Fordyce: 30M New Base Acres Allocated With 3.69% Proration

TL;DR: USDA Under Secretary Fordyce announced on October 16, 2026 that 30 million new base acres have been allocated under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), with a 3.69% prorated reduction applied because eligible acres exceeded the cap. FY2027 Conservation Reserve Program enrollment stands at 26.8 million acres, approaching the 27 million-acre statutory cap.

Key takeaway

USDA allocated 30 million new base acres under OBBBA with a 3.69% proration, while CRP enrollment at 26.8 million acres leaves almost no room under its 27 million-acre cap.

What happened

Under Secretary Fordyce announced on October 16, 2026 that 30 million new base acres have been allocated under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Because eligible acres exceeded the statutory cap, USDA applied a 3.69% prorated reduction across the allocation.

With the base-acre expansion set, 2026 ARC/PLC enrollment is now open. ARC (Agriculture Risk Coverage) and PLC (Price Loss Coverage) are the two main commodity programs that pay farmers when revenue or prices fall below set thresholds, and payments are tied to a farm's base acres.

Fordyce also reported FY2027 Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment at 26.8 million acres after USDA accepted 2.2 million acres of new offers. That figure sits just under the program's 27 million-acre statutory cap. For context on how these numbers compare to prior law, see what's new vs 2018.

USDA separately reported a record $13.8 billion in ARC and PLC payments alongside $1.8 billion for CRP. Details on those outlays are tracked in our funding breakdown.

What it means

The base-acre expansion widens the pool of land eligible for ARC and PLC support, but the 3.69% proration means each eligible operation receives slightly less than a full allocation. The cut applied because total eligible acres ran past the cap written into OBBBA.

Here is the practical breakdown:

• Row-crop farmers gain new base acres and can enroll in 2026 ARC/PLC now, though the 3.69% proration trims the allocation.
• Conservation stakeholders face a near-full CRP at 26.8 million of a possible 27 million acres, leaving minimal headroom for new general or continuous sign-ups.
• Grassland CRP participants now represent more than 40% of all enrolled acres after 2026 activity, a large share of the remaining capacity.

The CRP cap is a hard constraint. With only about 200,000 acres of headroom remaining, the program has little flexibility to absorb additional offers. This shapes how far any conservation-title redesign in H.R. 7567 can go, a point we track in what's missing.

What's next

As of October 18, 2026, 2026 ARC/PLC enrollment is open, and farmers with newly allocated base acres are expected to review their elections before the applicable deadline. The 3.69% proration is already baked into the allocation figures USDA released.

CRP's position near the 27 million-acre cap is likely to feature in Farm Bill 2.0 conservation-title debates. Lawmakers weighing changes to CRP, including any cap adjustment, face a program with almost no statutory room to grow, which constrains redesign options. Track those developments on our timeline and status page.

Further USDA guidance on enrollment deadlines and proration mechanics is to be confirmed. Readers can follow the broader reauthorization in our full bill summary.

Frequently asked questions

How many new base acres did USDA allocate under OBBBA?

USDA allocated 30 million new base acres under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Under Secretary Fordyce announced on October 16, 2026. Because eligible acres exceeded the statutory cap, USDA applied a 3.69% prorated reduction to the allocation. Base acres determine how much ARC and PLC commodity support a farm can receive.

Why was a 3.69% proration applied to the base-acre expansion?

The 3.69% prorated reduction was applied because the total eligible acres exceeded the cap set under OBBBA. When demand runs past the statutory limit, USDA scales back each allocation proportionally so the total stays within the cap. The result is that each eligible operation receives slightly less than a full base-acre allocation.

Is 2026 ARC and PLC enrollment open now?

Yes. USDA opened 2026 ARC/PLC enrollment following the base-acre expansion announcement on October 16, 2026. ARC (Agriculture Risk Coverage) and PLC (Price Loss Coverage) are commodity programs that pay farmers when revenue or prices fall below set levels. Payments are tied to a farm's base acres, which is why enrollment opened after the allocation was finalized.

How close is CRP to its statutory cap?

CRP is very close to its cap. FY2027 Conservation Reserve Program enrollment stands at 26.8 million acres after USDA accepted 2.2 million acres of new offers, approaching the 27 million-acre statutory cap. That leaves roughly 200,000 acres of headroom, which limits room for future enrollment and constrains any conservation-title redesign.

How much of CRP is now grassland enrollment?

Grassland CRP accounts for more than 40% of all enrolled acres following 2026 enrollment activity, USDA reported. Grassland CRP is a working-lands component of the Conservation Reserve Program that keeps land in grass, pasture, or rangeland use while providing conservation benefits. Its growing share reflects strong demand under the program's near-full enrollment.

How much did USDA pay out in ARC, PLC, and CRP?

USDA reported a record $13.8 billion in ARC and PLC payments alongside $1.8 billion for CRP. These figures were announced alongside the October 16, 2026 base-acre expansion and CRP enrollment update from Under Secretary Fordyce. The ARC and PLC total reflects payments triggered when revenue or prices fell below program thresholds.

Sources

• Agriculture of America , Fordyce comments on base-acre expansion, ARC/PLC payments, and CRP enrollment, dated 2026-10-16.