Farming Flexibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to consider mung beans and pulse crops as covered commodities whose planting on base acres is prohibited unless the commodity, if planted, is destroyed before harvest.
Provides that: (1) as of crop year 2012 producers on a farm may reduce the base acres for any covered commodity for a crop year by one acre for each acre used for the production of fruits or vegetables (other than potatoes) for processing; (2) such acres devoted to fruits or vegetables shall be included in base acres for the covered commodity for the subsequent crop year unless the producers on the farm make the election to produce fruits and vegetables for the subsequent crop year; and (3) if a farm's base acres are recalculated the production of fruits or vegetables shall be considered to be the same as the planting, prevented planting, or production of a covered commodity.
Requires producers to: (1) demonstrate that they have entered into a contract to produce a fruit or vegetable crop for processing, (2) produce such crop as part of a crop rotation program to achieve agronomic and pest and disease management benefits, and (3) provide evidence of the crop's disposition.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1427 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1427
To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to authorize
producers on a farm to produce fruits and vegetables for processing on
the base acres of the farm.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 27, 2011
Mr. Lugar introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to authorize
producers on a farm to produce fruits and vegetables for processing on
the base acres of the farm.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Farming Flexibility Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. PRODUCTION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR PROCESSING ON COVERED
COMMODITY BASE ACRES.
(a) Mung Beans and Pulse Crops.--Section 1107(b)(3)(B) of the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8717(b)(3)(B)) is
amended by striking ``(other than mung beans and pulse crops)''.
(b) Authority for Production of Fruits and Vegetables for
Processing.--Section 1107 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 8717) is amended by striking subsection (d) and
inserting the following:
``(d) Authority for Production of Fruits and Vegetables for
Processing.--
``(1) Planting authorized.--Beginning with the 2012 crop
year, notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b)
and in addition to the exceptions provided in subsection (c),
producers on a farm may reduce the base acres for any covered
commodity for the farm for a crop year by 1 acre for each acre
used for the planting and production of fruits or vegetables
(other than potatoes) for processing.
``(2) Contract and management requirements.--Producers on a
farm shall--
``(A) demonstrate to the Secretary that the
producers on the farm have entered into a contract to
produce a crop of a commodity specified in paragraph
(1) for processing;
``(B) agree to produce the crop as part of a
program of crop rotation on the farm to achieve
agronomic and pest and disease management benefits; and
``(C) provide evidence of the disposition of the
crop.
``(3) Reversion to covered commodity base acres.--Each acre
of a farm devoted to the planting and production of fruits or
vegetables under paragraph (1) shall be included in the base
acres for the covered commodity for the subsequent crop year,
unless the producers on the farm make the election described in
paragraph (1) for the subsequent crop year.
``(4) Recalculation of base acres.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), if
the Secretary recalculates the base acres for a farm,
the planting of fruits and vegetables under paragraph
(1) shall be considered to be the same as the planting,
prevented planting, or production of a covered
commodity.
``(B) Prohibition.--Nothing in this paragraph
provides authority for the Secretary to recalculate
base acres for a farm.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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