Beech Tree News Network

Many of you have already received a call, and the rest of grain producers and grain crop landowners will be getting a call, from the FSA office on your choice for this next crop year of PLC or Acr – Co. The current Farm bill expired last year, and congress did not get a new bill passed in 2023. They have created an extension for this year of the old farm bill. That means that you must make a new election for your farm whether you want PLC or Arc-co for the 2024/25 season. 

What has changed from last year?  The biggest change is that prices have come down substantially from the last several years. However, prices are still nowhere near the reference prices for these crops. In order for PLC to be the best option, the marketing year average price (MYAP) has to fall below the reference price.  There was talk of adjusting the reference prices to more reflect the current situation. Evidently, that has occurred.  The old reference price for corn was $3.80 per bushel, it has been adjusted up to $4.01 per bushel for the 2024 year. Arc-Co is still the best option for corn until the MYAP drops to $3.28.  Arc-co has always been the best option for soybeans and it remains the best option even though the reference price for beans was adjusted up from $8.40 to $9.26. Arc- co is still the best option until the MYAP falls to $7.61. 

If you want to look at the data yourself, the best tool that I have found is a spreadsheet developed by Kansas State University. It is titled Tradeoff Between 2024/2025 ARC and PLC. If you just search for that it should come up. If you need additional help, feel free to call the Extension Office at (270) 526-3767. 

To learn more, contact the Butler County Extension Office of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service at 102 Parkway Lane, Morgantown or by calling 270-526-3767.

Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

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Submitted By: Tom Mille, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resource in Ballard County and Greg Drake II, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources