ST. PAUL, Minn. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Minnesota is holding a public Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) webinar with the University of Minnesota Extension at 2 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2022. Farmers and others involved in agriculture will have an opportunity to learn more about the ARC/PLC programs and factors to consider when making elections for the 2022 crop year.
The ARC and PLC programs provide financial protections to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety-nets for most American farms. Producers can elect coverage and enroll in crop-by-crop ARC-County or PLC, or ARC-Individual for the entire farm, for the 2022 crop year. Although election changes for 2022 are optional, enrollment (signed contract) is required for each year of the program. If a producer has a multi-year contract on the farm and makes an election change for 2022, it will be necessary to sign a new contract. The webinar will highlight program information and review coverage options.
You can join the Minnesota FSA and University of Minnesota Extension ARC/PLC webinar through the following link: Click HERE to join the Jan. 26, 2 p.m. Minnesota Webinar
Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to participate in this meeting should contact Daniel Mahoney at (651) 602-7710, or Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339, and daniel.mahoney@usda.gov by Jan. 20, 2022.
Participants can register in advance or on the day of the webinar. The webinar will be recorded and posted for future viewing at z.umn.edu/farmbill2022.
FSA is currently accepting applications for ARC/PLC enrollment through March 15, 2022. To learn more about ARC/PLC visit fsa.usda.gov or contact your local USDA Service Center. ARC and PLC are not available for all agricultural crops grown in Minnesota. Only covered commodities with established base acres are eligible for participation in ARC and PLC sign-up. The 22 covered commodities nationwide include wheat, oats, barley, corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, sunflower seed, rapeseed, canola, safflower, flaxseed, mustard seed, crambe, sesame seed, seed cotton, dry peas, lentils, small chickpeas, large chickpeas, and peanuts. Farm Service Agency recognizes 13 covered commodities in Minnesota. University of Minnesota Extension’s Farm Bill educational analysis focuses on corn, soybean and wheat pricing and sign-up decisions.
Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email and other digital tools. Because of the pandemic, some USDA Service Centers are open to limited visitors. Producers should contact their Service Center to set up an in-person or phone appointment. Additionally, more information related to USDA’s response and relief for producers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
Questions or comments on educational content related to making your 2022 ARC/PLC decision can be directed to Megan Roberts, Extension educator, at meganr@umn.edu.
— University of Minnesota Extension
