Collapse to view only § 1141. Declaration of policy; effective merchandising of agricultural commodities; speculation; cooperative marketing; surpluses; administration of chapter

§ 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 year’s 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.
(June 15, 1929, ch. 24, § 1, 46 Stat. 11; Ex. Ord. No. 6084, Mar. 27, 1933.)
§ 1141a. Repealed. Aug. 6, 1953, ch. 335, § 19, 67 Stat. 400
§§ 1141b to 1141f. Repealed. Pub. L. 115–334, title V, § 5411(52)–(56), (58), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4685
§ 1141g. Omitted
§ 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, functions, etc.
(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.
(June 15, 1929, ch. 24, § 13, 46 Stat. 17; Ex. Ord. No. 6084, Mar. 27, 1933.)
§ 1141i. Repealed. Pub. L. 115–334, title V, § 5411(57), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4685
§ 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.

(c) Confidential information; disclosure prohibited

It shall be unlawful (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.

(June 15, 1929, ch. 24, § 15, 46 Stat. 18; Mar. 4, 1931, ch. 520, § 3, 46 Stat. 1550; Ex. Ord. No. 6084, Mar. 27, 1933; June 16, 1933, ch. 98, title V, § 55, 48 Stat. 266; June 3, 1935, ch. 164, § 12, 49 Stat. 317; Pub. L. 110–234, title I, § 1610, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1018; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title I, § 1610, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1746.)