2025 Changes to the Agristability Program

The AgriStability program provides producers with a whole-farm risk management tool that offers protection against large declines that threaten the viability of their agricultural operation. While this is helpful in aiding farmers in hard financial times, in the past, the program has been viewed as complex, requiring extensive record-keeping and associated professional fees, as well as being slow to pay.

Changes to the AgriStability program in 2025 aim to simplify filing and increase predictability, resulting in files being processed sooner. Starting in 2025, participants will be able to choose between optional reference margin (ORM) and accrual adjusted reference margin (AARM) and request coverage notices, if they have selected the optional reference margin. Additionally, the filing deadline for supplementary forms and tax information has moved to June 30. 

Under these changes the optional reference margin will simplify reporting as accrual and inventory details are not required. However, the accrual adjusted margin considers inventory, payables, purchased inputs, and deferrals and will require additional time and effort as more information is submitted each year. Although, the added information will increase the precision of the calculation.

Producers who have not participated in AgriStability for at least four years and who picked the optional reference margin can switch to the accrual adjusted method in any future program year. Existing participants can also select the optional reference margin; however, they will not be able to revert to the accrual adjusted reference margin until their reference margins over the most recent four program years all use the optional reference margins.

Also new for the 2025 program year, participants who have chosen the ORM reporting method will have the option to request a coverage notice. This will provide participants with an estimated reference margin and a benefit trigger point for the current program year. Coverage notices can be requested starting in May 2025, with the final deadline for requests set as December 31 of the program year. 

For more information on the changes and how this will affect you, visit the AFSC's Online FAQs or contact the AFSC through a branch or at 1-877-899-2372.