The Commodity title of the farm bill (Title I) contains the farm safety net. Two programs
are available. The Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) program is an average revenue
election program that pays when the actual per-acre revenue for the county falls below
the revenue guarantee. The Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program is a counter-cyclical
price program that pays when the national average marketing year price for a covered
crop falls below its "reference price."
Crop Insurance is in Title XI of the farm bill, and crop insurance programs may protect
farmers from market downturns or adverse weather events. The 2018 farm bill maintained
many of the crop insurance options of prior farm bills, including the Supplemental
Coverage Option (SCO) and, on a more restricted basis, the Stacked Income Protection
Plan (STAX).
