Any update on the new max distance? Will it stay where it currently is or will it down to 7x7 or 5x5?

 

I had no idea this was controversial. I had tested crop ticking myself earlier and found it was a 9x9 chunk area (4 chunks in each direction not including the chunk the player is in) so that's what I based my entire farm off of. Rather unfortunate that this is under debate, a 9x9 ticking area is the perfect area for an expanded/upgraded island to use up most of the 96 hopper limit (81 croppers). Currently I have my farm at 6x4 chunks so the prospect of replacing 4 chunks is disappointing, but not as dire as I'm sure some other players' situations will be.

 

You should be ok with 6x4.
The minimum increase from the old limit of 5x5, is 7x7 and as an increase was intended then the new limit would, at the very least, be 7x7.