USDA Update – January 31, 2026

Kiowa County USDA Service Center Staff

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• SDRP - Supplemental Disaster Relief Program – Stage 1 and Stage 2 - application deadline is April 30, 2026
• CRP CONTRACT MANAGEMENT - Perfect year to complete contract management. Contact FSA or NRCS for more information.
• ACREAGE CERTIFICATION – planted wheat or triticale for 2026 harvest. No late file fees incurred through February 2, 2026
• NAP COVERAGE DEADLINE - Coverage for spring planted crops. CCC-471 application for coverage must be completed by March 16, 2026.
• CRP PRIMARY NESTING SEASON – March 15, 2026, to July 15, 2026. No activity can occur on CRP acres (except for Grassland CRP) during this time.  No contract management, no managed grazing. 

ARC-PLC CHANGES

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that was signed by President Trump in 2025 included changes to the ARC-PLC program.  Below are some of the changes that will be coming.

The ARC-PLC farm safety net programs are authorized for the 2026 through 2031 crop years.

In the first time in over a decade, the statutory reference prices for ARC and PLC were raised by 10-21 percent for major commodities such as corn, soybeans, and wheat.

USDA is also expanding eligibility for these price support programs by adding more than 30 million new base acres to the program, making them eligible for future ARC or PLC payments starting in crop year 2026.

For the 2025 crop year only, producers will receive the higher of the ARC-County Option (ARC-CO) or PLC payment, regardless of whether the producer elected ARC-CO or PLC.

The payment limitation per person also will increase for ARC-PLC to $155,000 from $125,000.

FSA offices have a lot of work ahead of them to get ready for 2026 ARC-PLC signup, which most likely signup will not occur until late summer. It’s important that producers report changes of ownership to the FSA offices that administer the farm. If ownership records are not correct, it will delay certain portions of the ARC-PLC signup process. It’s also important when FSA offices contact producers to complete paperwork or come into the office that you, please follow up. Like I’ve stated in the past; check your email often or return a phone call.

FALL SEEDED ACREAGE REPORTING

Producers who have not signed the FSA-578 for farms that have crops that were planted this fall, which is mostly wheat or triticale in this area, have until February 2, 2026, to complete the acreage reports. If the acreage report is received after February 2, 2026 late file fees will be assessed.

SDRP Stage 2

Producers need to contact their recording county to determine if applications are available for SDRP Stage 2 for crop years 2023, 2024 and 2025. If producers receive an application for crop year 2025 and you feel that there are crops missing; please realize that the loss had to have occurred in calendar year 2024.  The only crop that will most likely be reflected on a 2025 application is wheat.

In Kiowa County, producers can call the office and if applications are available, they can be emailed or mailed.  It’s important that producers confirm the RMA production on the application for the unit is correct. Not all producers will have SDRP 2 applications due to the fact the crop insurance units were paid on SDRP stage 1.

Stage Two provides assistance for eligible crop including:

• Non-Indemnified (Including Shallow Losses)

       Insured losses through federal crop insurance that did not trigger a crop insurance   indemnity.

       Losses with NAP coverage that did not trigger a NAP payment.

• Uncovered (Uninsured) Losses

       Includes losses that were not insured through federal crop insurance or NAP.

• Quality Losses

        Includes quality losses to commodities indicated by:

         A decrease in value based on discounts due to the physical condition of the crop supported by applicable grading factors

         A decline in the nutritional value of forage crops supported by documented forage tests.

       Producers will certify to an SDRP quality loss percentage.

Signup for SDRP 1 and 2 deadlines are April 30, 2026.

CRP Contract Maintenance

Last week, FSA sent out contract management reminders to producers who have a management activity due by September 30, 2027. Read the letter carefully and if you have questions please contact the office. Many producers also received the annual FSA-578, report of commodities in that envelope. Be certain to sign and return the form.

Couple of reminders concerning contract management for CRP -

There can be no management activity during the primary nesting season March 15^, 2026 – July, 2026. 

Producers wishing to graze CRP for contract management need to start the process with FSA, NRCS will make a field visit to determine if the land is suitable to be grazed. Producer grazing without proper authorization from FSA will be deemed out of compliance and the contract could be terminated with refund of payments required.

Approved contract management practices are the following:

• Strip tillage of 51 percent of the contract acres
• Light disking of 100 percent of the acres, completed in 2 separate fiscal years.
• Grazing
• Inter-seeding

Contract management is required to be completed before the end of year 6 of the 10-year CRP contract.  CRP Grasslands contracts are exempt from contract management requirements