WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that a one-time extension will be provided to producers for the new safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill known as Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage.

The final day to update yield history or reallocate base acres has been extended from Feb. 27 to March 31. The final day for farm owners and producers to choose ARC or PLC coverage also remains March 31, 2015.

This is an important decision for producers, according to a news release, because these programs provide financial protection against unexpected changes in the marketplace.

The deadlines have been extended to ensure producers get the time, the information and the opportunities to have final conversations, review their data and to visit the Farm Service Agency to make those decisions.

If no changes are made to yield history or base acres by March 31, the farm’s current yield and base will be used. A program choice of ARC or PLC coverage also must be made by March 31 or there will be no 2014 payments for the farm and the farm will default to PLC coverage through the 2018 crop year.

The online tools, available at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc, allow producers to explore projections on how ARC or PLC coverage will affect their operation under possible future scenarios.

Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.

To learn more, farmers can contact their local Farm Service Agency county office. To find your local office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.