URBANA, Ill. (RFD NEWS) — Federal farm payment policy may be increasingly misaligned with today’s production realities, raising equity concerns and potential market distortions as new base acres are allocated in 2026.
Jonathan Coppess, with the University of Illinois Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics and former Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency, says the USDA’s continued reliance on decoupled base acres rewards historical planting decisions rather than current risk exposure.
In a January 15 farmdoc daily analysis, Coppess explains that ARC and PLC payments are tied to base acres, not planted acres, allowing farmers to receive payments for crops they do not grow. With USDA signaling it will prioritize assigning new base acres to formerly unassigned cotton acres, those design flaws are returning to the forefront as program signups are delayed.
Using national average data, Coppess shows that crops with high base-acre payment rates — particularly rice, peanuts, and seed cotton — generate significantly higher total returns when corn or soybeans are planted on those base acres. Two producers growing the same crop can receive vastly different income outcomes solely because of their base-acre history.
Those disparities may influence planting decisions, especially as higher ARC and PLC payments take effect under the Reconciliation Farm Bill. Coppess cautions that this could contribute to oversupply risks in corn and soybeans.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Decoupled base acres may amplify income inequality and distort planting decisions as farm program payments increase.
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist
According to the National Council of Farmers Cooperatives (NCFC), President and CEO Chuck Conner says, there is only one other option besides addressing ag labor shortages.
September 18, 2025 01:10 PM
·
For rural communities, this shift could mean new housing options for farmworkers and young families priced out of metro markets.
September 18, 2025 11:37 AM
·
Sen. Roger Marshall, a founding member and chairman of the Make America Healthy Again caucus, joined us with his thoughts on the commission’s latest report and the key ag-related issues.
September 17, 2025 04:36 PM
·
Grain shippers face lower freight values thanks to weak soybean exports and strong rail service, but barge traffic and forward Gulf loadings suggest continued uncertainty as harvest ramps up.
September 17, 2025 04:01 PM
·
California rancher and former NCBA President Kevin Kester joined House Republicans on Tuesday to tout provisions in the Big, Beautiful Bill that support family ranches.
September 17, 2025 01:40 PM
·
The EPA proposal laid out two options: fully reallocate all exempted volumes to the 2026–2027 standards, or reallocate half.
September 17, 2025 12:04 PM
·
The Fertilizer Research Act, reintroduced by Sens. Grassley, Ernst, and Baldwin, would direct the USDA to study and publish public reports on competition and pricing trends in the fertilizer market.
September 16, 2025 05:08 PM
·
Allowing year-round sales of E15 nationally could deliver billions in economic gains, according to a new study from the Renewable Fuels Association and National Corn Growers Association.
September 16, 2025 02:29 PM
·
U.S. aquaculture may gain competitive ground as harmful subsidies are phased out abroad, but producers should monitor shifts in import supply chains and trade enforcement closely.
September 16, 2025 01:07 PM
·
