2026 ARC/PLC Enrollment Opens: Base Acre Allocations Are Final and Contracts Are Due December 11

The USDA Farm Service Agency announced on September 15, 2026 that the new base acre allocation process is complete and that 2026 ARC/PLC election and enrollment opened on September 16, 2026. This alert supersedes the earlier Base Acre Review alert: the review stage is over, individual allocations are now available, and the required action has shifted from reviewing potential base acreage to checking the final allocation and completing enrollment.

What changed

USDA allocated more than 30 million new base acres — the first base acre increase in two decades. Because eligible acreage exceeded the statutory nationwide cap, FSA applied an across-the-board 3.69% reduction to newly allocated base acres. Landowners can now obtain their individual base allocation notices.

Who may be affected

Owners and operators of farms with ARC/PLC-eligible covered commodities, particularly families whose farms were reviewed for the 2026 base acre allocation. This matters to landowners and to tenants and operators alike: base acres attach to the farm, while ARC/PLC elections, enrollment contracts, and producer interests determine program participation.

Deadlines

• 2026 election and enrollment: September 16 – December 11, 2026
• 2027 election and enrollment: November 2, 2026 – March 15, 2027

What action may be needed

Landowners should obtain and review the new base allocation notification. Notices are available through FSA using Login.gov; landowners without an account can obtain the notice from their FSA county office. Producers should then review the farm's ARC/PLC election and sign the required 2026 enrollment contract by December 11. Election changes are optional; annual enrollment is not.

One consequence deserves particular attention: if a producer does not submit a 2026 election by December 11, the farm's election defaults to its 2025 election, but the farm becomes ineligible for ARC/PLC payments for the 2026 program year. Existing multi-year contracts ended in 2025; producers may instead sign a new multi-year contract covering 2026–2031.

Where should the information be verified?

Landowners and producers should verify allocations, election options, contract requirements, and deadlines directly with the USDA Farm Service Agency.