ARC vs PLC › Maine
ARC-CO and PLC · FSA official
Maine ARC-CO benchmark yields for 2026, by county
FSA’s official program year 2026 ARC-CO benchmark yields for 17 Maine counties, by crop and by practice where FSA splits irrigated and non-irrigated. FSA has not posted 2027 benchmarks; the 2027 benchmark shifts the window one year.
Prices that apply in every county. 2026 effective reference price: corn $4.42, soybeans $10.71, wheat $6.35. 2026 ARC-CO benchmark price: corn $5.03, soybeans $12.17, wheat $6.98. When the county yield comes in at its benchmark, ARC-CO pays when the season-average price ends at $4.52 or lower for corn, $10.95 for soybeans and $6.28 for wheat.
Official benchmark yield and revenue by county
Benchmark yield in bu/acre (FSA, 2026). Revenue = yield × 2026 benchmark price, $/acre. Max/base ac = 12% of revenue on 85% of base.
| County | Crop | Practice | Yield | Revenue | Max/base ac |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androscoggin | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 37.05 | $451 | $46 | |
| Aroostook | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 36.78 | $448 | $46 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 45.73 | $319 | $33 | |
| Cumberland | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Fort Kent | Soybeans | All practices | 36.78 | $448 | $46 |
| Wheat | All practices | 49.70 | $347 | $35 | |
| Franklin | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 36.78 | $448 | $46 | |
| Hancock | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Wheat | All practices | 49.70 | $347 | $35 | |
| Houlton | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 36.78 | $448 | $46 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 49.70 | $347 | $35 | |
| Kennebec | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 37.05 | $451 | $46 | |
| Knox | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Lincoln | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Oxford | Corn | All practices | 172.01 | $865 | $88 |
| Penobscot | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 37.05 | $451 | $46 | |
| Piscataquis | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 36.78 | $448 | $46 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 49.70 | $347 | $35 | |
| Sagadahoc | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Somerset | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 36.78 | $448 | $46 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 49.70 | $347 | $35 | |
| Waldo | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
| Wheat | All practices | 49.70 | $347 | $35 | |
| York | Corn | All practices | 147.95 | $744 | $76 |
A county or crop not listed: FSA’s files have nothing for it. Ask the county FSA office for “the 2026 ARC-CO benchmark yield for my county, crop and practice (irrigated or non-irrigated)”, or look it up in FSA’s program data (file: ARC-CO benchmark yields and revenues, program year 2026). Then type it into the calculator.
PLC vs ARC-CO break-even at the benchmark yield
When the county yield comes in at its benchmark, which program pays more depends on the season-average price and on your PLC yield as a share of the county’s official benchmark. Expressed that way, the break-even is the same in every Maine county. 2026 prices, corn:
| PLC yield, % of your official benchmark | Which pays more, by season-average price |
|---|---|
| 60% | PLC: $3.41 or lower ARC-CO: $3.42 to $4.52 |
| 70% | PLC: $3.55 or lower ARC-CO: $3.56 to $4.52 |
| 80% | PLC: $3.66 or lower ARC-CO: $3.67 to $4.52 |
| 90% | PLC: $3.74 or lower ARC-CO: $3.75 to $4.52 |
| 100% | PLC: $3.81 or lower ARC-CO: $3.82 to $4.52 |
Soybeans:
| PLC yield, % of your official benchmark | Which pays more, by season-average price |
|---|---|
| 60% | PLC: $8.27 or lower ARC-CO: $8.28 to $10.95 |
| 70% | PLC: $8.62 or lower ARC-CO: $8.63 to $10.95 |
| 80% | PLC: $8.88 or lower ARC-CO: $8.89 to $10.95 |
| 90% | PLC: $9.08 or lower ARC-CO: $9.09 to $10.95 |
| 100% | PLC: $9.24 or lower ARC-CO: $9.25 to $10.95 |
Wheat:
| PLC yield, % of your official benchmark | Which pays more, by season-average price |
|---|---|
| 60% | PLC: $4.95 or lower ARC-CO: $4.96 to $6.17 |
| 70% | PLC: $5.15 or lower ARC-CO: $5.16 to $6.12 |
| 80% | PLC: $5.30 or lower ARC-CO: $5.31 to $6.00 |
| 90% | PLC: $5.41 or lower ARC-CO: $5.42 to $5.66 |
| 100% | PLC: $6.34 or lower ARC-CO: never |
Per base acre, both programs on 85% of base. Your PLC yield is on the FSA-156EZ. A county yield below benchmark favors ARC-CO.
An estimate, not a USDA determination. FSA ARC/PLC · FSA program data · Find your county office
Related: ARC vs PLC calculator · Maine cash rent by county · Maine Farmland Atlas
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