Farmers are now focused on the 2026 growing season and are making their crop insurance decisions by March 15th.
There are now more coverage options and choices than ever! The Farm Bill is another risk management tool for farmers to survive this downturn in commodity prices. The crop insurance team at The Accel Group is staying current on Farm Bill for updates and changes including signup and upcoming potential payments.
We will break down both 2025 and 2026 crop year updates below.
2025 ARC/PLC Update
As you know the OBBBA was signed in July of 2025. If you missed our newsletter with the changes to the Farm Bill, here is the link for background on ARC/PLC changes for 2025.
For 2025 only, farmers will be paid the higher of ARC-county or PLC payments for both corn and soybeans (regardless of your enrollment @ the FSA in March 2025).
Will farmers in Eastern Iowa receive ARC or PLC payments for the 2025 crop year?
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In many counties, the answer is yes.
See estimates below using WASDE’s current estimate of corn and soybean marketing year prices of $4.10 and $10.20.
Final county yields and marketing year prices will be announced in October 2026, and payments will be made shortly after.
For corn estimates, there is a slight advantage to ARC-county. Soybean payments will likely be much less, and its likely PLC payments will prevail.
2026 Farm Bill Update
ARC and PLC enrollment for the 2026 crop year has been delayed until later in 2026.
This is because the Ag Department has made some revisions to include adding base acres which requires many of the FSA resources. This delay in enrollment will help farmers make better decisions in which program to enroll as the size of the 2026 crop and price outlook will be more clear later this summer.
Look for updates once we get word of the new deadline later this year.
The crop insurance deadline is still March 15, 2026, which includes:
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ECO (Enhanced Coverage Option)
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SCO(Supplemental Coverage Option).
Comparing 2026 ARC Benchmarks and PLC Effective Prices to 2025
Assuming no changes to the current ARC/PLC program for 2026, how does the 2026 ARC benchmark revenues and PLC Effective Prices compare to 2025?
Surprisingly, the prices used to set the 2026 ARC benchmark and PLC reference prices are the same as 2025.
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The Olympic price is the same because 2020, 2021, and 2023 are the 3 years used to calculate the Olympic average price.
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The 2019 “low” price was thrown out for 2025 prices. In 2026, 2024 “low” will be thrown out. 2022 “high” price was thrown out for the past 2 years.
The PLC reference price for 2026 remains at:
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$4.42 for corn
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$10.71 for soybeans.
The ARC benchmark revenues have changed for most counties only because the Olympic average yields have been updated.
See chart below for updated ARC-county benchmark revenues for 2026.
The Bottom Line
The Farm Bill will remain a great risk management tool for 2026! Look for more updates in the spring and summer! Have questions about how ARC, PLC, or crop insurance work together? Our AgriBusiness team is here to help.