§9014 Payment Acres

Summary

Sets how many acres on a farm count when figuring two safety‑net payments: price loss coverage and agriculture risk coverage. If a county-level plan is chosen, payment acres equal 85% of a farm’s base acres for each covered commodity. If the farm chooses individual agriculture risk coverage, payment acres equal 65% of the farm’s total base acres for all covered commodities. Payment acres do not include a second crop planted later in the same year unless the county allows double cropping. Generic base acres only count when planted to a covered commodity. If one covered crop is planted, all generic acres go to that crop; if several are planted, generic acres are split pro rata by planted acres; if planted acres are less than generic acres, only the planted acres count. Generic base acres are extra on top of other base acres. Payment acres are reduced if fruits, vegetables (except mung beans and pulse crops), or wild rice are grown on base acres. For county coverage, reduce by the acres of those crops that exceed 15% of base acres. For individual coverage, reduce by the acres that exceed 35% of base acres. No reduction if those crops are cover crops grown only for conservation, or if a region has a history of double‑cropping and the crops were double‑cropped there. Farm owners had to allocate generic base acres within 90 days after February 9, 2018; farms that planted no covered commodities in 2009–2016 had their generic acres put into unassigned base that gets no payments. For other farms, most generic acres were allocated to seed cotton base (at least 80% or the farm’s 2009–2012 average seed cotton acres, whichever is larger, not exceeding the generic acres) with any leftover becoming unassigned. If an owner failed to choose, the seed cotton allocation applied. A producer cannot get payments if their farm’s total base acres are 10 acres or less unless their combined base acres with other farms they have an interest in are more than 10 acres. Exceptions to that small‑farm rule apply to socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning, and veteran farmers or ranchers. The USDA must keep records on generic acres put into unassigned base.