An Acreage Report is an annual report for each insured crops in the county in which the producer has an ownership share. The Acreage Report indicates the crop planted, acreage prevented from planting, the producer’s share in those crops, acres planted, the dates planted, and other information. Acreage reporting dates vary from crop to crop based on the production cycle. For example, the crop insurance acreage reporting date for many counties is November 15 for winter wheat.
According to the Farm Service Agency:
Farm Service Agency policy requires that producers participating in several programs submit an annual report regarding all cropland use on their farms. These programs include the direct and counter-cyclical payment program and the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program. Reporting also applies to those who receive marketing assistance loans or loan deficiency payments.
Failure to file an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses can result in loss of program benefits. Producers are required to self report all cropland on each farm to FSA annually. FSA uses these data to determine payment eligibility (land must be in an eligible agricultural use to qualify for payments) and to calculate losses for various disaster programs. Data are reported in the following categories:
- planted
- prevented planted
- failed
In addition, the National Agricultural Statistics Service uses FSA planted acreage data to complement their survey data. For more information, visit the NASS website at www.nass.usda.gov.