Crop Insurance
Farmers could see record ARC and PLC payments by the end of October, but estimates of $13.2 to $13.8 billion fall short of early projections, and payment limits could trim individual checks.
Grain quality problems are raising red flags in parts of the Corn Belt. Timing a call to your insurance agent could be just as important as timing your harvest this year.
USDA set new ARC/PLC enrollment deadlines this week and added 30 million base acres for 2026 and 2027. Economists say this gives farmers a clearer read on the programs, but warn against chasing whichever pays the most.
Government payments, insurance and regenerative incentives are worth about $0.52 per bushel on a 220-bu farm. Add them to a $5.49 December board and the marketing math changes — if you know your numbers line by line.
By tying soil-health data to actuarial risk, Michigan hopes to build a crop insurance model that rewards resilience and could eventually scale beyond the state.
The federal farm safety net was designed to offset losses. But some farmers and economists argue it has become a profit enhancer, raising questions about land values, competition and the future of agriculture.
Dust became dollars in one of the wildest agriculture crimes on record.
As farmers focus on changes to crop insurance ahead of the March 16 deadline, Ben Rand says some of the most valuable risk tools have existed for years, but there are also key changes farmers shouldn’t overlook.