Farm bill decision 2021 – it’s different than last year

Jon LaPorte<laportej@msu.edu>, MSU Extension - January 15, 2021

Regional online meetings can help producers navigate the 2021 farm bill programs and crop insurance options.

The choice between Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agricultural Loss Coverage (ARC) may be a different decision than the one made for 2019/2020.

For the upcoming 2021 production year, producers once again have the opportunity to select which farm bill program will work best for their farms. However, the choice between Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agricultural Loss Coverage (ARC) will now only focus on one production year and may be a different decision than the one made for 2019/2020. Making the decision more complex for producers is the importance of considering crop insurance options that tie into these farm bill programs.

The Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and the new Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) are key factors in determining which program may be best. These “county-based” revenue insurance additions would be on top of what producers have selected for individual coverage on their farms (up to 86% for SCO and from 86% up to 95% with ECO).

The “2021 Farm Bill Program & Crop Insurance Decisions – What Fits Your Farm?” series is a joint effort by Michigan State University Extension and Michigan Farm Bureau to help guide producers through these considerations and make the best choice for their farms.

At these information meetings producers will:

Review the current ARC and PLC options
Learn about the current and new crop insurance options available
Work through case examples using the “updated” MSU Extension Farm Bill Calculator to help make better decisions on ARC versus PLC (Each crop and FSA farm number may result in a different choice.)
Discuss specific program details with experts

The series will span three weeks and be conducted via Zoom. Each meeting will have a regional focus, providing examples as well as participation from crop insurance specialists from those areas. The dates are:

18 – Northern MI
19 – Central MI
25 – Southeast MI
26 – Western MI
1 – Bay/Thumb Area
2 – Southwest MI

Participation in these meetings is free, but producers are asked to register at https://events.anr.msu.edu/farmbill2021/.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

MSU Extension Farm Bill