Here’s What You Need to Do
USDA has officially announced, in a press release, the base acre review period for ARC and PLC programs. This is an opportunity to have your farm operation reviewed for potential increase of USDA base acres. If you think you might qualify for an upward adjustment in your base acres, this is your window to act.
Quick Recap: What Are Base Acres?
Base acres are the historical record of cropland tied to a specific FSA farm number. They determine your eligibility and payment amounts under the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. One thing to keep in mind is that base acres do not necessarily align with current plantings. Base acres stay with the farm, not the farmer, and have been essentially locked since 2018.
That changed with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which authorized up to 30 million new commodity base acres starting in 2026. It’s the first update in over a decade.
What’s New
Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that landowners can review their Base Allocation Summary starting June 1, 2026. The review period runs through August 31, 2026. Here’s what you need to know:
- Notification: Starting June 1, FSA will begin notifying landowners by mail about potential base acreage updates. Landowners with a Login.gov account can also access their Base Allocation Summary online through the FSA website.
- Review: FSA says, “After reviewing your base allocation summary, no further action is required if the information is correct. If FSA is not notified, the Base Allocation Summary will be considered accurate and complete.”
- Deadline: The review period closes August 31. Use this time to verify your current base acres, check whether your operation qualifies for additional acres, and if there are any more action steps on your review.
- Crops: There are 22 covered commodities, including corn, soybeans, wheat, grain sorghum, seed cotton, rice, and peanuts. See the complete list here.
What About ARC/PLC Election?
The base acre review period is separate from the ARC/PLC election and enrollment. The election sign-up date has not been announced yet, but FSA has indicated the base acre allocation will be completed before ARC/PLC sign-up begins.
