC, regardless of which program they originally selected.
The legislation also increased the annual payment limit from $125,000 to $155,000, with inflation adjustments. The applicable limit for the 2025 crop year is $160,000.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the assistance would provide farmers with liquidity to meet operating expenses, prepare for the next growing season, and invest in their businesses.
The department identified 16 crops that triggered PLC payments, including corn, soybeans, wheat, peanuts, cotton, rice, grain sorghum and several specialty commodities.
PLC payments are triggered when a commodity’s effective price falls below a federally established reference price.
ARC payments, by contrast, compensate producers when crop revenues fall below guaranteed levels. County-based ARC payments depend on local revenue conditions, while individual coverage evaluates revenue across an eligible farm.
The Farm Service Agency will distribute county-based ARC payments as the necessary calculations are completed.
The department also opened enrollment for the 2026 crop year, when another provision of the legislation will expand the acreage eligible for federal commodity support.
Congress authorized 30 million additional base acres nationwide. Because qualifying acreage exceeded that limit, USDA applied a uniform 3.69% reduction to newly allocated acres.
Those additional base acres will become eligible for ARC and PLC coverage beginning with the 2026 crop year and will remain part of the programs in subsequent years.
Farmers must complete their annual program elections and enrollment through their local Farm Service Agency offices.
Additional information about eligibility, payment calculations, and enrollment is available at fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.
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