(a) An average market price will be used to calculate assistance under this part and will be:

(1) A dollar value per the applicable unit of measure of the eligible crop;

(2) Determined on a harvested basis without the inclusion of transportation, storage, processing, marketing, or other post-harvest expenses, as determined by FSA;

(3) Comparable with established FCIC prices; and

(4) Determined, as practicable, for each intended use of a crop type within a State, as determined by FSA, for a crop year.

(b) For each crop and location (State or county or other location as determined appropriate by FSA), FSA will establish an average market price using the following method:

(1) Obtaining market prices for each crop for the 5 consecutive crop years beginning with the most recent year for which price data is available; then

(2) Dropping the crop years in the 5 consecutive crop years with the highest and lowest prices; and then

(3) Averaging the prices for the remaining 3 crop years in the 5 consecutive crop years; and

(4) If 5 crop years of data is not available for determining the average market price, FSA will use the best data available, as determined by FSA, for as many crop years of average market price data as possible within the 5 consecutive crop years beginning with the most recent year for which price data is available and determine an average market price for the crop by computing a simple average of the prices for those years.

(c) FSA will disregard small differences in prices for a crop based on different types or varieties or various intended uses. If FSA determines there is a significant amount of production being marketed in a location or region at significantly different prices, FSA will determine whether or not to establish different average market prices for subsequent crop years.

(d) Separate average market prices may be established within a State based on conventional or organic practices or the intended market, as determined by FSA.

(e) For these purposes, where needed, an Animal-unit-days (AUD) value will be based on the national average price of corn and the daily requirement of 13.6 megacalories of net energy for maintenance of 1 animal unit.

(f) Payment factors will be used to calculate assistance for crops produced with significant and variable harvesting expenses that are not incurred because the crop acreage was prevented planted, or planted but not harvested, as determined by FSA. The imposition of payment factors is based on the acre status and disposition not whether a NAP participant actually incurs or does not incur expenses.

(g) The average market price used to determine the amount of NAP assistance for crop acreage reported with a specific intended use will be based on the smaller of the approved average market price established for either the specific intended use reported on the acreage report or actual market or actual use for which more than 50 percent of the acreage's harvested production is marketed. For example: A producer reports 50 acres of carrots intended for fresh market and the producer suffers a 70 percent loss of production on the acreage. Additionally, more than 50 percent of the carrots actually produced from the 50 acres are sold as processed carrots. Because the established average market price for processed carrots is less than fresh carrots and more than 50 percent of the harvested crop was marketed as processed carrots, the established average market price for processed carrots will be used to compute the producer's NAP assistance. If an average market price had not been established for processed carrots in this example before the coverage period, then the average market price for fresh carrots would be used.

(1) The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to secondary use, peanuts, seed intended uses, and small grain intended for use as forage.

(2) [Reserved]

(h) For crops with an established yield and market price for multiple intended uses, the average market price will be as provided in paragraph (g) of this section except that for producers who choose buy-up coverage under §1437.5(d), the average market price used to determine assistance may be based on historical production and acreage evidence provided by the participant. The evidence of actual final use of historical production must come from the 3 previous crop years immediately preceding the coverage year. Only years in which the producer had acreage and production harvested will be counted. In other words, if a producer only marketed a crop in 1 previous year, FSA will review the evidence of final use in that year and based on the evidence for that year, determine a percent of production attributable to each use. Based on that determined percentage, an appropriate average market price and use will be calculated and determined, respectively. If more than 1 and up to 3 years of final use evidence are available, FSA will count all years and production and determine the average. If a producer had crop acreage and evidence of final use for any year in the 3-year period, but the producer does not submit evidence for any other year in the 3-year period for which the producer also had acreage, the average market price will be as provided in paragraph (g) of this section.

(i) A final payment price will be determined by multiplying, as appropriate, the average market price determined in this section by the applicable payment factor (that is, harvested, unharvested, or prevented planting).

[67 FR 12448, Mar. 19, 2002, as amended at 71 FR 13744, Mar. 17, 2006. Redesignated and amended at 79 FR 74574, 74578, 74583, Dec. 15, 2014; 85 FR 12220, Mar. 2, 2020]