Late this summer, growers will get their first chance in years to switch between the Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage subsidies, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told lawmakers last week. During testimony at two hearings, Perdue also said the USDA would hold a “general” sign-up for the Conservation Reserve before the end of the year.
Perdue said enrollment for ARC and PLC was likely to begin Sept. 1. Analysts expect wheat, corn and soybean growers to apply mostly for the traditionally designed PLC because it has better protection against sustained low prices. Farmers had to make a one-time election between ARC and PLC for the life of the 2014 farm law. Under the new law, they will make one choice for their 2019 and 2020 crops. After that, it’s an annual election.
Dec. 1 is the target for opening enrollment for the Conservation Reserve, said Perdue. The 2018 farm law allows maximum enrollment of 27 million acres, an increase of 3 million acres from the current limit. In a general enrollment, landowners offer to idle large tracts for 10 years or longer in exchange for an annual rent. Perdue said so-called continuous enrollment, for high-priority practices such as buffer strips or windbreaks that cover small amounts of land, was likely to open in the summer. The Conservation Reserve idles environmentally fragile land.