Today is the deadline for farmers to buy crop insurance for spring-seeded crops. Agents say you need to be prepared, pointing to last year’s near-record coverage.
“Last year, about 550 million acres of farm and ranchland nationwide were covered by crop insurance. That’s roughly nine out of ten acres that are eligible for coverage, which is up dramatically from just five years ago when fewer than 379 million acres were covered,” said Tom Zacharias with Nationla Crop Insurance Services.
Farmers and ranchers spent more than $6 billion last year out of their own pockets to buy 2.4 million policies. Zacharias says those policies then provided nearly $160 billion in protections.
Other crop insurance deadlines are on the horizon but there is still time. ARC and PLC decisions are due next month, which is a month later than normal. When making those plans, ag economists say PLC will likely pay less for most of the Corn Belt.
“Obviously, we don’t know all the prices and yields that will happen in 2025. If we have extremely low prices, PLC will pay more, but that’s a pretty remote case yet,” said Economist Gary Schnitkey.
Schnitkey and his team are leaning toward ARC county over PLC for corn, soybeans, and wheat this year, adding federal farm safety net programs are free of charge.
Pork producers warn that proposed definitions of “ultra-processed” food in guidelines from the “Make America Healthy Again” plan could negatively impact industry-standard bacon, sausage, and feed practices.
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Concerns over Chronic Wasting Disease are fueling a long-standing legal battle between Minnesota regulators and deer farmers. The case could soon reach the state’s Supreme Court with broader implications for agriculture.
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The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) are praising the passage of a bill to delist gray wolves as an endangered species by the U.S. House last week.
December 22, 2025 01:23 PM
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Recent USDA export sales data show China has been active in the U.S. market, but analysts tell RFD-TV News that the timing is a key clue.
December 22, 2025 12:45 PM
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National Land Realty’s Jeramy Stephens shares his outlook on farmland market trends, which remain under close watch as new federal assistance programs roll out — with experts analyzing potential impacts on land values, buying, and stability.
December 19, 2025 02:15 PM
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Michelle Perez shares more about the American Farmland Trust’s resource to help farmers and producers plan soil health improvements.
December 19, 2025 02:03 PM
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