ARC vs PLC › Maryland
ARC-CO and PLC · FSA official
Maryland ARC-CO benchmark yields for 2026, by county
FSA’s official program year 2026 ARC-CO benchmark yields for 23 Maryland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany | Corn | All practices | 153.54 | $772 | $79 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 46.74 | $569 | $58 | |
| Anne Arundel | Corn | All practices | 186.37 | $937 | $96 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 51.54 | $627 | $64 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 76.42 | $533 | $54 | |
| Baltimore | Corn | All practices | 177.70 | $894 | $91 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 47.03 | $572 | $58 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 91.72 | $640 | $65 | |
| Calvert | Corn | All practices | 153.65 | $773 | $79 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 41.09 | $500 | $51 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 78.63 | $549 | $56 | |
| Caroline | Corn | Irrigated | 233.52 | $1,175 | $120 |
| Corn | Non-irrigated | 161.02 | $810 | $83 | |
| Soybeans | Irrigated | 60.01 | $730 | $74 | |
| Soybeans | Non-irrigated | 47.12 | $573 | $58 | |
| Wheat | Irrigated | 81.10 | $566 | $58 | |
| Wheat | Non-irrigated | 71.17 | $497 | $51 | |
| Carroll | Corn | All practices | 159.73 | $803 | $82 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 48.33 | $588 | $60 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 94.68 | $661 | $67 | |
| Cecil | Corn | All practices | 199.35 | $1,003 | $102 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 52.93 | $644 | $66 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 90.87 | $634 | $65 | |
| Charles | Corn | All practices | 150.78 | $758 | $77 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 37.87 | $461 | $47 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 62.41 | $436 | $44 | |
| Dorchester | Corn | Irrigated | 231.04 | $1,162 | $119 |
| Corn | Non-irrigated | 160.67 | $808 | $82 | |
| Soybeans | Irrigated | 58.39 | $711 | $72 | |
| Soybeans | Non-irrigated | 48.34 | $588 | $60 | |
| Wheat | Irrigated | 73.33 | $512 | $52 | |
| Wheat | Non-irrigated | 70.95 | $495 | $51 | |
| Frederick | Corn | All practices | 142.11 | $715 | $73 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 45.19 | $550 | $56 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 82.98 | $579 | $59 | |
| Garrett | Corn | All practices | 131.21 | $660 | $67 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 39.60 | $482 | $49 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 77.82 | $543 | $55 | |
| Harford | Corn | All practices | 184.55 | $928 | $95 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 54.06 | $658 | $67 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 84.14 | $587 | $60 | |
| Howard | Corn | All practices | 188.53 | $948 | $97 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 49.73 | $605 | $62 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 81.47 | $569 | $58 | |
| Kent | Corn | Irrigated | 231.76 | $1,166 | $119 |
| Corn | Non-irrigated | 180.89 | $910 | $93 | |
| Soybeans | Irrigated | 63.46 | $772 | $79 | |
| Soybeans | Non-irrigated | 54.64 | $665 | $68 | |
| Wheat | Irrigated | 95.90 | $669 | $68 | |
| Wheat | Non-irrigated | 95.20 | $664 | $68 | |
| Montgomery | Corn | All practices | 175.05 | $881 | $90 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 42.59 | $518 | $53 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 72.51 | $506 | $52 | |
| Prince George's | Corn | All practices | 146.64 | $738 | $75 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 37.95 | $462 | $47 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 77.82 | $543 | $55 | |
| Queen Anne's | Corn | Irrigated | 234.63 | $1,180 | $120 |
| Corn | Non-irrigated | 184.20 | $927 | $95 | |
| Soybeans | Irrigated | 64.62 | $786 | $80 | |
| Soybeans | Non-irrigated | 52.15 | $635 | $65 | |
| Wheat | Irrigated | 95.04 | $663 | $68 | |
| Wheat | Non-irrigated | 82.38 | $575 | $59 | |
| Somerset | Corn | All practices | 169.44 | $852 | $87 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 47.79 | $582 | $59 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 82.18 | $574 | $59 | |
| St. Mary's | Corn | All practices | 167.27 | $841 | $86 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 41.54 | $506 | $52 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 70.24 | $490 | $50 | |
| Talbot | Corn | Irrigated | 242.78 | $1,221 | $125 |
| Corn | Non-irrigated | 180.10 | $906 | $92 | |
| Soybeans | Irrigated | 71.37 | $869 | $89 | |
| Soybeans | Non-irrigated | 52.87 | $643 | $66 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 79.49 | $555 | $57 | |
| Washington | Corn | All practices | 122.41 | $616 | $63 |
| Soybeans | All practices | 45.48 | $553 | $56 | |
| Wheat | All practices | 85.62 | $598 | $61 | |
| Wicomico | Corn | Irrigated | 188.38 | $948 | $97 |
| Corn | Non-irrigated | 133.27 | $670 | $68 | |
| Soybeans | Irrigated | 49.83 | $606 | $62 | |
| Soybeans | Non-irrigated | 35.80 | $436 | $44 | |
| Wheat | Irrigated | 69.71 | $487 | $50 | |
| Wheat | Non-irrigated | 64.55 | $451 | $46 | |
| Worcester | Corn | Irrigated | 206.68 | $1,040 | $106 |
| Corn | Non-irrigated | 159.98 | $805 | $82 | |
| Soybeans | Irrigated | 56.93 | $693 | $71 | |
| Soybeans | Non-irrigated | 48.51 | $590 | $60 |
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 Maryland 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 · Maryland cash rent by county · Maryland yield by year · Maryland Farmland Atlas
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