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
Iowa Ag Secretary Naig recaps discussions surrounding a potential federal aid package for farmers and shares insights on producer sentiment in the Heartland.
Winter weather will challenge livestock producers working to rebuild their herds despite harsh conditions.
Enforceable origin labels could create clearer premiums for U.S. cattle and address concerns some producers have had with competition from foreign imported beef.
Friday’s release will be the first WASDE report in about two months, and early estimates indicate a corn surplus is still on the way.
A Reuters report shows China has a soybean “glut,” finding stockpiles at Chinese ports are at record levels, with crushers there holding the most supplies since 2017.
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) says recent wins in markets like Malaysia and Cambodia help farmers focus on production rather than trade barriers.
One Iowa man’s story is a powerful reminder of service, sacrifice, and home.
Export strength is concentrated in corn and wheat, while soybeans and sorghum lag, keeping basis and logistics dynamics highly commodity-specific into late fall.
Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (PRF) interval selection—not just participation—drives protection levels as rainfall patterns become less predictable across the South.

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:

According to November’s Cattle on Feed Report, Nebraska now leads the nation in cattle feeding as tighter supplies continue to reshape regional market power and long-term price dynamics.
Higher rail tariffs and tighter Canadian supplies will keep oat transportation costs firm into 2026.
Industry support ensures continued funding for mango marketing and research, helping sustain long-term demand growth.
Lower U.S. and Mexican production means tighter sugar supplies and greater reliance on imports headed into 2026.
Tyson’s closure reflects deep supply shortages in the U.S. cattle industry, tightening packing capacity, weakening competition, and signaling more volatility ahead for cow-calf producers and feedyards.
Lower tariff rates and new rail-service proposals may improve corn movement efficiency during early-season marketing.