Agricultural Economics, Department of
Center for Agricultural Profitability
Base Acres Explained: How They Compare to Planting on Nebraska Farms
Date of this Version
12-19-2025
Document Type
Article
Citation
Groskopf, J., Walters, C., Meyer, A. “Base Acres Explained: How They Compare to Planting on Nebraska Farms." CAP Series 25-1202, Center for Agricultural Profitability, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, December 19, 2025. DOI: 10.32873/unl.dc.cap084.
Abstract
The Farm Bill represents an important piece of legislation that, in part, provides commodity price stability through program payments. Approximately 75% of Nebraska’s cropland is supported by Farm Bill program payments (see previous article here). Importantly, the article revealed large differences in base acre coverage (measured by base acre per planted acre) by county, ranging from 0% in Grant and Hooker counties, to 149% in Nance County.
Since the previous article was published, inquiries have come forward regarding the allocation of base acres by commodity. Specifically, how crop-specific base acres stack up to the number of acres planted to the crop. The purpose of this article is to explore base acre-to-planted-acre relationships by commodity and discuss issues related to updating base acres.