Through language in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, an increase in base acreage addition and allocation is set to be underway. Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Richard Fordyce explains how the USDA works to determine additional base acreage for farm safety net programs. “30 million additional base acres will be allocated across the country, and right now, FSA, they’re in the process of finalizing what we’re calling a history dig, understanding the number of acres planted in what crops from 2019 to 2023,” said Fordyce.
“Once that work is complete, we will understand how many acres. At that point, the landowner will be notified of additional base acres that they are eligible to add to their farming business,” Fordyce added.
Under Secretary Fordyce also highlights important parts of the farm safety net base acreage determination that farm landowners and operators should know. “Only action is if the landowner chooses to opt out, and if they choose to opt out, then they have 90 days to notify the Farm Service Agency that they’re choosing to opt out. Additional base acres mean you have additional acres that are eligible for our primary safety net programs, ARC and PLC,” said Fordyce.
Audio Reporting by Elizabeth Sanders for Southeast AgNet.