Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, CCC will annually adjust the base acres for covered commodities with respect to the farm by the number of production flexibility contract acres or base acres protected by a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contract that expired, was voluntarily terminated, or was early released.

The total base acres on a farm cannot exceed the limitation specified in § 1412.24.

Adjustments to (not reallocation of) base acres on a farm in accordance with this section are to be completed by no later than August 1 or other date as determined and announced by the CRP contract expired or was voluntarily terminated.

For the fiscal year in which an adjustment to base acres under this section is made, the producer of the farm may elect to receive ARC or PLC payments, in accordance with any ARC and PLC election made under section 1115 of the 2014 Farm Bill with respect to the base acres added to the farm under this section, or a prorated payment under the CRP contract, but not both. For any farm that had all of its base acres reduced for participation in CRP, if the farm had no base acres or election in effect before an adjustment is made to put base acres of a covered commodity back on the farm, the owners of that farm will have an opportunity to reallocate base acres and the producers will have an opportunity to elect ARC or PLC within 30 days of being notified of the establishment of base acres on that farm before producers enroll base acres on that farm.