Education and risk management assistance
Education assistance
In general
Subject to the amounts made available under paragraph (5)—
the Corporation shall carry out the program established under paragraph (2); and
the Secretary, acting through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, shall carry out the program established under paragraph (3).
Education and information
The Corporation shall establish a program under which crop insurance education and information is provided to producers in States in which (as determined by the Secretary)—
there is traditionally, and continues to be, a low level of Federal crop insurance participation and availability; and
producers are underserved by the Federal crop insurance program.
Partnerships for risk management education
Authority
Basis for grants
Obligation period
Administrative costs
Requirements
In carrying out the programs established under paragraphs (2) and (3), the Secretary shall place special emphasis on risk management strategies (including farm financial benchmarking), education, and outreach specifically targeted at—
beginning farmers or ranchers;
legal immigrant farmers or ranchers that are attempting to become established producers in the United States;
socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers;
farmers or ranchers that—
are preparing to retire; and
are using transition strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started; and
new or established farmers or ranchers that are converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets.
Funding
From the insurance fund established under section 1516(c) of this title, there is transferred—
for the education and information program established under paragraph (2), $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 and each subsequent fiscal year; and
for the partnerships for risk management education program established under paragraph (3), $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 and each subsequent fiscal year.
Agricultural management assistance
Authority
Uses
A producer may use financial assistance provided under this subsection to—
construct or improve—
watershed management structures; or
irrigation structures;
plant trees to form windbreaks or to improve water quality;
mitigate financial risk through production or marketing diversification or resource conservation practices, including—
soil erosion control;
integrated pest management;
organic farming; or
to develop and implement a plan to create marketing opportunities for the producer, including through value-added processing;
enter into futures, hedging, or options contracts in a manner designed to help reduce production, price, or revenue risk;
enter into agricultural trade options as a hedging transaction to reduce production, price, or revenue risk; or
conduct any other activity relating to an activity described in subparagraphs (A) through (E), as determined by the Secretary.
Payment limitation
Commodity Credit Corporation
In general
Funding
In general
Exception for certain fiscal years
Certain uses
Of the amounts made available to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year, the Commodity Credit Corporation shall use not less than—
50 percent to carry out subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (2) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service;
10 percent to provide organic certification cost share assistance through the Agricultural Marketing Service; and
40 percent to conduct activities to carry out subparagraph (F) of paragraph (2) through the Risk Management Agency.