By National Corn Growers Association
Overview of USDA Commodity Programs with H.R 1 OBBBA Provisions
Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Commodity Programs
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, is projected to increase federal spending on USDA programs by $66 billion over the next ten years including increasing outlays for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) commodity programs by $53 billion and federal crop insurance by $6 billion. These provisions have several staggered start dates by crop year, outlined below.
2025 Crop Year (last year’s corn crop)
- On October 7, 2026, USDA announced the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs will generate approximately $13.8 billion in gross payments.
- Payments are to be processed and released starting October 8 through October 31.
- For this crop year and payment cycle only, regardless of the previous producer signup, FSA will calculate the ARC and PLC payments and issue the higher of the two programs.
- OBBBA enhancements including higher reference prices and increased ARC-CO coverage levels are included in the payment calculations.
- Payments are made on existing base acres. Eligibility for the additional 30 million base acres starts for crop year 2026.
- OBBBA raised the payment limitation from $125,000 to $155,000 and adjusts the limitation to inflation. After adjusting for inflation, the payment limit is $160,000 per person or legal entity.
2026 Crop Year (this year’s corn crop)
- Producers can make elections and enroll for the 2026 crop year from September 16 through December 11, 2026.
- Although election changes for 2026 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year.
- Existing multi-year contracts ended in 2025, but producers have the option to sign a new multi-year contract for 2026 through 2031.
- If triggered, ARC and/or PLC payments will be made in October 2027.
- Payments will be made on existing base acres as well as the newly eligible additional 30 million base acres. Base allocation notifications are available at FSA or online at fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc using a Login.gov account.
- For payment limitations, the expanded definition of pass-through entities, which includes select LLCs and S-Corps, allows for these entities to be treated the same as general partnerships for payment limitations.
- Adjusted for inflation, the payment limit is $164,000 per person or legal entity.
2027 Crop Year (next year’s corn crop)
- Producers can make elections and enroll for the 2027 crop year from November 2, 2026, through March 15, 2027, which matches up with most federal crop insurance deadlines.
- If triggered, ARC and/or PLC payments will be made in October 2027.
- Adjusted for inflation, the payment limit is $170,000 per person or legal entity.
Current USDA Disaster and Economic Assistance Programs for Row Crops
Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) for 2023 and 2024 Disasters ($16.09 billion)
- For producers with indemnified losses – Sign-up began on July 10, 2025, and ended September 30, 2026.
- As of October 13, 2026, $13.77 billion payments were disbursed, including $4.96 billion for corn growers.
- For producers with uncovered/shallow losses/quality losses not covered by RMA the sign-up date was also September 30, 2026.
Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA) for 2025 Row Crops ($11 billion)
As of October 11, 2026, $9.83 billion payments were disbursed, including $4.1 billion for corn.
Sign-up began February 23, 2026, and ended April 17, 2026.
The payment rate for corn is $44.36/acre on planted acreage reported by Dec. 19, 2025.