(a) The cost on which the loan will be based is the net cost of the eligible facility, accessories, and services to the applicant after discounts and rebates, not to exceed a maximum per-bushel, -ton or, -cubic foot cost established by the FSA State committee.

(b) The net cost for all facilities:

(1) May include the following: All real estate lien related fees paid by the borrower, including attorney fees, except for filing fees; environmental and historic review fees including archaeological study fees; the facility purchase price; sales tax; shipping; delivery charges; site preparation costs; installation cost; material and labor for concrete pads and foundations; material and labor for electrical wiring; electrical motors; off-farm paid labor; on-farm site preparation and construction equipment costs not to exceed commercial rates approved by the county committee; and recently required on-farm material approved by the county committee.

(2) May not include secondhand material or any other item determined by the approving authority to be ineligible for loan.

(c) The maximum total principal amount of the FSFL, except for FSFL microloans, is 85 percent of the net cost of the applicant's needed facility, not to exceed $500,000 per loan. For FSFL microloans the maximum total principal amount of the farm storage facility loan is 95 percent of the net costs of the applicant's needed storage, handling facility, including drying and handling equipment, or storage and handling trucks, not to exceed an aggregate outstanding balance of $50,000.

(d) The storage need requirement for eligible facility loan commodities will be determined as follows:

(1) For facility loan commodities, except sugar, cold storage commodities, maple sap, and milk:

(i) Multiply the average of the applicant's share of the acres farmed for the most recent three years for each type of facility loan commodity requiring suitable storage at the proposed facility;

(ii) By a yield determined reasonable by the county committee;

(iii) Multiply by two (for 2 years production); and

(iv) Subtract existing storage capacity in the units of measurement, such as bushels, tons, or cubic feet, for the type of storage needed to determine remaining storage need.

(v) Compare capacity of proposed facility with storage need (calculated as specified in paragraphs (d)(1)(i)-(iv) of this section) to determine if applicant is eligible for additional storage.

(2) For sugar storage facility loans,

(i) Identify past processing volume and marketing allotments;

(ii) Use the processor's projection of processing volume, available storage capacity, volume not to be marketed due to marketing allotment, and other appropriate factors affecting the processor's storage need to estimate the storage need requirement, and

(iii) Compare capacity of proposed facility with storage need (estimated as specified in paragraphs (d)(2)(i)-(ii) of this section) to determine if additional storage is required.

(3) For cold storage facilities:

(i) Multiply the average of the applicant's share of production or of acres farmed for the most recent 3 years for each eligible commodity requiring cold storage at the proposed facility;

(ii) By a yield determined reasonable by the county committee;

(iii) Determine cold storage needed (calculated as specified in paragraphs (d)(3)(i)-(ii) of this section) with the assistance of NIFA, land-grant university, or ARS publications; and

(iv) Subtract existing cold storage capacity to determine remaining storage need.

(v) Compare capacity of proposed cold storage facility with cold storage need (calculated as specified in paragraphs (d)(3)(i)-(iv) of this section) to determine if applicant is eligible for additional cold storage.

(4) For all eligible facility loan commodities, except sugar, if acreage data is not practicable or available for State and County Committees or authorized FSA staff to determine the storage need, specifically, but not limited to, maple sap, eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt, milk, meat and poultry, a reasonable production yield, such as ERS or NASS data may be used to determine the storage capacity need. A reasonable production yield may also be used for newly acquired farms, specialty farming, changes in cropping operations, prevented planted acres, or for facility loan commodities being grown for the first time.

(5) For FSFL microloans if the FSA State and county committees determine that self-certification is practicable based on the applicant's farm operation, then CCC may allow applicants to self-certify to the storage capacity need. The Deputy Administrator, Farm Programs, or an FSA State committee may rescind the FSFL microloan provision on a Statewide basis if it is determined that allowing FSFL microloans has increased the likelihood of loan defaults and is not in the best interest of CCC.

(e) When a storage structure has a larger capacity than the applicant's needed capacity, as determined by CCC, the net cost eligible for a loan will be prorated. Only costs associated with the applicant's needed storage capacity will be considered eligible for loan under this part.

(f) Any borrower with an outstanding loan must use the financed structure only for the storage of eligible facility loan commodities. If a borrower uses such structure for other purposes such as office space or display area, the loan amount will be adjusted for the ineligible space as determined by CCC.

(g) The FSA county committee may approve applications, if loan funds are available, up to the maximum approval amount unless the Deputy Administrator, Farm Programs, or the FSA State committee establishes a lower limit for county committee approval authority.

(h) The Farm storage facility loan approval period, which is the timeframe, from approval until expiration, during which the facility must be completely and fully delivered, erected, constructed, assembled, or installed and a CCC representative has inspected and approved such facility for all eligible facility loan commodities except sugar, will expire 6 months after the date of approval unless extended in writing for an additional 6 months by the FSA State Committee. A second 6 month extension, for a total of 18 months from the original approval date, may be approved by the FSA State Committee. This authority will not be re-delegated. Sugar storage facility loan approvals will expire 8 months after the date of approval unless extended in writing for an additional 4 months by the FSA State Committee.

(i) For sugar storage facility loans, paragraphs (c) and (g) of this section do not apply.

(j) For sugar storage facility loans, the agency approval officials may only approve loans, subject to available funds.

[74 FR 41590, Aug. 18, 2009, as amended at 76 FR 4805, Jan. 27, 2011; 81 FR 25595, Apr. 29, 2016]