Producers can now enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2020 crop year, USDA announced Tuesday (September 3).
Enrollment for the two programs will be open through March 15, 2020. If no election is made by the deadline, it will default "to the current elections of the crops on the farm established under the 2014 Farm Bill," USDA said. No payment will be earned in 2019 if the election defaults, the department noted.
Under changes introduced by the 2018 Farm Bill, farmers may enroll and elect program year 2019 coverage in crop-by-crop ARC-County or PLC, or ARC-Individual for the entire farm. The 2019 election will apply for both the 2019 and 2020 crop years. Farmers will then have an opportunity to change their program elections in crop years 2021 through 2023.
Once 2019 crop year elections are completed, producers can submit an enrollment contract for the 2020 crop year beginning October 7, 2019 and ending June 30, 2020.
"The ARC and PLC programs, in combination with crop insurance, are the bedrock of the farm safety net for crop farmers and something I hear about frequently on the road," USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement. "This exciting opportunity for enrollment in these programs marks the first time folks will have the opportunity to switch their elections since the 2014 Farm Bill was implemented. I am pleased to add that today’s announcement means our staff met yet another major Farm Bill implementation goal and they are continuing to move full speed ahead," he concluded.
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