USC Subpart IV

in effect

7 U.S.C. § 1341 Legislative findings

American cotton is a basic source of clothing and industrial products used by every person in the United States and by substantial numbers of people in foreign countries. American cotton is sold on a world-wide market and moves from the places of production almost entirely in interstate and foreign commerce to processing establishments located throughout the world at places outside the State where the cotton is produced. Fluctuations in supplies of cotton and the marketing of excessive supplies of cotton in interstate and foreign commerce disrupt the orderly marketing of cotton in such commerce with consequent injury to and destruction of such commerce. Excessive supplies of cotton directly and materially affect the volume of cotton moving in interstate and foreign commerce and cause disparity in prices of cotton and industrial products moving in interstate and foreign commerce with consequent diminution of the volume of such commerce in industrial products. The conditions affecting the production and marketing of cotton are such that, without Federal assistance, farmers, individually or in cooperation, cannot effectively prevent the recurrence of excessive supplies of cotton and fluctuations in supplies, cannot prevent indiscriminate dumping of excessive supplies on the Nation-wide and foreign markets, cannot maintain normal carry-overs of cotton, and cannot provide for the orderly marketing of cotton in interstate and foreign commerce. It is in the interest of the general welfare that interstate and foreign commerce in cotton be protected from the burdens caused by the marketing of excessive supplies of cotton in such commerce, that a supply of cotton be maintained which is adequate to meet domestic consumption and export requirements in years of drought, flood, and other adverse conditions as well as in years of plenty, and that the soil resources of the Nation be not wasted in the production of excessive supplies of cotton. The provisions of this subpart affording a cooperative plan to cotton producers are necessary and appropriate to prevent the burdens on interstate and foreign commerce caused by the marketing in such commerce of excessive supplies, and to promote, foster, and maintain an orderly flow of an adequate supply of cotton in such commerce.

7 U.S.C. § 1342 National marketing quota; proclamation; amount; date of proclamation

Whenever during any calendar year the Secretary determines that the total supply of cotton for the marketing year beginning in such calendar year will exceed the normal supply for such marketing year, the Secretary shall proclaim such fact and a national marketing quota shall be in effect for the crop of cotton produced in the next calendar year. The Secretary shall also determine and specify in such proclamation the amount of the national marketing quota in terms of the number of bales of cotton (standard bales of five hundred pounds gross weight) adequate, together with (1) the estimated carry-over at the beginning of the marketing year which begins in the next calendar year and (2) the estimated imports during such marketing year, to make available a normal supply of cotton: Provided, That beginning with the 1961 crop, the national marketing quota shall be not less than a number of bales equal to the estimated domestic consumption and estimated exports (less estimated imports) for the marketing year for which the quota is proclaimed, except that the Secretary shall make such adjustment in the amount of such quota as he determines necessary after taking into consideration the estimated stocks of cotton in the United States (including the qualities of such stocks) and stocks in foreign countries which would be available for the marketing year for which the quota is being proclaimed if no adjustment of such quota is made hereunder, to assure the maintenance of adequate but not excessive stocks in the United States to provide a continuous and stable supply of the different qualities of cotton needed in the United States and in foreign cotton consuming countries, and for purposes of national security; but the Secretary, in making such adjustments, may not reduce the national marketing quota for any year below (i) one million bales less than the estimated domestic consumption and estimated exports for the marketing year for which such quota is being proclaimed, or (ii) ten million bales, whichever is larger. Such proclamation shall be made not later than October 15 of the calendar year in which such determination is made. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the national marketing quota for cotton for 1957 and 1958 shall be not less than the number of bales required to provide a national acreage allotment for 1957 and 1958 equal to the national acreage allotment for 1956: Provided, That if the acreage allotment for any State for 1957 or 1958 is less than its allotment for the preceding year by more than 1 per centum, such State allotment shall be increased so that the reduction shall not exceed 1 per centum per annum, and the acreage required for such increase shall be in addition to the national acreage allotment for such year. Additional acreage apportioned to a State for 1957 or 1958 under the foregoing proviso shall not be taken into account in establishing future State allotments. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the national marketing quota for upland cotton for 1959 and subsequent years shall be not less than the number of bales required to provide a national acreage allotment for each such year of sixteen million acres.

7 U.S.C. § 1342a National cotton production goal

The Secretary shall, not later than November 15, of the calendar years 1970 through 1976 proclaim a national cotton production goal for the 1971 and subsequent crops of upland cotton. The national cotton production goal for any year shall be the number of bales of upland cotton (standard bales of four hundred and eighty pounds net weight) equal to the estimated domestic consumption and estimated exports for the marketing year beginning in the calendar year for which such national cotton production goal is proclaimed, plus an allowance of not less than 5 per centum of such estimated consumption and estimated exports for market expansion except that the Secretary shall make such adjustments in the amount of such production goal as he determines necessary after taking into consideration the estimated stocks of upland cotton in the United States (including the qualities of such stocks) and stocks in foreign countries, which would be available for the marketing year, to assure the maintenance of adequate but not excessive carryover stocks in the United States (not less than 50 per centum of the average offtake for the three preceding marketing years) to provide a continuous and stable supply of the different qualities of upland cotton needed in the United States and in foreign cotton consuming countries and, in addition, to provide an adequate reserve for purposes of national security.

7 U.S.C. § 1343 Referendum

Not later than December 15 following the issuance of the marketing quota proclamation provided for in section 1342 of this title, the Secretary shall conduct a referendum, by secret ballot, of farmers engaged in the production of cotton in the calendar year in which the referendum is held, to determine whether such farmers are in favor of or opposed to the quota so proclaimed. If more than one-third of the farmers voting in the referendum oppose the national marketing quota, such quota shall become ineffective upon proclamation of the results of the referendum. The Secretary shall proclaim the results of any referendum held hereunder within thirty days after the date of such referendum. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, the referendum with respect to the national marketing quota for cotton for the marketing year beginning August 1, 1986, may be conducted not later than thirty-one days after adjournment sine die of the first session of the Ninety-ninth Congress.

7 U.S.C. § 1344 Apportionment of national acreage allotments

(a) BasisWhenever a national marketing quota is proclaimed under section 1342 of this title, the Secretary shall determine and proclaim a national acreage allotment for the crop of cotton to be produced in the next calendar year. The national acreage allotment for cotton shall be that acreage, based upon the national average yield per acre of cotton for the four years immediately preceding the calendar year in which the national marketing quota is proclaimed, required to make available from such crop an amount of cotton equal to the national marketing quota. (b) Apportionment among States for year 1953 and subsequent years; adjustment; national acreage reserveThe national acreage allotment for cotton for 1953 and subsequent years shall be apportioned to the States on the basis of the acreage planted to cotton (including the acreage regarded as having been planted to cotton under the provisions of Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress) during the five calendar years immediately preceding the calendar year in which the national marketing quota is proclaimed, with adjustments for abnormal weather conditions during such period: Provided, That there is established a national acreage reserve consisting of three hundred and ten thousand acres which shall be in addition to the national acreage allotment; and such reserve shall be apportioned to the States on the basis of their needs for additional acreage for establishing minimum farm allotments under subsection (f)(1), as determined by the Secretary without regard to State and county acreage reserves (except that the amount apportioned to Nevada shall be one thousand acres). For the 1960 and succeeding crops of cotton, the needs of States (other than Nevada) for such additional acreage for such purpose may be estimated by the Secretary, after taking into consideration such needs as determined or estimated for the preceding crop of cotton and the size of the national acreage allotment for such crop. The additional acreage so apportioned to the State shall be apportioned to the counties on the basis of the needs of the counties for such additional acreage for such purpose, and added to the county acreage allotment for apportionment to farms pursuant to subsection (f) of this section (except that no part of such additional acreage shall be used to increase the county reserve above 15 per centum of the county allotment determined without regard to such additional acreage). Additional acreage apportioned to a State for any year under the foregoing proviso shall not be taken into account in establishing future State acreage allotments. Needs for additional acreage under the foregoing provisions and under the last proviso in subsection (e) shall be determined or estimated as though allotments were first computed without regard to subsection (f)(1). (c) Apportionment among States for years 1950 and 1951; computation and adjustmentThe national acreage allotments for cotton for the years 1950 and 1951 shall be apportioned to the States on the basis of a national acreage allotment base of twenty-two million five hundred thousand acres, computed and adjusted as follows:(1) The average of the planted acreages (including acreage regarded as planted under the provisions of Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress) in the States for the years 1945, 1946, 1947, and 1948 shall constitute the national base; except that in the case of any State having a 1948 planted cotton acreage of over one million acres and less than 50 per centum of the 1943 allotment, the average of the acreage planted (or regarded as planted under Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress) for the years 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, and 1948 shall constitute the base for such State and shall be included in computing the national base; to this is to be added (A) the estimated additional acreage for each State required for small-farm allotments under subsection (f)(1) of this section; (B) the acreage required as a result of the State adjustment provisions of paragraph (2) of this subsection; (C) the additional acreage required to determine a total national allotment base of twenty-two million five hundred thousand acres, which additional acreage shall be distributed on a proportionate basis among States receiving no adjustment under paragraph (2) of this subsection. (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection, the acreage allotment base for 1950 and 1951 for any State (on the basis of a national acreage allotment base of twenty-two million five hundred thousand acres) shall not be less than the larger of (1) 95 per centum of the average acreage actually planted to cotton in the State during the years 1947 and 1948, or (2) 85 per centum of the acreage planted to cotton in the State in 1948. (3) If the national acreage allotment for 1950 or 1951 is more or less than twenty-two million five hundred thousand acres, horizontal adjustments shall be made percentagewise by States so as to reflect the ratio of the national acreage allotment for 1950 and 1951 to twenty-two million five hundred thousand acres. (d) Apportionment for year 1952; adjustmentThe national acreage allotment for cotton for 1952 shall be apportioned to States on the basis of the acreage planted to cotton (including the acreage regarded as having been planted to cotton under the provisions of Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress) during the years 1946, 1947, 1948, and 1950, with adjustments for abnormal weather conditions during such period. (e) Apportionment among counties; reservation of acreage; additional acreage for establishing minimum farm allotmentsThe State acreage allotment for cotton shall be apportioned to counties on the same basis as to years and conditions as is applicable to the State under subsections (b), (c), and (d) of this section: Provided, That the State committee may reserve not to exceed 10 per centum of its State acreage allotment (15 per centum if the State’s 1948 planted acreage was in excess of one million acres and less than half its 1943 allotment) which shall be used to make adjustments in county allotments for trends in acreage, for counties adversely affected by abnormal conditions affecting plantings, or for small or new farms, or to correct inequities in farm allotments and to prevent hardship: Provided further, That if the additional acreage allocated to a State under the proviso in subsection (b) is less than the requirements as determined or estimated by the Secretary for establishing minimum farm allotments for the State under subsection (f)(1), the acreage reserved under this subsection shall not be less than the smaller of (1) the remaining acreage so determined or estimated to be required for establishing minimum farm allotments or (2) 3 per centum of the State acreage allotment; and the acreage which is required to be reserved under this proviso shall be allocated to counties on the basis of their needs for additional acreage for establishing minimum farm allotments under subsection (f)(1), and added to the county acreage allotment for apportionment to farms pursuant to subsection (f) of this section (except that no part of such additional acreage shall be used to increase the county reserve above 15 per centum of the county allotment determined without regard to such additional acreages). (f) Apportionment among farmsThe county acreage allotment, less not to exceed the percentage provided for in paragraph 3 of this subsection, shall be apportioned to farms on which cotton has been planted (or regarded as having been planted under the provisions of Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress) in any one of the three years immediately preceding the year for which such allotment is determined on the following basis:(1) Insofar as such acreage is available, there shall be allotted the smaller of the following: (A) ten acres; or (B) the acreage allotment established for the farm for the 1958 crop. (2) The remainder shall be allotted to farms other than farms to which an allotment has been made under paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection so that the allotment to each farm under this paragraph together with the amount of the allotment to such farm under paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection shall be a prescribed percentage (which percentage shall be the same for all such farms in the county or administrative area) of the acreage, during the preceding year, on the farm which is tilled annually or in regular rotation, excluding from such acreages the acres devoted to the production of sugarcane for sugar; sugar beets for sugar; wheat, tobacco, or rice for market; peanuts picked and threshed; wheat or rice for feeding to livestock for market; or lands determined to be devoted primarily to orchards or vineyards, and nonirrigated lands in irrigated areas: Provided, however, That if a farm would be allotted under this paragraph an acreage together with the amount of the allotment to such farm under paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection in excess of the largest acreage planted (and regarded as planted under Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress) to cotton during any of the preceding three years, the acreage allotment for such farm shall not exceed such largest acreage so planted (and regarded as planted under Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress) in any such year. (3) The county committee may reserve not in excess of 15 per centum of the county allotment (15 per centum if the State’s 1948 planted cotton acreage was in excess of one million acres and less than half its 1943 allotment) which, in addition to the acreage made available under the proviso in subsection (e), shall be used for (A) establishing allotments for farms on which cotton was not planted (or regarded as planted under Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress) during any of the three calendar years immediately preceding the year for which the allotment is made, on the basis of land, labor, and equipment available for the production of cotton, crop-rotation practices, and the soil and other physical facilities affecting the production of cotton; and (B) making adjustments of the farm acreage allotments established under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection so as to establish allotments which are fair and reasonable in relation to the factors set forth in this paragraph and abnormal conditions of production on such farms, or in making adjustments in farm acreage allotments to correct inequities and to prevent hardship: Provided, That not less than 20 per centum of the acreage reserved under this subsection shall, to the extent required, be allotted, upon such basis as the Secretary deems fair and reasonable to farms (other than farms to which an allotment has been made under paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection), if any, to which an allotment of not exceeding fifteen acres may be made under other provisions of this subsection. (4) Any part of the acreage allotted for 1950 to individual farms in any county under the provisions of this section which will not be planted to cotton and which is voluntarily surrendered to the county committee shall be deducted from the allotments to such farms and may be reapportioned by the county committee to other farms in the same county receiving allotments to the extent necessary to provide such farms with the allotments authorized under paragraph (5) of this subsection. If any acreage remains after providing such allotments, it may be apportioned in amounts determined by the county committee to be fair and reasonable to other farms in the same county receiving allotments which the county committee determines are inadequate and not representative in view of their past production of cotton and to new farms in such county. No allotment shall be made, or increased, by reason of this paragraph to an acreage in excess of 40 per centum of the acreage on the farm which is tilled annually or in regular rotation, as determined under regulations prescribed by the Secretary. Any transfer of allotment under this paragraph shall not operate to reduce the allotment for any subsequent year for the farm from which acreage is transferred, except in accordance with paragraph (1)(B) and the proviso in paragraph (2) of this subsection: Provided, That any part of any farm acreage allotment may be permanently released in writing to the county committee by the owner and operator of the farm and may be reapportioned in the manner set forth above. In any subsequent year, unless hereafter otherwise provided by law, acreage surrendered under this paragraph and reallocated pursuant to applications filed in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (5) of this section 11 So in original. Probably should be “subsection”. shall be credited to the State and county in determining acreage allotments. (5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and without reducing any farm acreage allotment determined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this subsection, each farm acreage allotment for 1950 shall be increased by such amount as may be necessary to provide an allotment equal to the larger of 65 per centum of the average acreage planted to cotton (or regarded as planted to cotton under the provisions of Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress) on the farm in 1946, 1947, and 1948, or 45 per centum of the highest acreage planted to cotton (or regarded as planted to cotton under Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress) on the farm in any one of such three years; but no such allotment shall be increased by reason of this provision to an acreage in excess of 40 per centum of the acreage on the farm which is tilled annually or in regular rotation, as determined under regulations prescribed by the Secretary. An increase in any 1950 farm acreage allotment shall be made pursuant to this paragraph only upon application in writing by the owner or operator of the farm within such reasonable period of time (in no event less than fifteen days) as may be prescribed by the Secretary. The additional acreage required to be allotted to farms under this paragraph shall be in addition to the county, State, and national acreage allotments and the production from such acreage shall be in addition to the national marketing quota. The additional acreage authorized by this paragraph shall not be taken into account in establishing future State, county, and farm acreage allotments. (6) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (2) of the subsection, if the county committee recommends such action and the Secretary determines that such action will result in a more equitable distribution of the county allotment among farms in the county, the remainder of the county acreage allotment (after making allotments as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection) shall be allotted to farms other than farms to which an allotment has been made under paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection so that the allotment to each farm under this paragraph together with the amount of the allotment of such farm under paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection shall be a prescribed percentage (which percentage shall be the same for all such farms in the county) of the average acreage planted to cotton on the farm during the three years immediately preceding the year for which such allotment is determined, adjusted as may be necessary for abnormal conditions affecting plantings during such three-year period: Provided, That the county committee may in its discretion limit any farm acreage allotment established under the provisions of this paragraph for any year to an acreage not in excess of 50 per centum of the cropland on the farm, as determined pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) of this subsection: Provided further, That any part of the county acreage allotment not apportioned under this paragraph by reason of the initial application of such 50 per centum limitation shall be added to the county acreage reserve under paragraph (3) of this subsection and shall be available for the purposes specified therein. If the county acreage allotment is apportioned among the farms of the county in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph, the acreage reserved under paragraph (3) of this subsection may be used to make adjustments so as to establish allotments which are fair and reasonable to farms receiving allotments under this paragraph in relation to the factors set forth in paragraph (3) of this subsection. (7)(A) In the event that any farm acreage allotment is less than that prescribed by paragraph (1) of this subsection, such acreage allotment shall be increased to the acreage prescribed by said paragraph (1). The additional acreage required to be allotted to farms under this paragraph shall be in addition to the county, State, and national acreage allotments and the production from such acreage shall be in addition to the national marketing quota. (B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law—(i) the acreage by which any farm acreage allotment for 1959 or any subsequent crop established under paragraph (1) of this subsection exceeds the acreage which would have been allotted to such farm if its allotment had been computed on the basis of the same percentage factor applied to other farms in the county under paragraph (2), (6), or (8) of this subsection shall not be taken into account in establishing the acreage allotment for such farm for any crop for which acreage is allotted to such farm under paragraph (2), (6), or (8) of this subsection; and acreage shall be allotted under paragraph (2), (6), or (8) of this subsection to farms which did not receive 1958 crop allotments in excess of ten acres if and only if the Secretary determines (after considering the allotments to other farms in the county for such crop compared with their 1958 allotments and other relevant factors) that equity and justice require the allotment of additional acreage to such farm under paragraph (2), (6), or (8) of this subsection, (ii) the acreage by which any county acreage allotment for 1959 or any subsequent crop is increased from the national or State reserve on the basis of its needs for additional acreage for establishing minimum farm allotments shall not be taken into account in establishing future county acreage allotments, and (iii) the additional acreage allotted pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (7) shall not be taken into account in establishing future State, county, or farm acreage allotments. (8) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of paragraphs (2) and (6) of this subsection, the Secretary shall, if allotments were in effect the preceding year, provide for the county acreage allotment for the 1959 and succeeding crops of cotton, less the acreage reserved under paragraph (3) of this subsection, to be apportioned to farms on which cotton has been planted in any one of the three years immediately preceding the year for which such allotment is determined, on the basis of the farm acreage allotment for the year immediately preceding the year for which such apportionment is made, adjusted as may be necessary (i) for any change in the acreage of cropland available for the production of cotton, or (ii) to meet the requirements of any provision (other than those contained in paragraphs (2) and (6)) with respect to the counting of acreage for history purposes: Provided, That, beginning with allotments established for the 1961 crop of cotton, if the acreage actually planted (or regarded as planted under the Soil Bank Act, the environmental quality incentives program established under subchapter A of chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 [16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.], and the release and reapportionment provisions of subsection (m) (2) of this section) to cotton on the farm in the preceding year was less than 75 per centum of the farm allotment for such year or, in the case of a farm which qualified for price support on the crop produced in such year under section 1444(b) of this title, 75 per centum of the farm domestic allotment established under section 1350 of this title for such year, whichever is smaller, in lieu of using such allotment as the farm base as provided in this paragraph, the base shall be the average of (1) the cotton acreage for the farm for the preceding year as determined for purposes of this proviso and (2) the allotment established for the farm pursuant to the provisions of this subsection for such preceding year; and the 1958 allotment used for establishing the minimum farm allotment under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be adjusted to the average acreage so determined. The base for a farm shall not be adjusted as provided in this paragraph if the county committee determines that failure to plant at least 75 per centum of the farm allotment was due to conditions beyond the control of producers on the farm. The Secretary shall establish limitations to prevent allocations of allotment to farms not affected by the foregoing proviso, which would be excessive on the basis of the cropland, past cotton acreage, allotments for other commodities, and good soil conservation practices on such farms. (g) Law and conditions governing establishment of acreage allotments and yieldsNotwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section—(1) State, county, and farm acreage allotments and yields for cotton shall be established in conformity with section 1344a of this title. (2) In apportioning the county allotment among the farms within the county, the Secretary, through the local committees, shall take into consideration different conditions within separate administrative areas within a county if any exist, including types, kinds, and productivity of the soil so as to prevent discrimination among the administrative areas of the county. (h) Repealed. Feb. 16, 1938, ch. 30, title III, § 378(d), as added Aug. 28, 1958, Pub. L. 85–835, title V, § 501, 72 Stat. 996 (i) Excess planting; old and new farm allotmentNotwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any acreage planted to cotton in excess of the farm acreage allotment shall not be taken into account in establishing State, county, and farm acreage allotments. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, beginning with the 1960 crop the planting of cotton on a farm in any of the immediately preceding three years that allotments were in effect but no allotment was established for such farm for any year of such three-year period shall not make the farm eligible for an allotment as an old farm under subsection (f) of this section: Provided, however, That by reason of such planting the farm need not be considered as ineligible for a new farm allotment under subsection (f)(3) of this section. (j) Availability of records for inspectionNotwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, State and county committees shall make available for inspection by owners or operators of farms receiving cotton acreage allotments all records pertaining to cotton acreage allotments and marketing quotas. (k) Minimum allotments to StatesNotwithstanding any other provision of this section except subsection (g)(1), there shall be allotted to each State for which an allotment is made under this section not less than the smaller of (A) four thousand acres or (B) the highest acreage planted to cotton in any one of the three calendar years immediately preceding the year for which the allotment is made. (l) Administration of law governing war cropsNotwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary, in administering the provisions of Public Law 12, Seventy-ninth Congress, as it relates to war crops, shall carry out the provisions of such Act in the following manner:(i) A survey shall be conducted of every farm which had a 1942 cotton acreage allotment, and of such other farms as the Secretary considers necessary in the administration of Public Law 12. This survey shall obtain for each farm the most accurate information possible on (a) the total acreage in cultivation, and (b) the acreage of individual crops planted on each farm in the years 1941, 1945, 1946, and 1947. (ii) An eligible farm for war-crop credit shall be a farm on which (a) the cotton acreage on the farm in 1945, 1946, or 1947, was reduced below the cotton acreage planted on the farm in 1941; (b) the war-crop acreage on the farm in 1945, 1946, or 1947, was increased above the war-crop acreage on the farm in 1941; and (c) the farm had a cotton acreage allotment in 1942. (iii) A farm shall be regarded as having planted cotton (in addition to the actual acreage planted to cotton) to the extent of the lesser of (a) the reduction in cotton acreage for each of the years 1945, 1946, and 1947, below the acreage planted to cotton in 1941, or (b) the increase in war crops for each of the years 1945, 1946, and 1947, above that planted to such war crops in 1941. However, the county committee may be given the discretion to adjust such war-crop credit when the county committee determines that the reduction in cotton acreage was not related to an increase in war crops, but the adjustment shall be made only after consultation with the producer. (iv) The Secretary, using the best information obtainable, and working with and through the State and county committees, shall use whatever means necessary to make an accurate determination of the credits due each individual farm, under Public Law 12. (v) The total of the war-crop credits due the individual farms in each county shall be credited to the county and the total of the war-crop credits due all of the counties in a State shall be credited to the State. (vi) The acreage credited to States, counties, and farms for the years 1945, 1946, or 1947, because of war crops, shall be taken into full account in the determination and distribution of cotton acreage allotments on a national, State, county, and farm basis. (m) Acreage allotments, 1954; increases; apportionments; limitations; unallotted farm acreage; reapportionment of surrendered acreage; extra long staple cotton; reserve acreageNotwithstanding any other provision of law—(1) The national acreage allotment established under subsection (a) of this section for the 1954 crop of cotton shall be increased to twenty-one million acres and apportioned to the States in the same manner in which the national acreage allotment heretofore established for 1954 was apportioned to the States. In addition to such increased national acreage allotment, and in order to provide equitable adjustments in 1954 farm acreage allotments, (A) three hundred and fifteen thousand additional acres shall be prorated as follows: one-half to the States of Arizona, California, and New Mexico, and one-half to the other States (excluding those which receive a minimum allotment under subsection (k) of this section), the proration of each half being made to the States participating therein on the basis of their respective shares of the increased national acreage allotment, and (B) such additional acreage shall be added as may be required to provide each State a total allotment under subsection (b) of this section and the provisions of this paragraph of not less than 66 per centum of the acreage planted to cotton in the State in 1952. The additional acreage made available to States under clause (B) of the preceding sentence shall not be taken into account in establishing future State acreage allotments. The additional acreage made available to States under the provisions of this paragraph shall be apportioned to counties on the basis of their respective shares of the State acreage allotment heretofore apportioned pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, and the additional acreage shall be apportioned to farms pursuant to the provisions of subsection (f) of this section: Provided, That, if the county committee determines that such action will result in a more equitable distribution of the additional county allotment among farms in the county, the additional acreage shall be apportioned by the county committee to farms so as to provide each farm with an allotment equal to the larger of 65 per centum of the average acreage planted to cotton on the farm in 1951, 1952, and 1953 (as determined by the county committee in establishing allotments under subsection (f) of this section) or 40 per centum of the highest acreage planted to cotton on the farm in any one of such three years as so determined: Provided, That the State committee in each State shall limit such increase based on the system of farming, soil, crop-rotation practices, and other physical factors affecting production in such State, to an acreage not in excess of 50 per centum of the cropland on the farm, as determined under regulations heretofore prescribed by the Secretary. If the additional acreage is insufficient to meet the total of the farm increases so computed, such farm increases shall be reduced pro rata to the additional acreage available to the county; if the additional acreage available to the county is in excess of the total of the farm increases so computed the acreage remaining after making such increases shall be allotted to farms pursuant to the provisions of subsection (f)(3). Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, if the State committee determines that such action will result in a more equitable distribution of the additional acreage made available to the State under this paragraph it shall apportion such additional allotment directly to farms so as to provide each farm with an allotment equal to the larger of 65 per centum of the average acreage planted to cotton on the farm in 1951, 1952, and 1953 (as determined by the county committee in establishing allotments under subsection (f) of this section) or 40 per centum of the highest acreage planted to cotton on the farm in any one of such three years as so determined: Provided, That the State committee in each State shall limit such increase based on the system of farming, soil, crop-rotation practices, and other physical factors affecting production in such State, to an acreage not in excess of 50 per centum of the cropland on the farm, as determined under regulations heretofore prescribed by the Secretary: Provided, That if the State total of the farm increases so computed exceeds the additional acreage made available to the State under this paragraph, such farm increases shall be reduced pro rata to the additional acreage available to the State. Any acreage unallotted to farms because of the limitations contained in the preceding sentence shall be apportioned by the State committee to counties on the basis of past acreages planted to cotton and shall be used by county committees for adjustments in farm allotments on the basis of one or more of the following: The past acreage of cotton on the farm, the percentage of cropland heretofore determined under subsection (f)(2) of this section, and the factors enumerated in subsection (f)(3) of this section. Before apportioning such unallotted acreage to counties as provided in the foregoing sentence, the State committee may, if it determines that such action is required to provide equitable allotments within the State, apportion such unallotted acreage directly to farms to the extent required to provide each farm with the minimum allotment described in subsection (f)(1) of this section. Any part of the county allotment heretofore established for the 1954 crop which was not apportioned to farms because of the limitation contained in the proviso in subsection (f)(2) of this section shall be available to the State committee and used as provided above for apportionment of unallotted acreage to farms. The provisions of this subsection, except paragraph (2) of this subsection, shall not apply to extra long staple cotton covered by section 1347 of this title. (2) Any part of any farm cotton acreage allotment on which cotton will not be planted and which is voluntarily surrendered to the county committee shall be deducted from the allotment to such farm and may be reapportioned by the county committee to other farms in the same county receiving allotments in amounts determined by the county committee to be fair and reasonable on the basis of past acreage of cotton land, labor, equipment available for the production of cotton, crop rotation practices, and soil and other physical facilities affecting the production of cotton. If all of the allotted acreage voluntarily surrendered is not needed in the county, the county committee may surrender the excess acreage to the State committee to be used for the same purposes as the State acreage reserve under subsection (e) of this section. Any allotment released under this provision shall be regarded for the purposes of establishing future allotments as having been planted on the farm and in the county where the release was made rather than on the farm and in the county to which the allotment was transferred, except that this shall not operate to make the farm from which the allotment was transferred eligible for an allotment as having cotton planted thereon during the three-year base period: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provisions of law, any part of any farm acreage allotment may be permanently released in writing to the county committee by the owner and operator of the farm, and reapportioned as provided herein. Acreage released under this paragraph shall be credited to the State in determining future allotments. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply also to extra long staple cotton covered by section 1347 of this title. (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or other provision of law, the acreage allotted to any State for 1954 under the provisions of subsection (b) of this section and the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection which is less than one hundred thousand acres but more than thirty thousand acres shall be increased by an acreage equal to 15 per centum of the acreage allotted to it prior to January 30, 1954. Such acreage shall be used by the State committee as a reserve to make equitable adjustments in 1954 farm acreage allotments on the basis of land, labor, equipment available for the production of cotton, crop-rotation practices, past acreages of cotton, soil, and other physical factors affecting the production of cotton. (n) Transfer of farm cotton acreage allotments in case of natural disasters; eligibility for allotmentNotwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if the Secretary determines for any year that because of a natural disaster a portion of the farm cotton acreage allotments in a county cannot be timely planted or replanted in such year, he may authorize for such year the transfer of all or a part of the cotton acreage allotment for any farm in the county so affected to another farm in the county or in an adjoining county on which one or more of the producers on the farm from which the transfer is to be made will be engaged in the production of cotton and will share in the proceeds thereof, in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe. Any farm allotment transferred under this paragraph shall be deemed to be released acreage for purposes of acreage history credits under subsections (f)(8) and (m)(2) of this section, and section 1377 of this title: Provided, That, notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (m)(2) of this section, the transfer of any farm allotment under this subsection for any year shall operate to make the farm from which the allotment was transferred eligible for an allotment as having cotton planted thereon during the three-year base period.

7 U.S.C. § 1344a Exclusion of 1949 acreage in computation of future allotments

Notwithstanding the provisions of title III of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended [7 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.], or of any other law, State, county, and farm acreage allotments and yields for cotton for any year after 1949 shall be computed without regard to yields or to the acreage planted to cotton in 1949.

7 U.S.C. § 1344b Sale, lease, or transfer of cotton acreage allotments

(a) Authority for calendar years 1966 through 1970; transfer periodsNotwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary, if he determines that it will not impair the effective operation of the program involved, (1) may permit the owner and operator of any farm for which a cotton acreage allotment is established to sell or lease all or any part or the right to all or any part of such allotment (excluding that part of the allotment which the Secretary determines was apportioned to the farm from the national acreage reserve) to any other owner or operator of a farm for transfer to such farm; (2) may permit the owner of a farm to transfer all or any part of such allotment to any other farm owned or controlled by him; Provided, That the authority granted under this section may be exercised for the calendar years 1966 through 1970, but all transfers hereunder shall be for such period of years as the parties thereto may agree. (b) Requisite conditions for transfer of acreage allotmentsTransfers under this section shall be subject to the following conditions: (i) no allotment shall be transferred to a farm in another State or to a person for use in another State; (ii) no farm allotment may be sold or leased for transfer to a farm in another county unless the producers of cotton in the county from which transfer is being made have voted in a referendum within three years of the date of such transfer, by a two-thirds majority of the producers participating in such referendum, to permit the transfer of allotments to farms outside the county, which referendum, insofar as practicable, shall be held in conjunction with the marketing quota referendum for the commodity; (iii) no transfer of an allotment from a farm subject to a mortgage or other lien shall be permitted unless the transfer is agreed to by the lienholder; (iv) no sale of a farm allotment shall be permitted if any sale of cotton allotment to the same farm has been made within the three immediately preceding crop years; (v) the total cotton allotment for any farm to which allotment is transferred by sale or lease shall not exceed the farm acreage allotment (excluding reapportioned acreage) established for such farm for 1965 by more than one hundred acres; (vi) no cotton in excess of the remaining acreage allotment on the farm shall be planted on any farm from which the allotment (or part of an allotment) is sold for a period of five years following such sale, nor shall any cotton in excess of the remaining acreage allotment on the farm be planted on any farm from which the allotment (or part of an allotment) is leased during the period of such lease, and the producer on such farm shall so agree as a condition precedent to the Secretary’s approval of any such sale or lease; and (vii) no transfer of allotment shall be effective until a record thereof is filed with the county committee of the county to which such transfer is made and such committee determines that the transfer complies with the provisions of this section. Such record may be filed with such committee only during the period beginning June 1 and ending December 31. (c) Extent of estate transferredThe transfer of an allotment shall have the effect of transferring also the acreage history, farm base, and marketing quota attributable to such allotment and if the transfer is made prior to the determination of the allotment for any year the transfer shall include the right of the owner or operator to have an allotment determined for the farm for such year: Provided, That in the case of a transfer by lease, the amount of the allotment shall be considered for purposes of determining allotments after the expiration of the lease to have been planted on the farm from which such allotment is transferred. (d) Period of ineligibility of land for new allotmentThe land in the farm from which the entire cotton allotment and acreage history have been transferred shall not be eligible for a new farm cotton allotment during the five years following the year in which such transfer is made. (e) Transfer of allotments established under minimum allotment provisionsThe transfer of a portion of a farm allotment which was established under minimum farm allotment provisions for cotton or which operates to bring the farm within the minimum farm allotment provision for cotton shall cause the minimum farm allotment or base to be reduced to an amount equal to the allotment remaining on the farm after such transfer. (f) Rules and regulationsThe Secretary shall prescribe regulations for the administration of this section, which shall include provisions for adjusting the size of the allotment transferred if the farm to which the allotment is transferred has a substantially higher yield per acre and such other terms and conditions as he deems necessary. (g) Adjustment upon transfer of land covered by conservation reserve contractIf the sale or lease occurs during a period in which the farm is covered by a conservation reserve contract, cropland conversion agreement, cropland adjustment agreement, or other similar land utilization agreement, the rates of payment provided for in the contract or agreement of the farm from which the transfer is made shall be subject to an appropriate adjustment, but no adjustment shall be made in the contract or agreement of the farm to which the allotment is transferred. (h) Exchange of cotton acreage allotments for rice acreage allotmentsThe Secretary shall by regulations authorize the exchange between farms in the same county, or between farms in adjoining counties within a State, of cotton acreage allotment for rice acreage allotment. Any such exchange shall be made on the basis of application filed with the county committee by the owners and operators of the farms, and the transfer of allotment between the farms shall include transfer of the related acreage history for the commodity. The exchange shall be acre for acre or on such other basis as the Secretary determines is fair and reasonable, taking into consideration the comparative productivity of the soil for the farms involved and other relevant factors. No farm from which the entire cotton or rice allotment has been transferred shall be eligible for an allotment of cotton or rice as a new farm within a period of five crop years after the date of such exchange. (i) Applicability to cotton restricted to upland cottonThe provisions of this section relating to cotton shall apply only to upland cotton.

7 U.S.C. § 1345 Farm marketing quotas; farm marketing excess

The farm marketing quota for any crop of cotton shall be the actual production of the acreage planted to cotton on the farm less the farm marketing excess. The farm marketing excess shall be the normal production of that acreage planted to cotton on the farm which is in excess of the farm acreage allotment: Provided, That such farm marketing excess shall not be larger than the amount by which the actual production of cotton on the farm exceeds the normal production of the farm acreage allotment, if the producer establishes such actual production to the satisfaction of the Secretary.

7 U.S.C. § 1346 Penalties

(a) Whenever farm marketing quotas are in effect with respect to any crop of cotton, the producer shall be subject to a penalty on the farm marketing excess at a rate per pound equal to 50 per centum of the parity price per pound for cotton as of June 15 of the calendar year in which such crop is produced. (b) The farm marketing excess of cotton shall be regarded as available for marketing and the amount of penalty shall be computed upon the normal production of the acreage on the farm planted to cotton in excess of the farm acreage allotment. If a downward adjustment in the amount of the farm marketing excess is made pursuant to the proviso in section 1345 of this title, the difference between the amount of the penalty computed upon the farm marketing excess before such adjustment and as computed upon the adjusted farm marketing excess shall be returned to or allowed the producer. (c) The person liable for payment or collection of the penalty shall be liable also for interest thereon at the rate of 6 per centum per annum from the date the penalty becomes due until the date of payment of such penalty. (d) Until the penalty on the farm marketing excess is paid, all cotton produced on the farm and marketed by the producer shall be subject to the penalty provided by this section and a lien on the entire crop of cotton produced on the farm shall be in effect in favor of the United States. (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, for the 1966 through 1970 crops of upland cotton, if the farm operator elects to forgo price support for any such crop of cotton by applying to the county committee of the county in which the farm is located for additional acreage under this subsection, he may plant an acreage not in excess of the farm acreage allotment established under section 1344 of this title plus the acreage apportioned to the farm from the national export market acreage reserve, and all cotton of such crop produced on the farm may be marketed for export free of any penalty under this section: Provided, That the foregoing shall be applicable only to farms which had upland cotton allotments for 1965 and are operated by the same operator as in 1965 or by his heir.For the 1966 crop the national export market acreage reserve shall be 250,000 acres. For each subsequent crop— If the carryover at the end of the marketing year for the preceding crop is estimated to be less than the carryover at the beginning of such marketing year by—The national export market acreage reserve shall be— At least 1,000,000 bales250,000 acres. At least 750,000 bales, but not as much as 1,000,000 bales187,500 acres. At least 500,000 bales, but not as much as 750,000 bales125,000 acres. At least 250,000 bales, but not as much as 500,000 bales62,500 acres. Less than 250,000 balesNone. The national export market acreage reserve shall be apportioned to farms by the Secretary on the basis of the applications therefor. No application shall be accepted for a greater acreage than is available on the farm for the production of upland cotton. After apportionments are thus made to farms, the Secretary shall provide farm operators a reasonable time in which to cancel their applications (and agreements to forgo price support) and surrender to the Secretary through the county committee the export market acreage assigned to the farm. Acreage so surrendered shall be available for reassignment by the Secretary to other eligible farms to which export market acreage has been apportioned on the basis of the applications remaining outstanding. The operator of any farm who elects to forgo price support for any such crop under this subsection shall not be eligible for price support on cotton of such crop produced on any other farm in which he has a controlling or substantial interest as determined by the Secretary. Acreage planted to cotton in excess of the farm acreage allotment established under section 1344 of this title shall not be taken into account in establishing future State, county, and farm acreage allotments. The operator of any farm to which export market acreage is apportioned, or the purchasers of cotton produced on such farm, shall, under regulations issued by the Secretary, furnish a bond or other undertaking prescribed by the Secretary providing for the exportation, without benefit of any Government cotton export subsidy and within such time as the Secretary may specify, of all cotton produced on such farm for such year. The bond or other undertaking given pursuant to this subsection shall provide that, upon failure to comply with the terms and conditions thereof, the person furnishing such bond or other undertaking shall be liable for liquidated damages in an amount which the Secretary determines and specifies in such undertaking will approximate the amount payable on excess cotton under subsection (a). The Secretary may, in lieu of the furnishing of a bond or other undertaking, provide for the payment of an amount equal to that which would be payable as liquidated damages under such bond or other undertaking. If such bond or other undertaking is not furnished, or if payment in lieu thereof is not made as provided herein, at such time and in the manner required by regulations of the Secretary, or if the acreage planted to cotton on the farm exceeds the sum of the farm acreage allotment established under section 1344 of this title and the acreage apportioned to the farm from the national export market acreage reserve, the acreage planted to cotton in excess of the farm acreage allotment established under section 1344 of this title shall be regarded as excess acreage for purposes of this section and section 1345 of this title. Amounts collected by the Secretary under this subsection shall be remitted to the Commodity Credit Corporation.

7 U.S.C. § 1348 Payments in kind to equalize cost of cotton to domestic and foreign users; rules and regulations; termination date; persons eligible; amount; terms and conditions; raw cotton in inventory

In order to maintain and expand domestic consumption of upland cotton produced in the United States and to prevent discrimination against the domestic users of such cotton, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Commodity Credit Corporation, under such rules and regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, is authorized and directed for the period beginning with April 11, 1964 and ending July 31, 1966, to make payments through the issuance of payment-in-kind certificates to persons other than producers in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines will eliminate inequities due to differences in the cost of raw cotton between domestic and foreign users of such cotton, including such payments as may be necessary to make raw cotton in inventory on April 11, 1964 available for consumption at prices consistent with the purposes of this section: Provided, That for the period beginning August 1 of the marketing year for the first crop for which price support is made available under section 1444(b) of this title, and ending July 31, 1966, such payments shall be made in an amount which will make upland cotton produced in the United States available for domestic use at a price which is not in excess of the price at which such cotton is made available for export. The Secretary may extend the period for performance of obligations incurred in connection with payments made for the period ending July 31, 1966, or may make payments on raw cotton in inventory on July 31, 1966, at the rate in effect on such date. No payments shall be made hereunder with respect to 1966 crop cotton.

7 U.S.C. § 1349 Export market acreage

(a) Supplementary allotments for 1964 and 1965; acreage limitation; apportionment among States and farms; “export market acreage” on any farm; farm acreage allotment for farms with export acreage; additional allotment; establishment of future allotments without regard to export acreage; exclusion of extra-long-staple cotton and farms receiving additional price support for 1964 and 1965The acreage allotment established under the provisions of section 1344 of this title for each farm for the 1964 crop may be supplemented by the Secretary by an acreage equal to such percentage, but not more than 10 per centum, of such acreage allotment as he determines will not increase the carryover of upland cotton at the beginning of the marketing year for the next succeeding crop above one million bales less than the carryover on the same date one year earlier, if the carryover on such earlier date exceeds eight million bales. For the 1965 crop, the Secretary may, after such hearing and investigation as he finds necessary, announce an export market acreage which he finds will not increase the carryover of upland cotton at the beginning of the marketing year for the next succeeding crop above one million bales less than the carryover on the same date one year earlier, if the carryover on such earlier date exceeds eight million bales. Such export market acreage shall be apportioned to the States on the basis of the State acreage allotments established under section 1344 of this title and apportioned by the States to farms receiving allotments under section 1344 of this title, pursuant to regulations issued by the Secretary, after considering applications for such acreage filed with the county committee of the county in which the farm is located. The “export market acreage” on any farm shall be the number of acres, not exceeding the maximum export market acreage for the farm established pursuant to this subsection, by which the acreage planted to cotton on the farm exceeds the farm acreage allotment. For purposes of sections 1345 and 1374 of this title and the provisions of any law requiring compliance with a farm acreage allotment as a condition of eligibility for price support or payments under any farm program, the farm acreage allotment for farms with export market acreage shall be the sum of the farm acreage allotment established under section 1344 of this title and the maximum export market acreage. Export market acreage shall be in addition to the county, State, and National acreage allotments and shall not be taken into account in establishing future State, county, and farm acreage allotments. The provisions of this section shall not apply to extra-long-staple cotton or to any farm which receives price support under section 1444(b) of this title. (b) Bond, other undertaking, and lieu payments for exportation without subsidy and within specified period; terms and conditions; liquidated damages; farm acreage allotment upon noncompliance with conditions; remissions to CCC for defraying costs of encouraging export sales of cottonThe producers on any farm on which there is export market acreage or the purchasers of cotton produced thereon shall, under regulations issued by the Secretary, furnish a bond or other undertaking prescribed by the Secretary providing for the exportation, without benefit of any Government cotton export subsidy and within such period of time as the Secretary may specify, of a quantity of cotton produced on the farm equal to the average yield for the farm multiplied by the export market acreage as determined pursuant to regulations issued by the Secretary. The bond or other undertaking given pursuant to this section shall provide that, upon failure to comply with the terms and conditions thereof, the person furnishing such bond or other undertaking shall be liable for liquidated damages in an amount which the Secretary determines and specifies in such undertaking will approximate the amount payable on excess cotton under section 1346(a) of this title. The Secretary may, in lieu of the furnishing of a bond or other undertaking, provide for the payment of an amount equal to that which would be payable as liquidated damages under such bond or other undertaking. If such bond or other undertaking is not furnished, or if payment in lieu thereof is not made as provided herein, at such time and in the manner required by regulations of the Secretary, or if the acreage planted to cotton on the farm exceeds the farm acreage allotment established under the provisions of section 1344 of this title by more than the maximum export market acreage, the farm acreage allotment shall be the acreage so established under section 1344 of this title. Amounts collected by the Secretary under this section shall be remitted to the Commodity Credit Corporation and used by the Corporation to defray costs of encouraging export sales of cotton under section 1853 11 See References in Text note below. of this title.

7 U.S.C. § 1350 National base acreage allotment

(a) EstablishmentThe Secretary shall establish for each of the 1971 through 1977 crops of upland cotton a national base acreage allotment. Such national base acreage allotment shall be announced not later than November 15 of the calendar year preceding the year for which the national base acreage allotment is to be effective. The national base acreage allotment for any crop of cotton shall be the number of acres which the Secretary determines on the basis of the expected national yield will produce an amount of cotton equal to the estimated domestic consumption of cotton (standard bales of four hundred and eighty pounds net weight) for the marketing year beginning in the year in which the crop is to be produced, plus not to exceed 25 per centum thereof if the Secretary, taking into consideration other actions he may take under the Agricultural Act of 1970, determines that such additional amount is necessary to provide for a production which will equal the national cotton production goal, except that such national base acreage allotment shall be eleven million five hundred thousand acres for the 1971 crop and in the case of the 1972 through 1977 crops shall be in such amount as the Secretary determines necessary to maintain adequate supplies. The national base acreage allotment for the 1974 through 1977 crops shall not be less than eleven million acres. (b) Apportionment to StatesThe national base acreage allotment for each crop of upland cotton shall be apportioned by the Secretary to the States on the basis of the acreage planted (including acreage regarded as having been planted) to upland cotton within the farm acreage allotment or the farm base acreage allotment, whichever is in effect, during the five calendar years immediately preceding the calendar year in which the national cotton production goal is proclaimed, with adjustments for abnormal weather conditions or other natural disaster during such period. (c) Apportionment to countiesThe State base acreage allotment for each crop of upland cotton shall be apportioned to counties on the same basis as to years and conditions as is applicable to the State under subsection (b): Provided, That the State committee may reserve not to exceed 2 per centum of its State acreage allotment which shall be used to make adjustments in county allotments for trends in acreage, for counties adversely affected by abnormal conditions affecting plantings, or for small or new farms, or to correct inequities in farm allotments and to prevent hardships. (d) Adjustment of apportionment bases for countiesThe Secretary shall adjust the apportionment base for each county as may be necessary because of transfers of allotments across county lines. (e) Apportionment to farms(1) The county base acreage allotment for the 1971 crop shall be apportioned to old cotton farms in the county on the basis of the domestic acreage allotment established for the farm for the 1970 crop. For the 1972 and each subsequent crop of upland cotton the county base acreage allotment shall be apportioned to old cotton farms in the county on the basis of the farm base acreage allotment established for such farm for the preceding year. The county committee may reserve not in excess of 10 per centum of the county allotment which, in addition to the acreage made available under the proviso in subsection (c), shall be used for (A) establishing allotments for farms on which cotton was not planted (or regarded as planted) during any of the three calendar years immediately preceding the year for which the allotment is made, on the basis of land, labor, and equipment available for the production of cotton, crop-rotation practices, and the soil and other physical facilities affecting the production of cotton; and (B) making adjustments of the farm allotments established under this paragraph so as to establish allotments which are fair and reasonable in relation to the factors set forth in this paragraph and abnormal conditions of production on such farms, or in making adjustments in farm allotments to correct inequities and to prevent hardships. No part of such reserve shall be apportioned to a farm to reflect new cropland brought into production after November 30, 1970. (2) If for any crop the total acreage of cotton planted on a farm is less than the farm base acreage allotment, the farm base acreage allotment used as a base for the succeeding crop shall be reduced by the percentage by which such planted acreage was less than such farm base acreage allotment, but such reduction shall not exceed 20 per centum of the farm base acreage allotment for the preceding crop. If not less than 90 per centum of the base acreage allotment for the farm is planted to cotton, the farm shall be considered to have an acreage planted to cotton equal to 100 per centum of such allotment. For purposes of this paragraph, an acreage on the farm which the Secretary determines was not planted to cotton because of drought, flood, other natural disaster, or a condition beyond the control of the producer shall be considered to be an acreage planted to cotton. For the purpose of this paragraph, the Secretary shall, in the event producers of wheat or feed grains are permitted to do so, permit producers of cotton to have acreage devoted to soybeans, wheat, feed grains, guar, castor beans, triticale, oats, rye or such other crops as the Secretary may deem appropriate considered as devoted to the production of cotton to such extent and subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines will not impair the effective operation of the cotton or soybean program. (3) If no acreage is planted to cotton for any three consecutive crop years on any farm which had a farm base acreage allotment for such years, such farm shall lose its base acreage allotment. (f) Surrender of farm base acreage allotmentsEffective for the 1971 through 1977 crops, any part of any farm base acreage allotment on which upland cotton will not be planted and which is voluntarily surrendered to the county committee shall be deducted from the farm base acreage allotment for such farm and may be reapportioned by the county committee to other farms in the same county receiving farm base acreage allotments in amounts determined by the county committee to be fair and reasonable on the basis of past acreage of upland cotton, land, labor, equipment available for the production of upland cotton, crop rotation practices, and soil and other physical facilities affecting the production of upland cotton. If all of the acreage voluntarily surrendered is not needed in the county, the county committee may surrender the excess acreage to the State committee to be used to make adjustments in farm base acreage allotments for other farms in the State adversely affected by abnormal conditions affecting plantings or to correct inequities or to prevent hardship. Any farm base acreage allotment released under this provision shall be regarded for the purpose of establishing future farm base acreage allotments as having been planted on the farm and in the county where the release was made rather than on the farm and in the county to which the allotment was transferred: Provided, That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, any part of any farm base acreage allotment for any crop year may be permanently released in writing to the county committee by the owner and operator of the farm and reapportioned as provided herein. Acreage released under this subsection shall be credited to the State in determining future allotments. (g) Compliance with set-aside requirementsAny farm receiving any base acreage allotment through release and reapportionment or sale, lease, or transfer shall, as a condition to the right to receive such allotment, comply with the set-aside requirements of section 1444(e)(4) of this title applicable to such acreage as determined by the Secretary. (h) Transfer of farm base acreage allotments not planted because of natural disaster or conditions beyond control of producerNotwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if the Secretary determines for any year that because of drought, flood, other natural disaster, or a condition beyond the control of the producer a portion of the farm base acreage allotment in a county cannot be timely planted or replanted in such year, he may authorize for such year the transfer of all or a part of such cotton acreage for any farm in the county so affected to another farm in the county or in any other nearby county on which one or more of the producers on the farm from which the transfer is to be made will be engaged in the production of upland cotton and will share in the proceeds thereof, in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe. Any farm base acreage allotment transferred under this subsection shall be regarded as planted to upland cotton on the farm and in the county and State from which transfer is made for purposes of establishing future farm, county and State allotments.