98th Congress > House > Vote 552
Description: TO AGREE TO THE CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4072, A BILL PROVIDING FOR AN IMPROVED PROGRAM SOME AGRICULTURAL CROPS. (MOTION PASSED)
Bill summary: (Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 98-646)
Agricultural Programs Adjustment Act of 1984 -
Title I: Wheat
- Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to reduce target prices for the 1984 and 1985 wheat crops from $4.45 per bushel to $4.38 per bushel, and $4.65 per bushel to $4.38 per bushel, respectively.
Requires wheat farmers, in order to qualify for 1984 price support assistance, to reduce their planted acreage by 30 percent under a combined (20 percent) acreage reduction and (ten
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percent) land diversion program. Authorizes farmers to participate in an additional voluntary payment-in-kind land diversion program (reductions of between ten and 20 percent of the farm's acreage base). Sets payment-in-kind rates at not less than 85 percent of the farm program yield. Permits haying and grazing on diverted land, with the stipulation that no conditions may be imposed that are more restrictive than those in effect for that part of the 1983 wheat crop planted before January 11, 1983.
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to make crop retirement and conservation payments to farmers who divert specified amounts of acreage to conservation uses.
Provides for diversion payments of at least $2.70 per bushel. Requires advance payments of at least 50 percent.
Sets forth similar 1985 wheat program provisions, but without grazing or payment-in-kind diversion programs.
Title II: Feed Grains
- Reduces 1985 feed grain target prices from $3.18 per bushel to $3.03 per bushel.
Provides with regard to the 1985 crop of feed grains that if U.S. corn stocks exceed a specified amount, the Secretary: (1) shall implement a feed grain diversion program of at least five percent; and (2) may provide for an acreage limitation program. Limits any such combined reduction program to a maximum 20 percent of a farm's acreage base. Requires reductions in excess of 15 percent to be equally proportioned between land diversion and acreage reduction. Requires producer participation in order to qualify for price support assistance.
Provides for: (1) crop retirement and conservation payments; (2) advance payments of at least 50 percent; and (3) diversion payments of at least $1.50 per bushel.
Authorizes price support assistance for producers who cut for silage corn of the 1984 and 1985 crops. Sets forth such support level formula.
Title III: Upland Cotton
- Reduces 1985 upland cotton target prices from $0.86 per pound to $0.81 per pound.
Requires the Secretary to implement a minimum five percent paid diversion program if U.S. upland cotton stocks exceed a specified amount. Authorizes an additional acreage limitation of not more than 20 percent. States that if a combined acreage and diversion reduction program is in effect totaling more than 25 percent of a farm's cotton acreage, the portion in excess of 25 percent shall be provided for under the diversion program.
Requires producer participation in order to qualify for price support assistance.
Provides for: (1) crop retirement and conservation payments; (2) advance payments of at least 50 percent; and (3) diversion payments of at least $0.275 per pound, with increases to $0.30 and $0.35 based on specified carryover inventory.
Title IV: Rice
- Reduces 1985 rice target prices from $12.40 per hundredweight to $11.90 per hundredweight.
Provides for a combined 1985 acreage limitation and land diversion program similar to the upland cotton provisions of this Act.
Provides for: (1) crop retirement and conservation payments; (2) advance payments of at least 50 percent; and (3) diversion payments of at least $2.70 per hundredweight with increases to $3.25 and $3.50 per hundredweight based on specified carryover inventory.
Title V: Export Assistance
- Expresses the sense of Congress that for FY 1984 and 1985 the President should request congressional approval of specified export assistance programs in order to develop and expand U.S. agricultural commodity exports.
Directs the Secretary to establish a two-year pilot program under which the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) shall acquire, through barter of surplus dairy stocks, 40,000 metric tons (20,000 annually) of ultra high temperature milk for donation abroad.
Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 regarding the CCC foreign donations program to: (1) include wheat (presently limited to dairy products); (2) permit the sale or barter of such commodities; (3) permit extended installment agreements; and (4) prohibit distributing organizations from using the proceeds of such sales for their own operating costs.
Stipulates that such sales or barter must be approved by the Secretary and made only: (1) as incidental to commodity donations; (2) to finance the handling and distribution of such commodities within the importing country; and (3) to intergovernmental organizations insofar as consistent with normal distribution procedures.
Title VI: Agricultural Credit
- Emergency Agricultural Credit Act of 1984 - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act regarding natural disaster emergency loans to: (1) permit loans to be made in any county contiguous to a designated disaster county; (2) provide for an eight-month loan application period; and (3) revise farmland collateral appraisal provisions (higher of the farm value as of one day or of one year before a disaster declaration). Limits such provisions to disasters occurring on or after May 31, 1983.
Amends the Emergency Agricultural Credit Adjustment Act of 1978 to authorize specified amounts of new insurance to eligible economic emergency loan applicants through FY 1984.
Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to: (1) increase insured and guaranteed operating loan limits; and (2) extend the maximum payment period from seven to 15 years.
Requires deferred or rescheduled loan interest rates to be at the lower of either original or current rates.
Requires: (1) that at least 20 percent of FY 1984 farm ownership and operating loans be for limited-resource farmers; and (2) the Secretary to notify all farmers about such program.
Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to prohibit Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) employees who act on or review applications for land financing from acquiring any interest in such land for a period of three years after such review.
Authorizes the Secretary to develop and implement a program for the amortization of delinquent FmHA loans from future revenues generated by diverting land from pasture or commodity production to timber production. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress within 180 days regarding such program.
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Bill titles: An act to make adjustments in the commodity programs for wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice, to provide agricultural credit assistance, and for other purposes.; A bill to provide for an improved program for wheat.; Emergency Agricultural Credit Act of 1984
Original source documents: Digest of the Congressional Record vol. 42, p. 2190;
Links for more info on the vote: congress.gov
