TITLE 12 - US CODE - CHAPTER 7A - AGRICULTURAL MARKETING

12 USC 1141 - Declaration of policy; effective merchandising of agricultural commodities; speculation; cooperative marketing; surpluses; administration of chapter

(a) It is declared to be the policy of Congress to promote the effective merchandising of agricultural commodities in interstate and foreign commerce so that the industry of agriculture will be placed on a basis of economic equality with other industries, and to that end to protect, control, and stabilize the currents of interstate and foreign commerce in the marketing of agricultural commodities and their food products

(1) by minimizing speculation.

(2) by preventing inefficient and wasteful methods of distribution.

(3) by encouraging the organization of producers into effective associations or corporations under their own control for greater unity of effort in marketing and by promoting the establishment and financing of a farm marketing system of producer-owned and producer-controlled cooperative associations and other agencies.

(4) by aiding in preventing and controlling surpluses in any agricultural commodity, through orderly production and distribution, so as to maintain advantageous domestic markets and prevent such surpluses from causing undue and excessive fluctuations or depressions in prices for the commodity.

(b) There shall be considered as a surplus for the purposes of this chapter any seasonal or years total surplus, produced in the United States and either local or national in extent, that is in excess of the requirements for the orderly distribution of the agricultural commodity or is in excess of the domestic requirements for such commodity.

(c) The Farm Credit Administration shall execute the powers vested in it by this chapter only in such manner as will, in the judgment of the administration, aid to the fullest practicable extent in carrying out the policy above declared.

12 USC 1141a - Repealed. Aug. 6, 1953, ch. 335, 19, 67 Stat. 400

Section, act June 15, 1929, ch. 24, 2, 46 Stat. 11; Ex. Ord. No. 6084, Mar. 27, 1943; act Oct. 15, 1949, ch. 695, 6(a), 63 Stat. 881, related to appointment, compensation, qualifications, term of office, and expenses of the Governor of the Farm Credit Administration. See section 2244 et seq. of this title.

12 USC 1141b - General powers of Farm Credit Administration

The Farm Credit Administration

(1) shall maintain its principal office within the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia standard metropolitan statistical area, and such other offices in the United States as in its judgment are necessary.

(2) shall have an official seal which shall be judicially noticed.

(3) shall make an annual report to Congress upon the administration of this chapter and any other matter relating to the better effectuation of the policy declared in section 1141 of this title, including recommendations for legislation.

(4) may make such regulations as are necessary to execute the functions vested in it by this chapter.

(5) may appoint and fix the salaries of a secretary and such experts, and, in accordance with chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, and subject to the provisions of the civil service laws, such other officers and employees as are necessary to execute such functions.

(6) may make such expenditures (including expenditures for rent and personal services at the seat of government and elsewhere, for law books, periodicals, and books of reference, and for printing and binding) as are necessary to execute such functions. Expenditures by the administration shall be allowed and paid upon the presentation of itemized vouchers therefor approved by the governor of the administration.

(7) may sell at public or private sale to the highest responsible bidder, upon such terms and after such public advertisement as the Farm Credit Administration may deem in the public interest, any property, real or personal, or any interest therein, acquired by the United States on account of or as a result of any loans made from the revolving fund authorized by section 1141d of this title; may lease any such property, pending its sale, on such terms and for such period, not in excess of five years, as the Farm Credit Administration may deem in the public interest; and may incur and pay, from the said revolving fund, obligations and expenses for the operation, upkeep, maintenance, repair, disposition, insurance, and protection of any such property: Provided, That section 5 of title 41 shall not be construed to apply to any purchase or service on account of such property.

12 USC 1141c - Special powers of administration

The administration is authorized and directed

(1) to promote education in the principles and practices of cooperative marketing of agricultural commodities and food products thereof.

(2) to encourage the organization, improvement in methods, and development of effective cooperative associations.

(3) to keep advised from any available sources and make reports as to crop prices, experiences, prospects, supply, and demand, at home and abroad.

12 USC 1141d - Revolving fund

There is authorized to be appropriated the sum of $500,000,000 which shall be made available by the Congress as soon as practicable after the approval of this chapter and shall constitute a revolving fund to be administered by the administration as provided in this chapter. Any and all funds derived from the sale, lease, operation, or other disposition of any property, real or personal, acquired by the United States on account of or as a result of any loan made pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, shall be covered into and become a part of said revolving fund. Effective June 25, 1962, the sum authorized to be appropriated for the aforesaid revolving fund as reduced from $500,000,000 to $150,000,000 and any amount in said fund in excess of $150,000,000 (including any amount thereof used to purchase capital stock in the central and regional banks for cooperatives) shall be credited to miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury.

12 USC 1141d1 - Interest rates on loans made from revolving fund

Interest rates in excess of the rates set forth in notes or other obligations taken by the Federal Farm Board or the Farm Credit Administration for loans made from the revolving fund authorized by section 1141d of this title shall not be charged or collected on any of said loans, whether such loans have been heretofore or are hereafter paid in whole or in part, except that in those cases where a borrower by specific contract has agreed to pay a higher rate of interest, the contract rate shall be charged for the period agreed upon; and the amount of any interest collected in excess of the rates thus set forth or contracted for shall be refunded out of said fund or credited on the borrowers indebtedness.

12 USC 1141e - Loans to cooperative associations

(a) Upon application by any cooperative association the administration is authorized to make loans to it from the revolving fund to assist in

(1) the effective merchandising of agricultural commodities and food products thereof and the financing of its operations;

(2) the construction or acquisition by purchase or lease, or refinancing the cost of such construction or acquisition, of physical facilities.

(b) No loan shall be made to any cooperative association unless, in the judgment of the administration, the loan is in furtherance of the policy declared in section 1141 of this title, and the cooperative association applying for the loan has an organization and management, and business policies, of such character as to insure the reasonable safety of the loan and the furtherance of such policy.

(c) Loans for the construction or acquisition by purchase or lease of physical facilities, or for refinancing the cost of such construction or acquistion,^[1] shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1) No loan shall be made in an amount in excess of 60 per centum of the appraised value of the security therefor.

(2) No loan for the purchase or lease of such facilities shall be made unless the Governor of the Farm Credit Administration finds that the purchase price or rent to be paid is reasonable.

(d) Loans for the construction or purchase of physical facilities, together with interest on the loans, shall be repaid upon an amortization plan over a period not in excess of twenty years.

[1] So in original. Probably should be “acquisition,”.

12 USC 1141f - Miscellaneous loan provisions

(a) Repealed. Pub. L. 89–525, § 4(b), Aug. 2, 1966, 80 Stat. 334.

(b) Payments of principal or interest upon any such loan or advance shall be covered into the revolving fund.

(c) Loans to any cooperative association or stabilization corporation shall be made upon the terms specified in this chapter and upon such other terms not inconsistent therewith and upon such security as the administration deems necessary.

(d) No loan or insurance agreement shall be made by the administration if in its judgment the agreement is likely to increase unduly the production of any agricultural commodity of which there is commonly produced a surplus in excess of the annual marketing requirements.

12 USC 1141g - Omitted

12 USC 1141h - Avoidance of duplication; cooperation with other governmental establishments; obtaining information and data; cooperation with States, Territories, and agencies or subdivisions thereof; indicating research problems; transfer of offices, fun

(a) The administration shall, in cooperation with any governmental establishment in the Executive branch of the Government, including any field service thereof at home or abroad, avail itself of the services and facilities thereof in order to avoid preventable expense or duplication of effort.

(b) The President may by Executive order direct any such governmental establishment to furnish the administration such information and data as such governmental establishment may have pertaining to the functions of the administration; except that the President shall not direct that the administration be furnished with any information or data supplied by any person in confidence to any governmental establishment in pursuance of any provision of law or of any agreement with a governmental establishment.

(c) The administration may cooperate with any State or Territory, or department, agency, or political subdivision thereof, or with any person.

(d) The administration shall, through the governor, indicate to the appropriate bureau or division of the Department of Agriculture any special problem on which a research is needed to aid in carrying out the provisions of this chapter.

(e) The President is authorized, by Executive order, to transfer to or retransfer from the jurisdiction and control of the administration the whole or any part of

(1) any office, bureau, service, division, commission, or board in the Executive branch of the Government engaged in scientific or extension work, or the furnishing of services, with respect to the marketing of agricultural commodities,

(2) its functions pertaining to such work or services, and

(3) the records, property, including office equipment, personnel, and unexpended balances of appropriation, pertaining to such work or services.

12 USC 1141i - Examination of books and accounts

Vouchers approved by the Governor of the Farm Credit Administration for expenditures from the revolving fund pursuant to any loan or advance or from insurance moneys pursuant to any insurance agreement, shall be final and conclusive upon all officers of the Government; except that all financial transactions of the administration shall, subject to the above limitations, be examined by the Government Accountability Office at such times and in such manner as the Comptroller General of the United States may by regulation prescribe.

12 USC 1141j - Miscellaneous provisions

(a) “Cooperative association” defined
As used in this chapter, the term cooperative association means any association in which farmers act together in processing, preparing for market, handling, and/or marketing the farm products of persons so engaged, and also means any association in which farmers act together in purchasing, testing, grading, processing, distributing, and/or furnishing farm supplies and/or farm business services: Provided, however, That such associations are operated for the mutual benefit of the members thereof as such producers or purchasers and conform to one or both of the following requirements: First. That no member of the association is allowed more than one vote because of the amount of stock or membership capital he may own therein; and Second. That the association does not pay dividends on stock or membership capital in excess of 8 per centum per annum. And in any case to the following: Third. That the association shall not deal in farm products, farm supplies, and farm business services with or for nonmembers in an amount greater in value than the total amount of such business transacted by it with or for members. All business transacted by any cooperative association for or on behalf of the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof shall be disregarded in determining the volume of member and nonmember business transacted by such association.

(b) Speculation prohibited
It shall be unlawful for the governor, or any officer or employee of the Farm Credit Administration to speculate directly or indirectly, in any agricultural commodity or product thereof, or in contracts relating thereto, or in the stock or membership interests of any association or corporation engaged in handling, processing, or disposing of any such commodity or product. Any person violating this subdivision shall upon conviction thereof be fined not more than $10,000, or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

(1) for any cooperative association, stabilization corporation, clearing-house association, or commodity committee, or

(2) for any director, officer, employee, or member or person acting on behalf of any such association, corporation, or committee, to which or to whom information has been imparted in confidence by the administration, to disclose such information in violation of any regulation of the administration. Any such association, corporation, or committee, or director, officer, employee, or member thereof, violating this subdivision, shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(d) Separability clause
If any provision of this chapter is declared unconstitutional, or the applicability thereof to any person, circumstance, commodity, or class of transactions with respect to any commodity is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the chapter and the applicability of such provision to other persons, circumstances, commodities, and classes of transactions shall not be affected thereby.

(e) Citation of chapter
This chapter may be cited as the Agricultural Marketing Act.

(f) “Agricultural commodity” defined
As used in this chapter, the term agricultural commodity includes, in addition to other agricultural commodities, crude gum (oleoresin) from a living tree, and the following products as processed by the original producer of the crude gum (oleoresin) from which derived: Gum spirits of turpentine and gum rosin, as defined in section 92 of title 7.