The definitions in this section are applicable for all purposes of administering this part. The terms defined in part 718 of this title and part 1400 of this chapter are also applicable, except where those definitions conflict with the definitions specified in this section. Where there is a conflict or a difference in definitions specified in this part and part 718 of this title or part 1400 of this chapter, the regulations in this part will apply.

2014 Farm Bill means the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79), as amended.

Actual average county yield means the yield, which is calculated as the crop year production of a covered commodity in the county divided by the commodity's total planted acres for a crop year in the county.

(1) For wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley and oats, planted acres are the harvested acres plus unharvested acres.

(2) In determining the yield for a county, FSA uses data in order from the following data sources: RMA and yields determined by State committee.

(3) Separate irrigated and non-irrigated yields will be established in a county having farms with P&CP acreage history of a covered commodity in 2013 through 2017. These separate yields will be established where FSA determines the covered commodity's P&CP acreage was both irrigated and non-irrigated in 2013 through 2017.

(4) At FSA's discretion, FSA will calculate and use a trend-adjusted yield factor to adjust the yield taking into consideration, but not exceeding, the trend-adjusted yield factor that is used to increase yield history under the crop insurance endorsement under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501-1524).

Actual crop revenue is calculated as follows for:

(1) ARC-CO, for a crop year of a covered commodity: The actual average county yield per planted acre of the covered commodity times the higher of either the market year average (MYA) price of the covered commodity or the national average loan rate for the covered commodity. If a county has separate irrigated and non-irrigated yields established for a covered commodity, the actual crop revenue calculated for a farm with that covered commodity will be weighted by FSA based on the farm's historical irrigated percentage.

(2) ARC-IC, for a producer on a farm for a crop year, which is based on the producer's enrolled share of planted acres of all covered commodities on all farms for which ARC-IC has been elected and in which the producer has an interest for which the producer enrolled: the sum of the results of the following calculation for each covered commodity on the farm:

(i) The total production of the covered commodity for all enrolled farms in the State in which the producer has an interest; times

(ii) The higher of either the MYA price or national loan rate for the covered commodity; divided by

(iii) The producer's share of the planted acres of the covered commodity in the State.

Administrative units means, for the purposes of ARC-CO, the division of specific counties into two areas for counties that are each larger than 1,400 square miles and have more than 190,000 base acres where appropriate based on the differences in weather patterns, soil types, and other factors.

Agriculture risk coverage (or ARC) means coverage provided under subparts D and E of this part.

ARC-CO means the Agriculture Risk Coverage elected with the county option.

ARC guarantee is calculated for a crop year for a covered commodity, and is equal to 86 percent of the benchmark revenue for ARC-CO and ARC-IC, as defined in this part.

ARC-IC means the Agriculture Risk Coverage elected with the individual option.

ARC-IC farm is calculated as the sum of the producer's interests in all of the producer's farms having an ARC-IC election and enrollment in the State.

Average historical county yield means the 5-year Olympic determined by FSA as the average of actual average county yields for the most recent 5 years for which data is available, substituting 80 percent of the county transitional yield as defined in this part in each year in which the actual average county yield is less than 80 percent of the county transitional yield. Separate irrigated and non-irrigated yields will be established in a county having a sufficient number of farms with P&CP acreage history of a covered commodity in 2013 through 2017. These separate yields will be established for counties where a covered commodity's P&CP acreage was both irrigated and non-irrigated in 2013 through 2017. If needed, a trend-adjusted yield factor will be used to adjust the yield taking into consideration, but not exceeding, the trend-adjusted yield factor that is used to increase yield history under the crop insurance endorsement under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501-1520).

Base acres means, with respect to a covered commodity on a farm, the number of acres in effect on September 30, 2013, as defined in the regulations in 7 CFR part 1412, subpart B that were in effect on that date, subject to any reallocation, adjustment, or reduction. The term “base acres” includes any unassigned base acres.

Benchmark revenue for ARC-CO is calculated as the product obtained by multiplying the average historical county yield times the average MYA price for the most recent 5 crop years available, excluding each of the crop years with the highest and lowest prices and substituting the effective reference price in each year where the MYA price is less than the effective reference price. If a county has separate irrigated and non-irrigated yields established for a covered commodity, the benchmark revenue calculated by FSA for that farm and covered commodity will be weighted based on the farm's historical irrigated percentage.

Benchmark revenue for ARC-IC means a producer's share of all covered commodities planted on all farms in the State for which individual ARC has been elected and enrolled and in which the producer has an interest. FSA will calculate the benchmark revenue for ARC-IC using the following three steps, based on the producer's planted commodities:

(1) For each planted covered commodity for each of the most recent 5 crop years available:

(i) Yield per planted acre (substituting 80 percent of the county transitional yield in each year where the yield per planted acre is less than 80 percent of the county transitional yield); times

(ii) The MYA price for the most recent 5 crop years, excluding each of the crop years with the highest and lowest prices and substituting the effective reference price in each year where the MYA price is less than the effective reference price.

(2) For each covered commodity, the average of the revenues determined under paragraph (1) of this definition for the most recent 5 crop years available, excluding each of the crop years with the highest and lowest revenues; and

(3) For each of the 2019 through 2023 crop years, the benchmark revenue for the ARC-IC farm is the sum of the amounts determined under paragraph (2) of this definition for all covered commodities on such farms, adjusted to reflect the ratio between the total number of P&CP acres and eligible subsequently planted crop acreage on such farms to a covered commodity and the total P&CP acres and eligible subsequently planted crop acreage of all covered commodities planted on such farms. If a producer has an interest in multiple farms that have enrolled in ARC-IC, the ARC-IC benchmark revenue for that producer will be a weighted average of the benchmark revenue for those multiple farms.

Considered planted means acreage approved as prevented planted in accordance with part 718 of this title.

Contract means the CCC-approved forms and appendixes that constitute the agreement for participation of producers and covered commodities in ARC or PLC Program, as applicable.

Contract period means the compliance period specified for the contract for the particular program year, as designated on the contract or application. References to the “contract” period refer to the compliance period for the particular program year. The compliance period for each program year is October 1 through September 30. For example, for the 2019 contract (and therefore for the 2019 program), the period that begins on October 1, 2018 and ends on September 30, 2019.

Contract year or program year means the particular year of the particular contract based on the compliance period for the contract or application. The compliance year will run from October 1 to the following September 30 and will have the same name as the corresponding fiscal year. For example, the 2019 contract or program year will be October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019, and that year will also be considered the 2019 crop year. The same references will apply to all other years.

Counter-cyclical payment yield means the farm's covered commodity yield as specified in the regulations for 7 CFR part 1412 that were in effect as of September 30, 2013.

County coverage means agriculture risk coverage (ARC-CO) elected under subpart D of this part with the county option.

Covered commodity means wheat, oats, and barley (including wheat, oats, and barley used for haying and grazing), corn, grain sorghum, long grain rice, medium grain rice, seed cotton, pulse crops, soybeans, other oilseeds, and peanuts.

Covered commodity base acres means base acres of any covered commodity. The term does not include unassigned base acres on the farm.

Crop year means the relevant contract or application year. For example, the 2019 crop year is the year that runs from October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019, and references to payments for that year refer to payments made under contracts or applications with the compliance year that runs during those dates.

Deputy Administrator means the Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, FSA, or a designee.

Developed means:

(1) Land has been approved by the local government for uses other than commercial agricultural uses; and

(2) Construction activity has begun to install any aspect of the development, for example utilities or roadways.

Direct payment yield for upland cotton means the farm's upland cotton yield established as specified in the regulations for 7 CFR part 1412 that were in effect as of September 30, 2013.

Double-cropping means for covered commodities, notwithstanding the meaning in subparts D and E of this part for fruits and vegetables, the planting of a covered commodity for harvest in a crop year, in cycle with another covered commodity on the same acres for harvest in the same crop year in counties that have been determined to be areas where there is determined to be substantial, successful, and long-term double cropping of the crop and where the producer has followed customary production techniques and planting deadlines as determined by FSA (that is, using techniques and deadlines used by the majority of farmers in the region to double crop the particular crops involved). In a county determined capable of supporting such double-cropping of the covered commodities, as determined by FSA, both an initial crop and a subsequent crop will be considered planted or prevented planted acres for the purpose of this part. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of 7 CFR part 718, in those instances where the subsequently planted or approved prevented planted covered commodity cannot be recognized as double-cropped acreage under this definition, the subsequently planted crop acreage will not be considered planted or prevented planted.

Dry peas means Austrian, wrinkled seed, yellow, Umatilla, and green peas, excluding peas grown for the fresh, canning, or frozen market.

Effective price is, the higher of the—

(1) National average market price received by producers during the 12-month marketing year for the covered commodity (also known as the MYA price), as determined by FSA; or

(2) National average loan rate as defined in this part for the covered commodity in effect for the crop year, which is the same as the loan rate for a marketing assistance loan for the commodity for that crop year.

Effective reference price means the lesser of the following:

(1) An amount equal to 115 percent of the reference price for a covered commodity; or

(2) An amount equal to the greater of:

(i) The reference price for a covered commodity; or

(ii) 85 percent of the average of the MYA price of the covered commodity for the most recent 5 crop years available, excluding each of the crop years with the highest and lowest MYA price.

Extra long staple cotton means cotton that is other than upland cotton and both the following:

(1) Produced from pure strain varieties of the Barbadense species or any hybrid of the species, or other similar types of extra long staple cotton, designated by the Secretary, having characteristics needed for various end uses for which United States upland cotton is not suitable and grown in irrigated cotton-growing regions of the United States designated by the Secretary or other areas designated by the Secretary as suitable for the production of the varieties or types; and

(2) Ginned on a roller-type gin or, if authorized by the Secretary, ginned on another type of gin for experimental purposes.

Fallow means any cropland or DCP cropland that is not devoted to any crop or trees.

Farm structure means the constitution of the farm. References to “farm structure” can be by date or crop year. When references to farm structure are by crop year, that means the farm as was last constituted as specified in 7 CFR part 718 subpart C in that crop year.

Fiscal year means the year running from October 1 to the following September 30 and will be designated by the same calendar year in which it ends. For example, the 2019 fiscal year begins on October 1, 2018 and ends on September 30, 2019.

Generic base acres means the number of base acres for upland cotton in effect on September 30, 2013, as defined in the regulations in 7 CFR part 1412, subpart B that were in effect on that date, subject to any adjustment or reduction under this part. Generic base acres are subject to allocation according to §1412.25.

Grass or pasture means any cropland or DCP cropland devoted to grass, native grass, mixed forage two or more interseeded grass mix, and mixed forage native grass interseeded.

Harvested means the producer has removed the crop from the field by hand, mechanically, or by grazing of livestock. The crop is considered harvested once it is removed from the field and placed in or on a truck or other conveyance or is consumed by livestock through the act of grazing. Crops normally placed in a truck or other conveyance and taken off the crop acreage, such as hay, are considered harvested when in the bale, whether removed from the field or not.

Historical irrigated percentage means the percentage of the covered commodity on a farm that was irrigated (P&CP, including subsequently planted crop acreage) divided by the total acreage of the covered commodity (P&CP, including subsequently planted crop acreage) between the years 2013 through 2017, or, at FSA's discretion, such other similar 5 year-period (such as 2015 through 2019).

Idle means any cropland or DCP cropland that is not devoted to any crop or trees.

Individual coverage means ARC (ARC-IC) elected under subpart D of this part with the individual option.

Initial crop means acreage of a covered commodity planted or approved as prevented planted for harvest as peanuts, grain, or lint. The initial crop includes reseeded or replanted crop acreage.

Marketing year means the 12-month period beginning in the calendar year the crop is normally harvested as follows:

(1) Barley, oats, and wheat: June 1 through May 31;

(2) Canola, flax and rapeseed, lentils, and dry edible peas: July 1 through June 30;

(3) Peanuts, seed cotton, and rice: August 1 through July 31; and

(4) Corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers, safflower, mustard, crambe, sesame, and chickpeas: September 1 through August 31.

Market year average (MYA) price means the national average price received by producers during the 12-month marketing year (as defined in this part), as determined by FSA for the relevant crop of the covered commodity.

Medium grain rice means medium grain rice and includes short grain rice and temperate japonica rice.

Most recent 5 crop years available means the 5 years preceding the most immediately preceding crop year. For example, for the 2019 crop year, the most recent 5 years available are 2013 through 2017.

NASS means the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

National average loan rate means the loan rate established for a crop year of the covered commodity as specified in 7 CFR part 1421.

Other oilseed means a crop of sunflower seed, rapeseed, canola, safflower, flaxseed, mustard seed, crambe, sesame seed, or any oilseed designated by the Secretary.

Owner means the person or legal entity meeting the definition of owner in part 718 of this title for the applicable contract period for which that person or legal entity is signing any form or performing any action required under this part. For example, if a signature of an “owner” is required under this part, the person or legal entity must be an owner for the applicable contract period for which the person or legal entity is signing the form or performing the action required under this part.

Payment acres means:

(1) For the purpose of ARC-CO and PLC, subject to planting flexibility provisions as specified §1412.46, the payment acres for each covered commodity on a farm will be equal to 85 percent of the covered commodity's base acres on the farm.

(2) For the purpose of ARC-IC, subject to planting flexibility provisions as specified in §1412.46, the payment acres for a farm will be equal to 65 percent of all the covered commodity base acres on the farm.

Payment yield means for a farm for a covered commodity, the yield established under subpart C of this part.

Price Loss Coverage (or PLC) means coverage provided under subpart D of this part.

Producer means the person or legal entity meeting the definition of producer in 7 CFR part 718 for the applicable contract period for which that person or legal entity is signing any form or performing any action required under this part. For example, if a signature of a “producer” is required under this part, the person or legal entity must be a producer during the applicable contract period for which that person or legal entity is signing the form or performing the action required under this part.

Pulse crop means dry peas, lentils, small chickpeas, and large chickpeas.

Reference price means, with respect to a covered commodity for a crop year, the following for:

(1) Wheat, $5.50 per bushel;

(2) Corn, $3.70 per bushel;

(3) Grain sorghum, $3.95 per bushel;

(4) Barley, $4.95 per bushel;

(5) Oats, $2.40 per bushel;

(6) Long grain rice, $14.00 per hundredweight;

(7) Medium grain rice, $14.00 per hundredweight;

(8) Soybeans, $8.40 per bushel;

(9) Other oilseeds, $20.15 per hundredweight;

(10) Peanuts, $535.00 per ton;

(11) Dry peas, $11.00 per hundredweight;

(12) Lentils, $19.97 per hundredweight;

(13) Small chickpeas, $19.04 per hundredweight;

(14) Large chickpeas, $21.54 per hundredweight; and

(15) Seed cotton, $0.367 per pound.

Replacement crop means the planting or approved prevented planting of any crop for harvest following the failure of planted crop acreage or prevented planted acreage of a covered commodity not in a recognized double-cropping sequence (as specified in this section). Replacement crops cannot generate payments under this part unless the replacement crop acreage meets the definition of eligible subsequently planted crop acreage as specified in this section; and

Reseeded or replanted crop means the second planting of a covered commodity on the same acreage after the first planting of that same crop has failed.

RMA means the Risk Management Agency.

Seed cotton means unginned upland cotton that includes both lint and seed.

Subsequently planted crop acreage means planted acres of a covered commodity following an initial P&CP covered commodity. Subsequently planted crop acreage can be used for base reallocation for ARC and PLC under subpart B.

Supportive and necessary contractual documents mean those documents including, but not limited to, those items substantiating the ARC or PLC contract such as leases, deeds, signatures of contract participants, owners, operators, and other tenant signatures, as determined by FSA.

Temperate japonica rice means rice that is grown in high altitudes or temperate regions of high latitudes with cooler climate conditions, in the Western United States, as determined by FSA, for the purpose of the—

(1) Reallocation of base acres under subpart B of this part;

(2) Establishment of a reference price equal to the medium grain rice reference price multiplied by the ratio obtained by dividing:

(i) The simple average of the marketing year average price of medium grain rice from the 2012 through 2016 crop years, by

(ii) The simple average of the marketing year average price of all rice from the 2012 through 2016 crop years; and

(3) Determination of the actual crop revenue and ARC guarantee under subparts D and E of this part.

Transitional yield means the yield determined according to section 502(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1502(b)).

Trend-adjusted yield means the yield computed by multiplying the benchmark yield by a factor determined by taking into consideration, but not exceeding, the trend-adjusted yield factor that is used to increase yield history under crop insurance endorsement under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501-1524) for that crop and county.

Unassigned base acres means the number of acres derived from generic base acres where no ARC or PLC payments are generated or earned.

Upland cotton means cotton that is produced in the United States from other than pure strain varieties of the Barbadense species, any hybrid thereof, or any other variety of cotton in which one or more of these varieties predominate. In other words, it means any cotton that is not extra long staple cotton.

[79 FR 46339, Aug. 8, 2014, as amended at 79 FR 57714, Sept. 26, 2014; 79 FR 74571, Dec. 15, 2014; 83 FR 40657, Aug. 16, 2018; 84 FR 45888, Sept. 3, 2019; 85 FR 16232, Mar. 23, 2020]