FACT SHEET

As authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill 

(Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008), producers on eligible farms may 

elect to participate in the Average Crop 

Revenue Election (ACRE) Program. 

Under the ACRE Program, producers 

may receive revenue-based payments 

as an alternative to receiving pricebased counter-cyclical (CC) payments. 

ELIGIBLE FARMS 

Only farms with covered commodity or 

peanut base acres may participate in 

the ACRE Program. Farms that are 

already enrolled in the Direct and 

Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP) for a 

crop year, may elect to switch to ACRE 

before the end of signup. As provided 

by the 2008 Farm Bill, farms with 10 or 

less base acres are not eligible for DCP 

or ACRE Program payments, except for 

farms whose owners are socially disadvantaged or are limited resource farmers 

or ranchers. 

ELIGIBLE COMMODITIES 

The following planted or considered 

planted crops may be eligible for ACRE 

payments: 

• wheat, barley and oats 

• grain sorghum and corn 

• upland cotton 

• rice (short/medium and long grain) 

• soybeans 

• other oilseeds: canola, crambe, flaxseed, mustard seed, rapeseed, safflower, sesame seed and sunflower 

seed 

• peanuts 

• dry peas, lentils and small and large 

chickpeas (garbanzo beans). 

ACRE ELECTION AND 

ENROLLMENT 

The deadline to elect and enroll in the 

ACRE Program is June 1 of the program 

year. If elected in a previous year, producers must enroll the farm in the ACRE 

Program by June 1 to receive payments. 

Farms that elect the ACRE Program cannot receive CC payments. 

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 

Producers on participating ACRE Program farms must annually report acreage and production to FSA. Failure to 

do so may result in ineligibility. Production reports are due by the acreage 

report date for the subsequent year. 

PAYMENT LIMITATION 

Maximum Payment Amounts 

Direct payments are limited to $40,000 

per person or entity minus the 20 percent direct payment reduction, and 

ACRE payments are limited to $65,000 

plus the 20 percent direct payment reduction amount. The limitation is applied by attributing both the amounts 

received directly by entities and persons, and indirect amounts received 

through entities. 

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) 

Persons or legal entities whose average nonfarm AGI exceeds $500,000 

are not eligible for direct, CC or ACRE 

payments. 

Also, persons or legal entities whose 

average farm AGI exceeds $750,000 

are not eligible for direct payments under the DCP and the ACRE Programs. 

FARM YIELDS 

Yields for ACRE payments are based 

on an “Olympic” average of a combination of producer yields and average 

yields for the county for the five most 

recent crop years. If a producer certifies yield data for a year and it is higher 

than the county average, that yield will 

be used to calculate the ACRE farm 

yield (Benchmark Farm Yield) as long 

as yields are certified for the subsequent years. Once established, the 

yields cannot be updated to replace 

average yields for subsequent year 

benchmark farm yields.

PAYMENTS 

Producers on participating ACRE Program farms can receive direct and 

ACRE payments. Payments will be 

reduced if base acres are enrolled in a 

federal program which prohibits the 

production or harvesting of crops, such 

as the Conservation Reserve Program, 

Grassland Reserve Program and the 

Wetlands Reserve Program. 

Payments DCP ACRE

Direct Payment 

Rate 

100 percent of the DCP direct 

payment rate. 

80 percent of the DCP Direct 

Payment Rate. 

Payment 

Formula 

Uses farm’s base acreage. Uses farm’s base acreage. 

Advances Available through 2011. Available through 2011. 

CounterCyclical 

(CC)

Payment 

Formula 

Uses farm’s base acreage. 

Trigger Low National Market Prices 

Advances 40 percent advance of projected payment through 

2010. 

 

Average 

Crop 

Revenue 

Election 

(ACRE)

Payment 

Formula 

 Uses planted and considered 

planted (P&CP) acreages of 

commodity crops and peanuts. 

Triggers Revenue must be below the 

historical state average and 

the farm average. 

Advances Not available. 

Loan Rates 100 percent of the Market 

Assistance Loan rates.

70 percent of the Market Assistance Loan rates.

1 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

FARM SERVICE AGENCY 

Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program - 2011 January 2011 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 
Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Fact Sheet - 2 

Direct Payments 

Direct payments are based on the 

farm’s base acres and program 

yields for covered commodities and 

peanuts. The payment rates for direct payments are 20 percent less 

than the DCP direct payment rates. 

Similar to DCP, payment amounts 

are reduced if fruits or vegetables are 

planted on base acres, or the acres 

are used for non-agricultural purposes. 

ACRE Payments 

ACRE payments are revenue-based 

payments and are tied to crop production and the National Average 

Market Price for planted, and considered planted, covered commodity 

crops or peanuts on the farm. ACRE 

payments can only be issued for a 

crop if two triggers are met for the 

covered commodity crop or peanuts. 

State Trigger: The Actual State 

Revenue for the program year 

must be less than the State 

ACRE Guarantee. 

Farm Trigger: The participating 

farm’s Actual Farm Revenue for 

the program year must be less 

the Farm ACRE Guarantee. 

Payment Acreage Limitation 

ACRE payment acreage is limited to 

the total amount of base acres on the 

farm, not to exceed 83.3 percent of 

the planted and considered planted 

acreage for each crop. If the planted 

and considered planted acreage exceeds 120 percent of the base acreage and there is more than one eligible crop, producers must designate 

payment acreage for each crop by 

Sept. 30 of the program year. 

ACRE State Trigger: 

State ACRE Guarantee must exceed the Actual State Revenue 

90 percent multiplied by 

Benchmark State Yield 

(5 year “Olympic” average) 

multiplied by 

ACRE Guarantee Price 

(Previous 2-yr National Average Market Price) 

State ACRE Guarantee 

(cannot change by more than 10 percent 

froom the previous year’s guarantee)

Actual State Yield 

multiplied by the ACRE Price: 

(the higher of the National 

Average Market Price

or

70 percent of the National 

Loan Rate) 

Actual State Revenue 

Triggers: The State and the Farm trigger must be met to receive an ACRE payment for the planted or considered 

planted commodity crop or peanuts. 

> 

ACRE Farm Trigger: 

Farm ACRE Benchmark must exceed the Actual Farm Revenue 

Benchmark Farm Yield 

(5 year “Olympic” average) 

multiplied by 

ACRE Guarantee Price

plus 

Crop Insurance Premium per 

acre paid by producer

Farm ACRE Guarantee 

Actual Farm Yield 

multiplied by ACRE price: 

(the higher of the National 

Average Market Price

or

70 percent of the National 

Loan Rate) 

Actual Farm Revenue 

> 

ACRE Payment Calculation: If both triggers are met for a planted or considered planted commodity crop, then 

an ACRE payment may be calculated for the eligible crop. 

ACRE Payment = P&CP Acres multiplied by 83.3 percent* multiplied by 

multiplied by 

lesser of

State ACRE Guarantee minus Actual State Revenue 

State ACRE Guarantee multiplied by 25 percent 

Benchmark Farm Yield 

Benchmark State Yield 

(Farm Productivity Index Factor) 

2 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

* 85 percent in 2012 
Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Fact Sheet - 3 

Table 1: 

ACRE and DCP Rates 

($ per unit) 

1. 

2009 

National Avg. 

Market Price 

(NAMP) 

2010 - 2012 ACRE DCP 2010 - 2012

2. 

Direct 

Rate

3. 

National 

Loan 

Rate

4. 

Direct 

Rate

5. 

National 

Loan 

Rate

6. CC Threshold: 

Payment will be 

issued if the NAMP 

is less than... 

Wheat (bu) 4.87 0.416 2.06 0.52 2.94 3.65 

Barley (bu) 2.61 0.192 1.37 0.24 1.95 2.39 

Oats (bu) 2.02 0.0192 0.97 0.024 1.39 1.766 

Corn (bu) 3.55 0.224 1.37 0.28 1.95 2.35 

Grain Sorghum (bu) 3.22 0.28 1.37 0.35 1.95 2.28 

Upland Cotton (lb) 0.629 0.05336 0.3640 0.0667 0.52 .6458 

Med/Short Grain Rice (cwt) 18.40 1.88 4.55 2.35 6.50 8.15 

Long Grain Rice (cwt) 12.90 1.88 4.55 2.35 6.50 8.15 

Soybeans (bu) 9.59 0.352 3.50 0.44 5.00 5.56 

Canola (cwt) 16.20 0.64 7.06 0.80 10.09 11.88 

Crambe (cwt) 36.80 0.64 7.06 0.80 10.09 11.88 

Mustard Seed (cwt) 30.40 0.64 7.06 0.80 10.09 11.88 

Rapeseed (cwt) 26.30 0.64 7.06 0.80 10.09 11.88 

Safflower (cwt) 17.10 0.64 7.06 0.80 10.09 11.88 

Sesame Seed (cwt) 28.00 0.64 7.06 0.80 10.09 11.88 

Sunflower Seed (cwt) 15.10 0.64 7.06 0.80 10.09 11.88 

Flaxseed (bu) 8.15 0.3584 3.9536 0.4480 5.6504 6.6528 

Peanuts (ton) 434.00 28.80 248.50 36.00 355.00 459.00 

Dry Peas (cwt) 8.98 3.78 5.40 8.32 

Lentils (cwt) 26.80 7.90 11.28 12.81 

Sm. Chickpeas (cwt) 20.30 5.20 7.43 10.36 

Lg. Chickpeas (cwt) 29.10 7.90 11.28 12.81 

3 

Table 2: 

Hypothetical 2011 State ACRE Guarantee

Ex. 

Wheat 

For Each Planted or Prevented Planted Crop: 

 

1. Estimated 2011 Benchmark State Yield (Your estimate of 

the Olympic average of state yields from 2006—2010) *

88 bu/

acre 

2. Estimated 2011 ACRE Guarantee Price (Average of 2009 

NAMP in Table 1, Item 1 and your projected 2010 NAMP.) 

$ 6.14 

per bu 

3. 2011 Calculated Estimated State ACRE Program Guarantee (90 percent x Item 1 x Item 2) $486.29 

4. 2010 State ACRE Program Guarantee* $439.29 

5. Is Item 3 greater than Item 4? 

(Yes, No) 

If Yes, Go to Item 6 Yes 

If No, Go to Item 8 

6. Maximum Estimated State ACRE Program Guarantee 

(Item 4 times 110 percent) $483.22 

7. Hypothetical 2011 State ACRE Program Guarantee 

(lower of Item 3 and Item 6). Do not continue. $483.22 

8. Minimum Estimated State ACRE Program Guarantee 

(Item 4 times 90 percent) 

9. Hypothetical 2011 State ACRE Program Guarantee 

(higher of Item 3 and Item 8) 

*Resource Information available at www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=dccp&topic=landing 

Projected Payment Calculations: Use the following tables to calculate projected ACRE Program and DCP Payments. A FSA Online ACRE Calculator is available at www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/dcp. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 
Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Fact Sheet - 4 

Table 3: Hypothetical 2011 ACRE Triggers and 

 Payment Calculation 

Ex. 

Wheat

Enter each crop that is planted or prevented 

planted:

 

State 

Trigger

ACRE 

Program 

Guarantee

1. Estimated Benchmark State Yield 

(Item 1 from Table 2) 88 

2. Estimated ACRE Guarantee Price 

(Item 2 from Table 2) $6.14 

3. Hypothetical State ACRE Program 

 Guarantee (Item 7 or 9 of Table 2) $483.22

Actual 

State 

Revenue

4. Estimated 2011 Actual State Yield 84 

5. Estimated 2011 National Average 

 Market Price $5.50 

6. ACRE National Loan Rate 

 (Table 1, Item 3) $2.06 

7. ACRE Price 

(Higher of Item 5 or Item 6) $5.50 

8. Hypothetical Actual State Revenue 

 (Item 4 times Item 7) $462.00

9. Item 3 greater 

 than Item 8? 

If Yes, State trigger has been met. Yes If No, the trigger is not met.

Farm 

Trigger

Farm 

ACRE 

Guarantee

10. Benchmark Farm Yield 

(Your estimate if not determined) 91 

11. Crop Insurance Premium 

 (per acre paid by producer for the crop) $10 

12. Hypothetical Farm ACRE Guarantee 

 ((Item 10 x Item 2) plus Item 11) $568.74

Actual 

Farm 

Revenue

13. Estimated 2011 Actual Farm Yield 83 

14. Hypothetical Actual Farm Revenue

 (Item 13 times Item 7) $456.50

15. Item 12 greater 

 than Item 14?

If Yes, Farm trigger has been met. Yes 

If No, the trigger is not met.

ACRE 

Payment

16. Item 9 

and Item 15 

are both 

“Yes”? 

If both are “Yes”, then the crop is eligible 

for ACRE payments. Continue to Item 17. Yes 

 

If not, the crop is not eligible for ACRE payments. Do not continue. 

17. Share of the crop’s planted or prevented planted 

 acreage on the farm 100 Pct 

18. Maximum Acres (Total base acreage on the farm) 125 

19. Planted and Prev. Planted Acreage of the crop 140 

20. Payment Acreage (Item 19 times 83.3 percent). 

 Total Payment Acreage for the farm cannot 

 exceed Item 18.

 116.6

 

21. Farm Productivity Index Factor 

(Item 10 divided by Item 1) 1.0341 

Payment 

Rate 

22. APG minus ASR (Item 3 minus Item 8) $21.22 

23. 25%of APG (Item 3 times 25 percent) $120.81 

24. Payment Rate 

(Lesser of Item 22 or Item 23) $21.22 

25. Projected Estimated ACRE Payment 

(Item 17 times Item 20 times Item 21 times Items 24) $2,559

4 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 
Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Fact Sheet - 5 

5 

Ex: 

Wheat

Basic 

Information 

1. Base Acreage for the crop 125 

2. Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment Share 100 pct 

3. Direct Payment Yield 86 

4. Direct Payment Rate (Table 1, Item 4) 0.52 

5. Counter-cyclical (CC) Payment Yield 88 

6. Counter-cyclical Payment Rate (Zero, if negative) 

________________ minus (higher of _________________ or _______________) 

Table 1, Item 6 (CC Threshold) Table 1, Item 5 (DCP Loan Rate) Table 3, Item 5 

(3.39 minus 

4.60 = neg.) 

(Zero) 

 

DCP 

Payments Direct 7. Calculation: Item 1 x Item 2 x Item 3 x Item 4 x 0.833 $ 4,656

CounterCyclical 

8. If Item 6 is zero, enter zero. 

 

If Item 6 is greater than zero, calculate the CC payment as 

follows: 

Item 1 x Item 2 x Item 5 x Item 6 x 0.85

0 

 9. Total DCP Payments $ 4,656 

ACRE 

Program 

Payments

Direct 10. Calculation: Item 7 times 80% $ 3,725 

ACRE 11. See Table 3, Item 23 $2,559 

12. Total ACRE Program Payments $ 6,284 

Table 4: Projected Payment Comparison 

Note: Direct and CC Payments are reduced if fruits, vegetables or wild rice are 

 planted on base acreage.)

Table 5: 

2011 Timetable 

2011 Signup: Oct. 1, 2010 - June 1, 2011 

ACRE Program 

ACRE Payments issued if eligible. 

DCP Program 

Counter-Cyclical Payments (CC) issued if authorized Year Month or Date 

2010-

2011 

Varies by county 

and crop 

File 2011 Acreage Report File 2011 Acreage Report 

2010 December Begin issuing Advance (22 pct) Direct Payments, if 

requested. 

Begin issuing Advance (22 pct) Direct Payments 

2011 June 1 Final date to elect and enroll in 2011 ACRE Program. Final date to enroll in 2011 DCP Program. 

July 15 File 2010 Production Reports and Establish Benchmark Farm Yields. 

August 1 Final date to request reconstitution of the farm. Final date to request reconstitution of the farm. 

September 30 Final date to designate payment acreage, if necessary. 

October Begin issuing Final Direct Payments Begin issuing Final Direct Payments 

 2012 July 15 File 2011 Production Reports and Establish Benchmark Farm Yields. 

2012 October ACRE payments for all crops (including soybeans) 

except rice, other oilseeds, and chickpeas. 

CC payments for all crops (including soybeans) 

except rice, other oilseeds, and chickpeas. 

December ACRE payments for other oilseeds and chickpeas. CC payments for other oilseeds and chickpeas. 

2013 February ACRE payments for rice. CC payments for rice. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 
Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Fact Sheet - 6 

Q1: If a farm is already enrolled 

in DCP and advance direct payments were issued, can the farm 

still switch to the ACRE Program? 

Yes, as long as ALL the producers 

on the farm elect and enroll in the 

ACRE Program during the sign-up 

period for the applicable year. 

Q3: If one producer (owner, tenant, etc) on the farm does not sign 

the election form, can the farm still 

participate in the ACRE Program? 

No. Without exception, all producers must agree in writing to the 

ACRE Program election. 

Q4: If all producers sign the ACRE 

Program Election Form, is the farm 

considered enrolled in the ACRE 

Program? 

No. Producers on the farm must 

also sign a contract to enroll in 

ACRE Program by the sign-up 

deadline. 

Q5: Does a producer have to enroll all farms in ACRE? 

No. Election and enrollment for 

the ACRE Program is on a farm by 

farm basis. 

Q6: Can a farm enroll some base 

acres and not others? 

No, the enrollment is for the farm 

and all of the base acres. 

Q7: Can base acres be established 

to participate in the ACRE Program? 

No. There is no authority to establish base acres to participate in the 

ACRE Program. 

Q8: Is crop insurance or NAP required to receive ACRE payments? 

No, there are no risk management 

purchase requirements for the DCP 

or the ACRE Programs. However, 

higher levels of insurance due to 

higher premiums increases the 

Farm Acre Guarantee and, thus the 

probability of meeting the “Farm 

Trigger”. 

Q9: If both state and farm 

“triggers” are met, will the ACRE 

payment calculation provide benefits for prevented planted acres of 

covered commodity crops or peanuts? 

Yes. Prevented planted acres are 

“considered planted.” 

Q10: Can ACRE payments be calculated for eligible commodity crops 

that do not have base acres on the 

farm? 

Yes. ACRE payments are based on 

planted and considered planted 

acres of eligible commodity crops, 

without regard to whether the farm 

has base acres for that crop. However, the maximum acreage eligible 

for ACRE payments cannot exceed 

the total base acres on the farm. 

Q11: If the National Average Market Price for a covered commodity 

crop or peanuts is higher than average, will this result in no ACRE 

payments? 

Not necessarily. Since the ACRE 

“triggers” are based on revenue 

(yield and prices) reductions, a 

significant yield loss for the State 

could result in ACRE payments. 

Q12: If a producer designates 

payment for a crop, but the crop 

does not “trigger” payments, are 

the designated payment acreage 

transferred to another crop? 

No. In the event a crop does not 

trigger the designated payment 

acres become “unpaid.” 

Frequently Asked Questions 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

prohibits discrimination in all of its programs 

and activities on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, age, disability, and where 

applicable, sex, marital status, familial 

status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any 

public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons 

with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 

(202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to 

USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil 

Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., 

Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or 

call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or 

(800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 

(English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 

(Spanish Federal-relay). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer. 

6 

Information or Estimations Needed to Project 2011 ACRE Payments 

A. Projected National Average Market Price: 1) 2009 ________ ; 2) 2010 _________; 2) 2011 _________ 

B. Benchmark Farm Yield: 1) Benchmark Farm Yield _____OR Farm’s Est. Avg 2006 - 2010_____ 

C. Benchmark State Yield: 1) Benchmark State Yield _____OR State’s Est. Avg 2006 - 2010_____ 

D. Estimated Actual 2011 Yields: 1) State ________; 2) Farm ________ 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.