Newly released 2014 county average corn yields in Iowa have added more clarity to the expected farm safety net payments under the new Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) program in some counties of the state.

That added information means that farmers, especially those in southern Iowa counties that recorded exceptional average yields in 2014, should re-examine whether ARC or the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) is the best choice for the corn portion of the five-year government farm program, said Dave Miller, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) director of research and commodity programs.

"The average county corn yields in southern Iowa in 2014 were higher than many of us had anticipated, and that could change some calculations for expected payments for the 2014 crop year and beyond," Miller said last week. "It adds another piece of the puzzle, and it clearly deserves another look."

Farmers...