USDA Commodity Programs Trigger for 2025 Crop Year

Corn growers are expected to receive $5 billion in payments nationwide this month from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs for the 2025 crop year. The two commodity safety net programs are designed to help farmers experiencing sharp crop or revenue declines.

The payments to corn growers are part of the $13.8 billion in gross payments to eligible agricultural producers that were announced this week by Secretary Brooke Rollins.

NCGA quickly weighed in on these developments.

"Corn growers appreciate USDA's work to implement changes to important farm safety net programs," said Michigan farmer and NCGA President Matt Frostic. "These announcements reflect the challenges growers have faced in the farm economy throughout the 2025 crop growing and marketing year. NCGA continues to work to build demand and strengthen markets for corn."

Corn growers have been working on multiple fronts to increase corn demand, Frostic noted. This includes work to pass legislation that would eliminate a dated regulation that prevents the summertime sale of fuels with 15% ethanol blends, often referred to as E15. The U.S. House has passed a standalone bill in May addressing the issue and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry passed a farm bill this September containing similar language.

NCGA is also working to secure additional markets for ethanol beyond on-road use, including maritime fuel, sustainable aviation fuel and biobased products.

On the commodity program front, USDA reminded farmers that the national and commodity specific numbers do not account for payment limitation reductions and the 5.7% sequestration rate required by statute that will be applied to all ARC and PLC payments.

Corn growers are encouraged to enroll and make elections between the programs for the 2026 crop year from before December 11, 2026, and for the 2027 crop year between November 2, 2026, through March 15, 2027.

USDA previously announced that 30 million additional new base acres will be added to farms eligibility nationwide starting with the 2026 crop year. According to USDA, growers will receive eligibility for ARC and PLC on over 11.9 million new corn base acres.

These recent announcements by USDA stem from federal investments provided through last year's H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.