Crop Acreage 

Reporting

What You Need to Know

Overview

Agricultural producers should file crop 

acreage reports with USDA that document 

the crops grown on your farm or ranch and 

their intended uses. 

Each year, USDA agencies collect data 

relating to crops through crop acreage 

reports. If you want to participate in many 

USDA programs, including crop insurance, 

safety net, conservation, and disaster 

assistance programs, you must file timely 

acreage reports to remain eligible for 

program benefits. Filing an accurate and 

timely acreage report for all crops and land 

uses, including failed acreage and prevented 

planted acreage, may prevent the loss of 

benefits.

Deadlines

Deadlines to file crop acreage reports vary 

by crop and by state and county. 

Farm Service Agency staff at your local 

USDA Service Center can help by providing 

you with maps and acreage reporting 

deadlines by crop for your county. Your 

crop insurance agent can assist you with 

reporting information necessary for crop 

insurance benefits.

How it Works

You can file crop acreage reports by filling 

out the FSA-578 form. Your local USDA 

service center staff can help by providing 

you with maps and deadlines to simplify the 

reporting process. Producers can also use 

USDA’s self-service portal, farmers.gov to 

securely view or print maps. To enroll in the 

online service, contact your local FSA office 

or visit farmers.gov/sign-in. 

To file an acreage report, you need: 

• Crop and crop type or variety

• Intended use of the crop

• Number of acres of the crop

• Map with approximate boundaries for 

the crop

• Planting dates

• Planting pattern, when applicable

• Producer shares

• Irrigation practice(s)

• Acreage prevented from planting, 

when applicable

• Other information as required

Reporting dates vary by crop and by county. 

Ask your local FSA staff for details. 

Find your Local Office

To find your local office, go to:

farmers.gov/service-locator

Crop Acreage 

Reporting 

Frequently Asked 

Questions

Q: How are crop acreage 

reports used? 

The data collected from crop 

acreage reports is used to:

• determine compliance 

with USDA farm programs

• determine the amount of 

insurance provided and the 

premium charged

• verify compliance with 

Highly Erodible Land 

Conservation and Wetland 

Conservation provisions

• inform USDA agency 

program decisions

• determine producer 

eligibility for commodity 

loans and loan deficiency 

payments

• determine crop and 

producer eligibility for 

participation in certain 

USDA programs

Q: How often do I 

need to report my 

crop acreage? 

Producers must generally 

certify acreage reports after 

each planting as some crops 

have multiple plantings 

and each planting must be 

reported.

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CROP ACREAGE REPORTING 2

Some crops are eligible for continuous 

certification. This means after a crop 

is reported once, the certification 

remains in effect until a change is 

made. Check with your local USDA 

Service Center’s FSA office to see if 

your crops are eligible for continuous 

certification.

Q: I’m a beginning farmer. How do 

I report crop acres my first year? 

If this is your first year farming a tract 

of land, make sure you have a farm 

number, that your tract information 

is current, and that you are in FSA’s 

system. To get a farm number, bring 

proof of identity, a copy of your deed 

or leasing documents, and any entity 

documentation for your business 

(limited partnership, estate, or trust 

documents) to your local USDA Service 

Center. We’re here to help you get 

started!

Q: Do I need an appointment? 

Please contact your local FSA office 

to schedule a phone or virtual 

appointment. 

Q: I have a small operation. Do I 

still need to report crop acres? 

Yes. FSA works with farms and ranches 

of all sizes. Small farmers should still 

report their acreage because they may 

be eligible for assistance in the event of 

a natural disaster. 

Q: Can I report cover crops? 

Yes. Crops that are used for erosion 

control, soil health, or water quality 

can be reported as cover crops. 

However, if a cover crop is harvested 

for anything other than forage or 

grazing, it’s no longer a cover crop and 

the report must be revised. 

Q: What if my crops are organic? 

Crops aren’t required to be reported 

as organic, but if you choose to do so 

you should bring your current organic 

plan and documentation verifying the 

certified organic status of your crops.

Q: If I already reported my acres 

to my crop insurance agency, do 

I still need to submit a report to 

FSA? 

Yes. FSA and participating insurance 

providers approved by the Risk 

Management Agency (RMA) can 

provide the common information 

from their acreage reports at one 

office and the information will be 

electronically shared with the other 

location. However, producers must 

still sign reports for both FSA and the 

insurance provider.

Q: When should I report prevented 

planted and failed acres? 

Many programs require that prevented 

planted and failed acres be reported 

within 15 days of the disaster.

Q: What happens if the acreage 

reporting deadline for my county 

has passed? Can I still file? 

Yes. Acreage reports can be filed up to 

a year after the deadline has passed. 

Acreage reporting establishes your 

eligibility for many programs including 

disaster programs. Even if there is no 

program payment that might be at 

issue when an acreage report could 

be filed or filed late with a fee, we 

encourage producers to file an acreage 

report and remit the late-file fee rather 

than to choose not to report 

the acreage. 

Sometimes program or payment 

eligibility decisions or application 

deadlines extend beyond the final date 

when a late-filed acreage report can 

be filed. In this case, electing not to file 

and paying a fee could be final with 

regard to the potential eligibility of 

those acres and producers sharing in 

the acres.

Having an acreage report on file 

helps ensure eligibility for payments 

and disaster assistance, especially 

unforeseen future disasters or 

program payment eligibility. 

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