Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973

Summary

Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act - Continues the existing $55,000 payment limitation, under the Agriculture Act but, excludes compensation for resource adjustment or public access for recreation therefrom. Extends the Class I base plan authority, the Armed Services' milk program, and dairy indemnity programs five years. Permits members' bases under a Class I or seasonal base plan to be allocated to their cooperatives. Permits history represented by a base under a cooperative, State, or Federal base plan to be considered as history under a Federal order Class I base plan. Permits the orderly phasing out of prior cooperative, State or Federal base plans. Provides that the return to a producer for milk in excess of a Class I or seasonal base may be fixed at a rate below the lowest class price. Permits the issuance of manufacturing milk orders without minimum price provisions, and provides for price posting in manufacturing milk orders which do not provide for minimum prices. Permits milk orders under the Agriculture Act to fix minimum charges for services performed for handlers. Permits location differentials used in computing minimum prices paid by handlers to differ from those used in computing producer returns where appropriate to direct the flow of milk. Provides that the provisions for assurance that handlers pay for milk purchased by them is applicable to such payments to cooperatives, and permits milk orders under the Agriculture Act to provide for payments to cooperatives for market-wide services performed by them (such as furnishing facilities, regulating the flow of milk to the market, absorbing surplus milk, etc.) Provides authority for standby reserve pools supported by payments from one or more orders which would supply milk when needed to such order areas. Requires a hearing on a proposed amendment to a milk order if requested by one-third of the producers. Enlarges the criteria for determining minimum prices under marketing orders and support prices to include assuring a level of farm income adequate to maintain productive capacity sufficient to meet anticipated future needs. Provides milk price support at not less than 80 percent of parity for the current marketing year. Extends the dairy product pesticide indemnity program to cover cows and to other environmental pollutants contaminating cows or milk. Restricts dairy imports to 2 percent of consumption. Extends the wool program for 5 years. Expands the market promotion authority of the National Wool Act of 1954 to cover information on product quality, production management, and marketing improvement, and to provide for overseas promotion of U.S. mohair and goats. Extends the wheat set-aside program, under the Agriculture Act, for 5 years. Provides for a program for the 1974 through 1978 crops of wheat under which (1) marketing certificates would not be issued to producers or, effective January 1, 1974, required to be purchased by processors; (2) if the higher of the loan level or average market price received by farmers during the first five months of the marketing year should be less than an "established" price of $2.28 per bushel (70 percent of the May 1, 1973, parity price), adjusted for 1975 and subsequent years to reflect changes in production costs, a government payment would be made to producers on each farm equal to the difference between such higher loan or average price and such established price multiplied by the projected yield of the farm acreage allotment; (3) the Secretary could permit guar, castor beans, or other crops to be counted as wheat for the purpose of preserving the farm wheat acreage allotment; and (4) the national acreage allotment would be calculated to cover both domestic consumption and exports, but would be apportioned among States, counties, and farms in the same manner as now provided for the national domestic allotment. Permits the Secretary to make payments to assist in carrying out practices on set-aside acres for pest and erosion control and the promotion of wildlife habitat. Makes the provision requiring that the projected yield not be less than the producer's proven yield inapplicable to wheat. Provides for release without penalty of wheat stored to avoid penalty. Provides for a set-aside program for the 1974 through 1978 crops of feed grains. States that if the higher of the loan level or average market price received by farmers during the first five months of the marketing year should be less than an "established" price of $1.53 per bushel (70 percent of the May 1, 1973, parity price), adjusted for 1975 and subsequent years to reflect changes in production costs, a government payment would be made to producers on each farm equal to the difference between such higher loan or average price and such established price multiplied by the established yield on 100 percent of the farm acreage allotment. States that in the case of farmers prevented from planting any portion of their allotments to feed grains or other non-conserving crop, such payment would not be less than one-third of such established price. Authorizes the Secretary to permit guar, castor beans, or other crop to be counted as feed grains for the purpose of preserving the farm acreage allotment. Calculates the national acreage allotment to cover both domestic consumption and exports. Permits the Secretary to make payments to assist in carrying out practices on set-aside acres for pest and erosion control and the promotion of wildlife habitat. Provides for a set-aside program for the 1974 through 1978 crops of cotton. Provides that if the higher of the loan level or the average spot market price during the first five months of the marketing year should be less than an "established" price of 43 cents per pound (70 percent of the May 1, 1973, parity price) adjusted for 1975 and subsequent years to reflect changes in production costs, a government payment would be made to producers on each farm equal to the difference between such higher loan or average price and such established price multiplied by the projected yield of the farm acreage allotment. States that, in the case of farmers prevented from planting any portion of their allotments to cotton or other non conserving crop, such payment shall not be less than one-third of such established price. Authorizes the Secretary to permit guar, castor beans, or any crop to be counted as cotton for the purpose of preserving the farm acreage allotment. States that the national base acreage allotment shall not be less than ten million acres. Permits the Secretary to make payments to assist in carrying out practices on set-aside acres for pest and erosion control and the promotion of wildlife habitat. Provides for a cotton insect pest eradication program with producers paying up to one-half the cost and receiving indemnities where special measures result in a loss of production. Provides for cooperation with Mexico in such program. Extends titles I and II of Public Law 480 ("Food for Peace") for 5 years. Requires the President to take steps to assure that commercial supplies are available to meet demands developed through programs carried out under Public Law 480. Extends the beekeeper indemnity program. Requires applications for export subsidies to specify the kind, class, and quantity of the agricultural commodity, and the regional geographic destination. Requires publication of such information within 72 hours after the application is filed. Extends the food stamp program appropriation authorization five years. Maintains eligibility for food stamps of persons receiving public assistance under title XVI of the Social Security Act if they satisfy income and resource criteria. Permits food stamps to be used to purchase meals at places especially preparing meals for elderly persons. Permits loans under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act even if the indebtedness against the security exceeds $100,000, so long as the indebtedness under those sections does not exceed that amount. Requires production cost studies for wheat, feed grains, cotton, and dairy. Requires a study of the reasons for, and means of preventing, loss of livestock in transit through injury and disease. Creates a National Agricultural Transportation Committee. Provides for a wheat and feed grain research program. Provides for an agricultural export market development unit within the Foreign Agricultural Service. Requires the Council of Economic Advisers to monitor developments affecting food and fiber costs. Extends the appropriation authorization and the time for reporting under title IV (Rural Community Fire Protection) of the Rural Development Act of 1972. Requires grants of up to 50 percent of the cost to be made to assist rural fire departments to acquire needed equipment. Provides for a forestry incentives program for small nonindustrial private lands and non-Federal public forest lands.

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3 official files

• Public Law (PDF)

  Public Law · EN · 11 August 1973

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• Public Law

  summary · EN · 10 August 1973

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 23 May 1973

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