The U.S. Department of Agriculture has officially opened enrollment for 2016 Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage. USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Val Dolcini stated that producers who chose coverage from the safety net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill can now enroll at FSA county offices.
“The choice between ARC and PLC is completed and remains in effect through 2018, but producers must still enroll their farm by signing a contract each year to receive coverage,” Dolcini stated.
Open enrollment will continue through August 1, 2016. Individuals who do not register before the deadline may lack protection in the event that crop prices or farm revenues fall below historical pricing or revenue benchmarks.
Originally, the ARC and PLC programs were created as a part of the 2014 Farm Bill. They act as a barrier for agriculturalists who may be negatively impacted by a drop in prices or profit for commodities, including barley, canola, chickpeas, corn and flaxseed.
Other benefits that came with the 2014 Farm Bill included the elimination of guaranteed farm operating loan term limits and the promotion of young farmer participation. The USDA set a goal of increasing young farmer engagement by 6.6 percent with the release of the bill, as the average age of an American farmer now exceeds 58 years.