Market News & Headlines >> ARC/PLC Deadline Pushed Back Another Week

USDA on Friday gave U.S. farmers another week to enroll in the government's new subsidy programs under the 2014 farm bill, extending the deadline to April 7.

The extension was the second granted by the agency, which had previously pushed back the deadline by one month from Feb. 27 to March 31.

Participating grain farmers must choose between Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC). Producers who have an appointment at their local FSA offices scheduled by April 7 will be able to make an election between ARC and PLC, even if their actual appointment is after April 7.

If no changes are made to yield history or base acres by the deadline, the farm's current yield and base acres will be used. If a program choice of ARC or PLC is not made, there will be no 2014 crop year payments for the farm and the farm will default to PLC coverage for the 2015 through 2018 crop years.