Definitions

CurrencyCurrent through P.L. 118-13 (published on www.congress.gov on 08/07/2023)
Citation7 U.S.C. § 1301

(a) General definitions

For the purposes of this subchapter and the declaration of policy-

(1)

(A) The "parity price" for any agricultural commodity, as of any date, shall be determined by multiplying the adjusted base price of such commodity as of such date by the parity index as of such date.

(B) The "adjusted base price" of any agricultural commodity, as of any date, shall be (i) the average of the prices received by farmers for such commodity, at such times as the Secretary may select during each year of the ten-year period ending on the 31st of December last before such date, or during each marketing season beginning in such period if the Secretary determines use of a calendar year basis to be impracticable, divided by (ii) the ratio of the general level of prices received by farmers for agricultural commodities during such period to the general level of prices received by farmers for agricultural commodities during the period January 1910 to December 1914, inclusive. As used in this subparagraph, the term "prices" shall include wartime subsidy payments made to producers under programs designed to maintain maximum prices established under the Emergency Price Control Act of 1942.

(C) The "parity index", as of any date, shall be the ratio of (i) the general level of prices for articles and services that farmers buy, wages paid hired farm labor, interest on farm indebtedness secured by farm real estate, and taxes on farm real estate, for the calendar month ending last before such date to (ii) the general level of such prices, wages, rates, and taxes during the period January 1910 to December 1914, inclusive.

(D) The prices and indices provided for herein, and the data used in computing them, shall be determined by the Secretary, whose determination shall be final.

(E) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the transitional parity price for any agricultural commodity, computed as provided in this subparagraph, shall be used as the parity price for such commodity until such date after January 1, 1950, as such transitional parity price may be lower than the parity price, computed as provided in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, for such commodity. The transitional parity price for any agricultural commodity as of any date shall be-

(i) its parity price determined in the manner used prior to the effective date of the Agricultural Act of 1948, less

(ii) 5 per centum of the parity price so determined multiplied by the number of full calendar years (not counting 1956 in the case of basic agricultural commodities) which, as of such date, have elapsed after January 1, 1949, in the case of non-basic agricultural commodities, and after January 1, 1955, in the case of the basic agricultural commodities.

(F) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraphs (A) and (E) of this paragraph, if the parity price for any agricultural commodity, computed as provided in subparagraphs (A) and (E) of this paragraph, appears to be seriously out of line with the parity prices of other agricultural commodities, the Secretary may, and upon the request of a substantial number of interested producers shall, hold public hearings to determine the proper relationship between the parity price of such commodity and the parity prices of other agricultural commodities. Within sixty days after commencing such hearing the Secretary shall complete such hearing, proclaim his findings as to whether the facts require a revision of the method of computing the parity price of such commodity, and put into effect any revision so found to be required.

(G) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the parity price for any basic agricultural commodity, as of any date during the six-year period beginning January 1, 1950, shall not be less than its parity price computed in the manner used prior to October 31, 1949.

(2) "Parity", as applied to income, shall be that gross income from agriculture which will provide the farm operator and his family with a standard of living equivalent to those afforded persons dependent upon other gainful occupation. "Parity" as applied to income from any agricultural commodity for any year, shall be that gross income which bears the same relationship to parity income from agriculture for such year as the average gross income from such commodity for the preceding ten calendar years bears to the average gross income from agriculture for such ten calendar years.

(3) The term "interstate and foreign commerce" means sale, marketing, trade, and traffic between any State or Territory or the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico, and any place outside thereof; or between points within the same State or Territory or within the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico, through any place outside thereof; or within any Territory or within the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico.

(4) The term "affect interstate and foreign commerce" means, among other things, in such commerce, or to burden or obstruct such commerce or the free and orderly flow thereof; or to create or tend to create a surplus of any agricultural commodity which burdens or obstructs such commerce or the free and orderly flow thereof.

(5) The term "United States" means the several States and Territories and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

(6) The term "State" includes a Territory and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

(7) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture, and the term "Department" means the Department of Agriculture.

(8) The term "person" means an individual, partnership, firm, joint-stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate, or any agency of a State.

(9) The term "corn" means field corn.

(b) Definitions applicable to one or more commodities

For the purposes of this subchapter-

(1)

(A) "Actual production" as applied to any acreage of corn means the number of bushels of corn which the local committee determines would be harvested as grain from such acreage if all the corn on such acreage were so harvested. In case of a disagreement between the farmer and the local committee as to the actual production of the acreage of corn on the farm, or in case the local committee determines that such actual production is substantially below normal, the local committee, in accordance with regulations of the Secretary, shall weigh representative samples of ear corn taken from the acreage involved, make proper deductions for moisture content, and determine the actual production of such acreage on the basis of such samples.

(B) "Actual production" of any number of acres of cotton, rice or peanuts on a farm means the actual average yield for the farm times such number of acres.

(2) "Bushel" means in the case of ear corn that amount of ear corn, including not to exceed 15½ per centum of moisture content, which weighs seventy pounds, and in the case of shelled corn, means that amount of shelled corn including not to exceed 15½ per centum of moisture content, which weighs fifty-six pounds.

(3)

(A) "Carry-over", in the case of corn, rice, and peanuts for any marketing year shall be the quantity of the commodity on hand in the United States at the beginning of such marketing year, not including any quantity which was produced in the United States during the calendar year then current.

(B) "Carry-over" of cotton for any marketing year shall be the quantity of cotton on hand in the United States at the beginning of such marketing year, not including any part of the crop which was produced in the United States during the calendar year then current.

(C) "Carry-over" of wheat, for any marketing year shall be the quantity of wheat on hand in the United States at the beginning of such marketing year, not including any wheat which was produced in the United States during the calendar year then current, and not including any wheat held by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation under the Federal Crop Insurance Act [ 7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.].

(4)

(A) "Commercial corn-producing area" shall include all counties in which the average production of corn (excluding corn used as silage) during the ten calendar years immediately preceding the calendar year for which such area is determined, after adjustment for abnormal weather conditions, is four hundred and fifty bushels or more per farm and four bushels or more for each acre of farm land in the county.

(B) Whenever prior to February 1 of any calendar year the Secretary has reason to believe that any county which is not included in the commercial corn-producing area determined pursuant to the provisions of subparagraph (A) of this subsection, but which borders upon one of the counties in such area, or that any minor civil division in a county bordering on such area, is producing (excluding corn used for silage) an average of at least four hundred and fifty bushels of corn per farm and an average of at least four bushels for each acre of farm land in the county or in the minor civil division, as the case may be, he shall cause immediate investigation to be made to determine such fact. If, upon the basis of such investigation, the Secretary finds that such county or minor civil division is likely to produce corn in such average amounts during such calendar year, he shall proclaim such determination and, commencing with such calendar year, such county shall be included in the commercial corn-producing area. In the case of a county included in the commercial corn-producing area pursuant to this subparagraph, whenever prior to February 1 of any calendar year the Secretary has reason to believe that facts justifying the inclusion of such county are not likely to exist in such calendar year, he shall cause an immediate investigation to be made with respect thereto. If, upon the basis of such investigation, the Secretary finds that such facts are not likely to exist in such calendar year, he shall proclaim such determination, and commencing with such calendar year, such county shall be excluded from the commercial corn-producing area.

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