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The January 12, 2026 report that USDA had no timetable for ARC/PLC signup is out of date. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) now lists September 16 through December 11, 2026 for 2026 election and enrollment. Producers must make an election and complete a signed annual contract by the deadline; contact your local FSA office to take action.
2026 ARC/PLC signup dates and deadline
FSA’s current schedule gives producers this window for the 2026 program year:
- Opens: September 16, 2026
- Deadline: December 11, 2026
FSA says a signed contract is required each year. Contact your local FSA office to make your election and complete enrollment. Check the FSA ARC/PLC page for current instructions before acting, because dates and program guidance can change.
Missing the deadline has a specific consequence: if a producer does not submit a 2026 election by December 11, the 2025 election remains in place for crops on the farm, but the farm is ineligible for payments for the 2026 program year, according to FSA.
What the January delay report said—and what changed
On January 12, 2026, the report “ARC, PLC Signup to be Significantly Delayed” described a moment when USDA had not set a 2026 enrollment timetable. That was a dated status update, not the current signup schedule. FSA has since set the September 16–December 11 window.
At the time, USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce told Agri-Pulse, as quoted in the January coverage: “By no means will the signup time frame put any producer in peril.” That comment concerned the then-anticipated timetable; it should not be treated as a current assurance or a reason to miss FSA’s deadline.
How ARC and PLC differ
Both programs can make payments when their respective triggers are met; neither guarantees a payment. ARC is revenue-based, while PLC is price-based. Your choice depends on the program’s reference data and the conditions affecting your farm or covered commodity.
| Option | What it protects against | Election unit listed by USDA |
|---|---|---|
| ARC-CO | County revenue falling below its guarantee | Crop by crop |
| PLC | A covered commodity’s effective price falling below its effective reference price | Crop by crop |
| ARC-IC | Revenue risk across the farm | The entire farm |
USDA’s ARC/PLC program page describes the triggers and election options. The information here does not identify a universally better election: producers need to weigh their own farm and commodity circumstances, and can seek assistance from FSA or a qualified farm-program adviser.
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The January 2026 report described higher support parameters under the new law. Farmdoc daily’s figures, as summarized in that coverage, show these statutory reference prices for the listed commodities through crop year 2030. Beginning in crop year 2031, the report said statutory reference prices rise 0.5% annually.
| Commodity | Previous statutory reference price | New statutory reference price | Increase reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corn | $3.70 per bushel | $4.10 per bushel | 11% |
| Soybeans | $8.40 per bushel | $10.00 per bushel | 19% |
| Wheat | $5.50 per bushel | $6.35 per bushel | 15% |
The same January report described ARC’s guarantee as 90% of benchmark revenue. These changes affect program parameters, not the signup dates or a guarantee that a farm will receive a payment.
Additional base acres
The law authorized USDA to add up to 30 million base acres nationwide, using 2019–2023 planting history and a prorated formula; it did not allow existing base acres to be reallocated. FSA now reports that eligible acres exceeded the national cap and that newly allocated base acres were reduced by 3.69% across the board. See the current FSA program information for the agency’s allocation update.
Related crop-insurance change
The January report also described an expansion of the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) to 90% county-level coverage with an 80% federal premium subsidy. SCO is a crop-insurance change, separate from ARC/PLC election and enrollment; it does not alter the ARC/PLC deadline.
What producers should do
- Review the farm’s program information. Identify the covered crops and farm circumstances relevant to ARC-CO, PLC, or ARC-IC.
- Compare the available elections. ARC-CO and PLC are elected crop by crop; ARC-IC covers the entire farm. Consider the distinct revenue and effective-price triggers rather than assuming one option is best for every crop or farm.
- Contact your local FSA office. Make the election and complete the required signed annual contract through the office.
- Complete the process by December 11, 2026. The FSA deadline applies to 2026 election and enrollment.
FSA also lists a later window for the next program year: 2027 election and enrollment runs November 2, 2026 through March 15, 2027. That is a separate schedule from the 2026 deadline.
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