Crop acreage base is a crop-specific measure equal to the average number of acres planted (or
considered planted
In the United States, under some previous commodity support laws, crop acreage bases were, in general, calculated as a 5-year average of planted and considered planted acreage. Acreage considered planted included acreage idled under production adj ...
) to a particular
program crop
The Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program (DCP) of the USDA provides payments to eligible producers on farms enrolled for the 2002 through 2007 crop years. There are two types of DCP payments – direct payments and counter-cyclical payments. ...
for a specified number of years. The crop-specific nature of this measurement was important prior to the
1996 farm bill (P.L. 104-127), which adopted an inclusive measure of base acreage and allowed planting flexibility among the program crops. The sum of the crop acreage bases for all program crops on a farm could not exceed the farm acreage. The acreage base was used in determining the number of acres a farmer, under an acreage reduction program, had to remove from normal crop production and devote to conserving uses in order to be eligible for
USDA price
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...
and income supports.
See also
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Base acreage
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Farm acreage base
In United States agricultural policy, Farm acreage base referred to the total of the crop acreage bases (wheat, feed grains, cotton, and rice) for a farm for a year, the average acreage planted to soybeans and other non-program crops, and the avera ...
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Crop Acreage Base
Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996
United States Department of Agriculture