ARC-CO Payments Dominate 2024 Support as Margins Tighten

ARC-CO delivers the bulk of 2024 support, offering key margin relief as producers manage tight operating conditions.

corn crop aerial_adobe stock.png

URBANA, Ill. (RFD-TV) — Payments from Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) are now being issued for the 2024 crop year, offering meaningful help as row-crop margins remain tight. New analysis from farmdoc daily (University of Illinois and Ohio State University) shows that ARC-CO provides the bulk of support, with payments triggered widely outside the core Corn Belt, where county yields fell below benchmark levels.

Total ARC-CO and PLC outlays are estimated at $2.6 billion, with 89 percent coming from ARC-CO. Corn base acres are expected to receive nearly $1.3 billion (about $18 per acre on average), while soybeans total $618 million. PLC payments are limited to peanuts and seed cotton — roughly $295 million combined — as market-year prices for most commodities stayed above PLC reference levels.

For producers, these payments provide critical cash-flow relief heading into another year of elevated costs and narrow margins, supplementing recent disaster and ad hoc assistance.

Farm-Level Takeaway: ARC-CO delivers the bulk of 2024 support, offering key margin relief as producers manage tight operating conditions.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Specialist

To learn more, visit: farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2025/11/estimates-of-2024-arc-co-and-plc-payments.html.

Related Stories
Even in this strong market, some beef producers are leaving money on the table by not following proven marketing practices.
President Trump is expected to press Argentina to take a tougher stance on China in exchange for political and economic support.
Treat storage as risk management and logistics, and budget to break even since export growth is unlikely to absorb bigger U.S. corn and soybean crops.
Nick Andersen, Nationwide’s VP of Agribusiness Claims, shares tips for managing weather-related risks in agriculture using their new Hail and Wind Alert Program.
Better yield measurement means fairer grids, more precise breeding targets, and more dollars for truly efficient cattle.
Escalating U.S.–China tensions threaten soybean demand as farm finances are stretched further.

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Corn and wheat inspections outpaced last year, but soybean movement remains seasonally active yet behind, keeping basis and freight dynamics in focus by corridor.
Lawmakers are pressing for answers on how Washington’s “managed trade” approach — keeping leverage through long-term tariffs — will affect farmers, global markets, and future export opportunities.
Beef industry groups seem to agree — market-based pricing, not federal intervention, best supports rancher livelihoods and long-term beef supply stability.
Cattle groups say additional imports would offer little relief for consumers but could erode rancher confidence as the industry begins to rebuild herds.
Harvest Pace, Logistics, and Input Costs Drive Fall Decisions
With China halting U.S. soybean purchases and talks tied to broader strategic issues, growers face renewed export uncertainty.