Agricultural producers have a relatively short window to complete their Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) decisions for the 2026 crop year. Enrollment opened September 16 and closes December 11, 2026.
This signup is unusual because producers are making their 2026 election near the end of the growing season rather than before planting. By the time they visit their Farm Service Agency office, many producers will know their harvested yields, whether prevented planting occurred and have a general idea of how county production was overall. Any resulting payments will be made after the end of the applicable marketing year, most commonly in fall 2027.
The newly allocated base acres also take effect beginning with the 2026 enrollment. The additional base acres will not increase payments for the 2025 crop year, but they should be included when producers evaluate their current 2026 ARC/PLC election.
Producers must enroll to remain eligible
Producers may elect ARC-County (ARC-CO), PLC or ARC-Individual (ARC-IC) for 2026. Although changing the program election is optional, completing enrollment is necessary. If producers do not submit a 2026 election by December 11, their election will default to the program selected for 2025, but the farm will be ineligible to receive a 2026 payment.
The election is made by FSA farm number and producers can select ARC-County or PLC individually for each covered commodity that has base acres associated with that farm. If ARC-Individual is selected, all base acres on that farm number are enrolled in ARC-Individual.
Most producers will choose PLC or ARC-County
PLC only provides price protection. A payment is triggered when the national marketing-year average (MYA) price falls below the commodity’s effective reference price. The payment rate is multiplied by the farm’s established PLC yield and 85% of the commodity’s base acres. It is generally the stronger alternative when the primary concern is a substantial decline in national prices.
ARC-County provides county-level revenue protection. A payment is triggered when the crop’s actual county revenue falls below 90% of its benchmark county revenue. Actual county revenue is determined using the county yield and national marketing-year average price. The “ARC Effective Price” is the price it would take to trigger a payment, assuming the county average yield is equal to the benchmark yield. ARC-CO also pays on 85% of the commodity’s base acres. It may provide protection against a moderately lower price, a countywide yield loss or a combination of the two. However, the payment is capped at 12% of the crop’s benchmark revenue.
Choosing between PLC and ARC-CO
Commodity | 2026 PLC Effective Reference Price | 2026 ARC Effective Price | WASDE Price Projections as of 9/11/2026 |
| Corn | $4.42/bu. | $4.53/bu. | $4.80/bu. |
| Soybeans | $10.71/bu. | $10.95/bu. | $12.00/bu. |
| Wheat | $6.35/bu. | $6.28/bu. | $6.40/bu. |
| Grain Sorghum | $4.67/bu. | $4.77/bu. | $4.60/bu. |
Under the September 11, 2026 USDA WASDE price projections, PLC would not currently be expected to trigger for corn, soybeans, and wheat because the projected prices remain above their effective reference prices. Grain sorghum is projected below the effective reference price, creating PLC payments.
Again, ARC-County results will also depend on the final county yield. A county with a strong 2026 crop may require a much lower price to trigger an ARC-CO payment. A county with a significant yield loss could trigger ARC-County even if the national price remains above the PLC reference price. Assuming that a county’s 2026 yield is the same as the county benchmark yield, corn, soybeans, and wheat are currently not expected to trigger ARC-CO payments while grain sorghum is expected to trigger a ARC-CO payment.
What about ARC-Individual?
ARC-Individual also provides revenue protection, but it uses the producer’s actual yields and combines the covered commodities for all the farms the producer has enrolled into ARC-IC into a whole-farm calculation. It is also important to note that ARC-IC pays on only 65% of total base acres, rather than the 85% used by ARC-County and PLC. Because ARC-IC averages revenue across covered commodities and participating farms, strong production from one crop or farm may offset a loss elsewhere. The whole-farm calculation and payment on only 65% of base acres are reasons why ARC-IC is not the best option for most Nebraska farmers.
When should a producer take a closer look at ARC-IC?
- All or nearly all initially reported covered-commodity acres within the applicable ARC-IC farm(s) were approved as prevented planted. Having only a few prevented-planted acres on a farm number does not automatically make ARC-IC advantageous.
- The farm experienced a substantial individual yield loss that was not reflected in the county average.
- The producer’s historical farm yields are considerably higher than the yields used for ARC-County or PLC.
- Production is concentrated in one covered commodity and one FSA farm, limiting the amount of revenue averaging that occurs.
If a producer is looking at ARC-IC, they must also be ready for the paperwork that is required with it. ARC-IC participants must maintain and report acceptable production records for these calculations and report it to their FSA office. Failure to provide the required production information may result in the loss of payment eligibility.
Producers should use one of the available ARC/PLC decision tools to determine whether ARC-IC is the best option for their operation. For assistance evaluating the alternatives, contact Anastasia Meyer, Extension Economist.
Crop insurance no longer dictates the election
Beginning with the updated program, producers may purchase Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) or the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) regardless of whether the farm is enrolled in ARC-CO, ARC-IC or PLC. Producers should still evaluate how the programs work together, but the desire to purchase SCO no longer forces the farm into PLC.
Making the decision for your farm(s)
The advantage of this year’s late enrollment period helps because producers can incorporate actual planting outcomes, prevented planting and much of the 2026 harvest into the analysis, but they must complete enrollment by December 11 to remain eligible for a 2026 payment.
There is no single ARC/PLC election that is best for every Nebraska farm. The decision largely comes down to one question: What type of risk do you most want to protect against: county-level revenue losses or substantial declines in national market prices?
PLC provides protection when the national marketing-year average price falls below the commodity’s effective reference price. ARC-CO, by comparison, provides protection when county revenue falls below the program guarantee because of lower county yields, lower national prices or a combination of both. Producers with multiple FSA farm numbers may choose different programs for the same crop on different farms, allowing them to tailor coverage to each farm’s location, yield risk and overall risk-management strategy.
Lastly, because of its whole-farm structure and payment calculation, ARC-IC generally warrants careful, case-specific evaluation and is likely to be the preferred option for relatively few Nebraska producers.
