Estimate Your ARC & PLC Payments
Compare estimated ARC-CO and PLC payments side by side for your farm. Adjust your base acres, yields, and expected prices to see which program may pay more under different scenarios.
1. Commodity & Base Acres
2. PLC Inputs
3. ARC-CO Inputs
Estimated Payments
At $3.70/bu MYA and 180 bu/acre county yield, on 500 base acres:
PLC may pay more at this scenario because the MYA price is below the effective reference price ($4.26). PLC is purely price-triggered and pays regardless of county yield. ARC-CO depends on county revenue, so if yields hold up, ARC's revenue may not drop enough to trigger.
Trigger Prices
How the Math Works
| Effective reference price | $4.26/bu |
| Higher of (MYA, loan rate) | $3.70/bu |
| Payment rate | $0.56/bu |
| Payment yield | 175 bu/acre |
| Payment factor | 85% of base acres |
| PLC per acre | $83.30 |
| PLC total (500 acres) | $41,650 |
| Benchmark revenue | $905.40/acre |
| Guarantee (86%) | $778.64/acre |
| Actual county revenue | $666.00/acre |
| Shortfall | $112.64/acre |
| Max payment (10% of benchmark) | $76.96/acre |
| Payment factor | 85% of base acres |
| ARC-CO per acre | $76.96 |
| ARC-CO total (500 acres) | $38,480 |
What If Prices Move?
Estimated per-acre payments at different MYA price levels relative to the effective reference price, holding county yield at 180 bu/acre.
| Scenario | MYA Price | PLC/acre | ARC-CO/acre | PLC Total | ARC Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -20% | $3.41 | $126.73 | $76.96 | $63,367 | $38,480 |
| -15% | $3.62 | $95.05 | $76.96 | $47,526 | $38,480 |
| -10% | $3.83 | $63.37 | $75.25 | $31,684 | $37,623 |
| -5% | $4.05 | $31.68 | $42.66 | $15,842 | $21,328 |
| At ref price | $4.26 | — | $10.07 | — | $5,034 |
| +5% | $4.47 | — | — | — | — |
| +10% | $4.69 | — | — | — | — |
These are estimates for educational purposes only. Actual ARC and PLC payments depend on final marketing year average prices, your farm's specific base acres, PLC payment yields, and county-level benchmark data published by FSA. The effective reference price may differ from the statutory reference under the escalator clause. Consult your FSA office and crop insurance agent before making election decisions. Farmer's Navigator is not affiliated with USDA.