Peanut Program Improvement Act

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Peanut Price Support and Production Adjustment

Program

Title II: Peanut Standards

Peanut Program Improvement Act - Title I: Peanut Price Support and Production Adjustment Program - Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to extend peanut program national and farm poundage quota and acreage allotment provisions through crop year 2002. Eliminates seed and includes import considerations in national poundage quota determinations.

Sets a minimum 70 percent (of quota support rate) support rate for transferred additional peanuts.

(Sec. 102) Revises and extends sale, lease, or transfer of farm poundage quota provisions through crop year 2002. Authorizes acreage allotment transfers to owners or operators within any county of a State. States that fall transfers shall no affect farm quota histories nor poundage quotas. Sets forth provisions for in-State farm poundage quota sales in large-quota States (10,000 tons or greater).

(Sec. 103) Extends experimental and research, and marketing penalty provisions through crop year 2002. Applies penalty provisions to reentered (after export) peanut products made from additional peanuts.

(Sec. 105) Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to revise and extend peanut price support provisions through crop year 2002. Makes peanuts produced outside New Mexico ineligible for New Mexico pools.

Revises loss provisions. Subjects imported peanuts to domestic peanut quality standards.

Extends marketing assessment provisions (at 1.2 percent) through crop year 2002. Treats imported peanuts as additional peanuts. Includes importers within the definition of "first purchaser." States that marketing assessment funds shall be used to offset the cost of the peanut price support program.

(Sec. 107) Suspends specified permanent peanut program provisions.

Title II: Peanut Standards - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide for the warehouse inspection and grading of all peanut and peanut products sold in the United States. Requires the separation of imported and domestic peanut lots. Requires: (1) country-of-production labeling; (2) nutritional labeling; and (3)inspection and testing for grade and quality, pesticide residues, and plant diseases.