The definitions in this section apply for all purposes of program administration regarding the cotton loan and LDP programs. The terms defined in part 718 of this title and parts 1412, 1421, 1423, 1425, and 1434 of this chapter also apply, except where they conflict with definitions in this section.

Adjusted spot price means the spot price adjusted to reflect any lack of data for base quality to make the adjusted spot price comparable to a spot price assuming the base quality. If base quality spot price data are not available, spot prices for other qualities will be used and adjusted by the average difference between base quality spot prices and those for other qualities over the available observations during the previous 12 months.

Bale opening means the removal of the bagging and ties from a bale of eligible upland cotton in the normal opening area, immediately before use, by a manufacturer in a building or collection of buildings where the cotton in the bale will be used in the continuous process of manufacturing raw cotton into cotton products in the United States.

Charges means all fees, costs, and expenses incurred by CCC in insuring, carrying, handling, storing, conditioning, and marketing the cotton tendered to CCC for loan. Charges also include any other expenses incurred by CCC in protecting CCC's or the producer's interest in such cotton.

Classification means the measurement results provided by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of color grade, leaf, staple, strength, extraneous matter and micronaire, and for upland cotton, length uniformity.

Consumption means the use of eligible cotton by a domestic user in the manufacture in the United States of cotton products.

Cooperative marketing association (CMA) means a cooperative marketing association, approved as specified in part 1425 of this chapter, that has executed a Cotton Cooperative Loan Agreement.

Cotton means upland cotton and extra loan staple cotton meeting the definition in the definitions of “upland cotton” and “extra long staple (ELS) cotton” in this section, respectively, and excludes cotton not meeting such definitions.

Cotton clerk means a person approved by CCC to assist producers in preparing loan and loan deficiency documents.

Cotton commercial bank means the bank designated as the financial institution for a CMA or loan servicing agent.

Cotton product means any product containing cotton fibers that result from the use of a bale of cotton in manufacturing.

Cotton storage deficit area means a State, County, or group of contiguous counties within a State, where the production of cotton for the area based on the most recent estimate from the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service exceeds the combined approved inside storage capacity less carry-in stocks, of warehouses that have entered into a Cotton Storage Agreement with CCC.

Current Far East shipment price means, during the period in which two daily price quotations are available for the growth quoted for M 13⁄32 inch cotton, CFR (cost and freight) Far East, the price quotation for cotton for shipment no later than August/September of the current calendar year.

Electronic Agent Designation is an electronic record that:

(1) Designates the entity authorized by a producer to redeem all of the cotton pledged as collateral for a specific loan;

(2) Is maintained by providers of electronic warehouse receipts; and

(3) A producer may authorize CCC to use as the basis for the redemption and release of loan collateral.

Extra long staple (ELS) cotton means any of the following varieties of cotton which is produced in the United States and is ginned on a roller gin:

(1) American-Pima;

(2) All other varieties of the Barbadense species of cotton, and any hybrid thereof; and

(3) Any other variety of cotton in which one or more of these varieties predominate.

False packed cotton means cotton in a bale containing substances entirely foreign to cotton; containing damaged cotton in the interior with or without any indication of the damage on the exterior; composed of good cotton on the exterior and decidedly inferior cotton in the interior, but not detectable by customary examination; or, containing pickings or linters worked into the bale.

Financial institution means:

(1) A bank in the United States which accepts demand deposits; and

(2) An association organized pursuant to Federal or State law and supervised by Federal or State banking authorities.

Form A loan means a nonrecourse loan entered into between a producer and CCC.

Form G loan means a CCC nonrecourse loan entered into between a CMA and CCC.

Good condition means a bale of cotton that, by comparison with the photographic standards of “A Guide for Cotton Bale Standards” of the Joint Cotton Industry Bale Packaging Committee, is determined to be a Grade A or Grade B bale.

Lint Cotton means cotton that has passed through the ginning process.

Loan deficiency payment (LDP) means a payment made in lieu of a MAL when the CCC-determined value, which is based on the current local price in a county, is below the applicable county loan rate. The payment is the difference between the two rates times the eligible quantity.

Loan rate is the national loan rate for base quality upland cotton and the national average rate for ELS cotton adjusted by any premiums and discounts determined by CCC.

Loan servicing agent means a legal entity that enters into a written agreement with CCC to act as a loan servicing agent for CCC in making and servicing Form A cotton loans. The loan servicing agent may perform, on behalf of CCC, only those services which are specifically prescribed by CCC including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Preparing and executing loan and LDP documents;

(2) Disbursing loan and LDP proceeds;

(3) Accepting loan repayments;

(4) Handling documents involved with forfeiture of loan collateral to CCC; and

(5) Providing loan, LDP, and accounting data to CCC for statistical purposes.

Transfer means, depending on the context, the process for a producer or an authorized agent of the producer to:

(1) Physically relocate cotton loan collateral from one CCC-approved warehouse to another CCC-approved warehouse,

(2) Exchange an electronic warehouse receipt for a receipt certificated by a warehouse for delivery under a futures contract without physically relocating the cotton, or

(3) Do both of the above.

Upland cotton means planted and stub cotton which 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.

Warehouse receipt means a receipt containing the required information specified in this part that may or may not be certificated for delivery for a futures-pricing contract, and is an electronic warehouse receipt record issued by such warehouse recorded in a central filing system or systems maintained in one or more locations that are approved by FSA to operate such system.

Wet cotton means a bale of cotton that, at a gin, has 7.5 percent or more moisture, wet basis, at any point in the bale.

[67 FR 64459, Oct. 18, 2002, as amended at 71 FR 51427, Aug. 30, 2006; 73 FR 30275, May 27, 2008; 73 FR 65719, Nov. 5, 2008;75 FR 50849, Aug. 18, 2010; 80 FR 132, 139, Jan. 2, 2015]