A bill to help stabilize farm prices whenever a suspension of commercial export sales of agricultural commodities for reasons of national security or foreign policy adversely affects the prices which producers receive for the commodities involved, and for other purposes.
Agricultural Trade Suspension Mitigation Act of 1980 - Title I: Gasohol Feedstock Reserve and Food Security Reserve - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a gasohol feedstock reserve and/or a food security reserve whenever: (1) the President or other member of the executive branch causes the commercial sales of any commodity to any country or area of the world to be suspended for reasons of national security or foreign policy under any provision of law; and (2) the prices producers receive for such commodities are, or will be, adversely affected by such action.
Directs the Secretary to announce, within 30 days after such suspension: (1) whether reserves under this Act will be established; and (2) the amount of the commodity to be placed in such reserves. Requires that such amount be that portion of the suspended commercial exports which should be removed from the market to maintain producer prices at the levels immediately prior to the suspension.
Authorizes the Secretary to establish a gasohol feedstock reserve necessary to stabilize prices under this Act by purchasing, through the Commodity Credit Corporation, commodities suitable for use in the production of alcohol for fuel and paying reserve maintenance and disposition costs. Permits the Secretary to dispose of such commodities only through sale, at not less than the fuel conversion price for the commodity involved, for use in the production of alcohol as motor fuel at facilities which: (1) begin operation after January 4, 1980; and (2) can produce alcohol from agricultural or forestry biomass feedstocks other than the commodity involved. Requires all commodities placed in such reserve to be acquired, handled, and disposed of under the provisions of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act.
Authorizes the Secretary to establish a food security reserve necessary to stabilize prices under this Act by purchasing, through the Commodity Credit Corporation, commodities suitable for use as emergency food assistance and urgent humanitarian relief for developing countries and by paying reserve maintenance and disposition costs. Permits the Secretary to release such commodities on a donation or sale basis only for the purpose of providing such assistance and relief when the domestic supply of such commodities is so limited that adequate quantities of such commodities cannot be made available under the criteria of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954. Requires that all commodities placed in the food security reserve be managed and disposed of in accordance with the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 and promptly replaced with an equivalent quantity. Excludes the commodities placed in such reserve from the total domestic supply for such Act's purposes. Directs the Secretary to utilize the funds, facilities, and authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation in implementing and managing the food security reserve.
Directs the Secretary to establish safeguards to assure that commodities held in either reserve are not used to unduly depress, manipulate, or curtail the free market.
Title II: Ineligible Producers' Access to Federal Crop Programs in the Event of Agricultural Trade Suspensions - Authorizes the Secretary to make nonresource and emergency loans and producer storage program participation available to producers without regard to eligibility or whether such producers participated in the Federal programs for such crops. Permits the Secretary to announce and carry out a cropland set-aside program for the crop of any commodity if to do so would be in the public interest as a result of a suspension of commercial export sales of such commodity.
Title III: Increase in the Maximum Commodity Credit Corporation Loan for Farm Storage Facilities - Amends the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 to increase the maximum Commodity Credit Corporation loan for farm storage facilities from $50,000 to $100,000.
Title IV: Study of the Potential for Expansion of United States Agricultural Export Markets and the Use of Agricultural Exports in Obtaining Needed Materials - Directs the Secretary, in cooperation with the United States Trade Representative, to perform a study of the potential for expansion of agricultural export markets and the use of such exports in obtaining natural resources or other commodities and products needed by the United States. Sets forth the factors the Secretary should consider in such study, including world food, feed, and fiber needs and production capabilities over the next 20 years and the potential for the development of international agreements for the exchange of such commodities for energy resources.
Amends the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act to establish in the Treasury the Agricultural Export Credit Revolving Fund to make loans for the improvement of the capacity of foreign countries to handle, store or distribute agricultural commodities exported from the United States.
Requires the Secretary to report annually to Congress with respect to the export credit sales program.
Introduced in Senate
Referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
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