What the PLC Program Data Shows
The Price Loss Coverage (PLC) is a commodity program administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency, and the data compiled on this page draws directly from the Farm Income and Wealth Statistics series published by the USDA Economic Research Service. PLC provides payments when the effective price for a covered commodity falls below the effective reference price. Introduced in the 2014 Farm Bill. Cumulative program receipts by state are visible in the table below, drawn from 1995–2024 federal outlays reported by ERS and cross-checked against FSA county-level obligations. These are not academic estimates — they are the dollars that actually moved from the US Treasury into farmer and rancher accounts during the reporting period.
State concentration of commodity dollars matters more than the national total. The top three recipients — Texas ($1.2B in cumulative government payments), Oklahoma ($823M in cumulative government payments), Kansas ($727M in cumulative government payments) — receive a disproportionate share because their production profiles align with the commodities and acreages covered by PLC. For analysts, that geographic concentration is the headline: Farm Bill negotiations repeatedly revolve around whether a commodity-heavy program continues at current levels, tightens its eligibility rules, or sees its funding shifted into other Titles of the statute.
Reading PLC data in isolation misses the full picture. USDA farm policy is a stack of overlapping programs — commodity, conservation, insurance, and disaster — and any individual program's payments should be compared against total farm program receipts per state, net farm income, and the crop-insurance loss ratio to see whether federal support is cushioning a price shock, compensating for a weather event, or paying for long-term land stewardship. Use the state links in the table below and the Farm Bill and subsidy guides in the sidebar to see how PLC fits into each recipient state's full federal-support portfolio before drawing conclusions about program effectiveness or equity.
About This Program
PLC provides payments when the effective price for a covered commodity falls below the effective reference price. Introduced in the 2014 Farm Bill.
States by Total Payments
States ranked by cumulative government payments (1995–2024). Price Loss Coverage payments are included in the totals below.
| # | State | Total Payments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $1.2B |
| 2 | Oklahoma | $823M |
| 3 | Kansas | $727M |
| 4 | Iowa | $725M |
| 5 | California | $666M |
| 6 | Nebraska | $624M |
| 7 | South Dakota | $590M |
| 8 | Arkansas | $509M |
| 9 | Minnesota | $508M |
| 10 | Missouri | $505M |
Source: USDA Farm Service Agency, Farm Income and Wealth Statistics (1995-2024) USDA Farm Service Agency, Farm Income and Wealth Statistics (1995-2024)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Price Loss Coverage (PLC)?
The Price Loss Coverage (PLC) is a USDA commodity program. PLC provides payments when the effective price for a covered commodity falls below the effective reference price. Introduced in the 2014 Farm Bill.
Who administers the PLC program?
The Price Loss Coverage is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Farmers and ranchers apply through their local FSA county office. Eligibility and payment calculations vary by program rules set in the Farm Bill.
How does the PLC differ from other USDA programs?
The PLC falls under the commodity category of USDA programs. Commodity programs provide price and revenue protection for specific crops, unlike conservation programs that reward land stewardship or disaster programs that respond to weather events.
Which states receive the most from USDA commodity programs?
The top recipients of USDA payments tend to be major agricultural states. Leading states by total government payments include Texas ($1.2B), Oklahoma ($823M), Kansas ($727M). State rankings vary by program category.
Program Details
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Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USDA Farm Service Agency. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.