Food and Agriculture Act of 1981

Food and Agriculture Act of 1981 - Title I: Dairy and Beekeeper Programs - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1970 to revise dairy base plan provisions. Extends through fiscal year 1985: (1) the dairy base plan program; and (2) the beekeeper indemnity program.

Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to extend through 1985: (1) milk price supports and semiannual adjustments; and (2) the program of price-supported dairy products for the military and veterans' hospitals.

Directs the President to proclaim a quota on the importation of milk protein products used in food or animal feed. Prohibits the importation of dairy products (as defined by this Act) for food or animal feed without the Secretary's authorization. Prohibits such an authorization if the resulting importation of dairy products exceeds certain limits under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933.

Title II: Wool and Mohair - Amends the National Wool Act of 1954 to extend the wool and mohair price support program through 1985.

Title III: - Establishes the "Basic Loan Rate" for wheat, corn, cotton, rice, and peanuts at 75 percent of parity. Sets forth loan rates for other specified commodities, including "Producer-Held Reserve" commodities (110 percent of the "Basic Loan Rate"). Authorizes the Secretary to require that a producer (excluding cotton) not exceed normal crop acreage to qualify for a loan or purchase.

Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to establish for the 1982-1985 soybean crops a price support of at least 75 percent of parity. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring a set-aside of soybean acreage as a condition of eligibility. Establishes for 1981-1984 sugar cane and sugar beet processed products a price support at a level which will not result in the acquisition of any significant amounts of sugar by the Commodity Credit Corporation.

Title IV: Directs the Secretary to establish a "Producer-Held Reserve" for wheat and feed grains. Authorizes similar reserves for other commodities. Provides for: (1) commodities to be held for three to five years; (2) storage payments to producers; (3) a (waivable) maximum eight percent interest rate; and (4) the minimum amount of wheat to be 400,000,000 bushels.

Title V: Establishes the release level for commodities in the "Producer-Held Reserve" at 120 percent of the applicable loan rate, and the call level at 140 percent.

Title VI: Establishes the Commodity Credit Corporation's sale price for the 1982-1985 wheat and feed grain crops at not less than 30 percent of the current national average loan rate.

Title VII: Permits the Secretary to use set-asides, land diversion, and planted acreage limitations to avoid commodity surpluses.

Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to direct the Secretary to establish national acreage programs for the 1982-1985 wheat and feed grain crops. Permits the Secretary to revise such programs as necessary. Establishes the national program acreages as the number of harvested acres necessary for domestic and export requirements.

Requires the Secretary to determine a program allocation factor for each crop. States that such factor shall be determined by dividing the national program acreage (of a crop) by the estimated number of acres to be harvested. Stipulates that the allocation factor shall be between 80 and 100 percent. States that: (1) the individual farm program acreage shall be determined by multiplying the allocation factor by planted acreage on farms for which individual farm program acreages are required to be determined; and (2) the farm program payment yield shall be based on the previous crop year.

Authorizes the Secretary to provide for a set-aside of croplands if necessary to avoid excessive wheat and feed grain harvests. Directs the Secretary to announce any such set-aside by August 15 for wheat and by November 15 for feed grains. Requires producers participating in such set-aside program to use such acreage for conservation purposes. Stipulates that the Secretary may permit such acreage or part thereof to be used for other commodities if such crops are necessary to provide an adequate supply, and will not increase the cost of the price support program nor adversely affect farm income. Permits the Secretary to uniformly limit the acreage planted in wheat and feed grains.

Authorizes the Secretary to make land-diversion payments whether or not a set-aside is in effect to wheat and feed grain producers. Requires such acreage to be used for conservation purposes. Authorizes such land-diversion contracts to be determined by bid. Requires that the total diverted acreage in any county or local community not adversely affect the economy of such area.

Permits the set-aside and diverted acreage to be used for wildlife purposes. Requires such set-aside and land-diversion programs to be carried out through the Community Credit Corporation.

Exempts the 1982-1985 wheat crops from specified: (1) export and processing marketing certificate requirements; (2) marketing quotas and producer certificate provisions; (3) quota provisions; and (4) current support price levels. Exempts the 1982-1985 feed grain crops from current price support and related provisions.

Establishes similar set-aside and land diversion programs for the 1982-1985 upland cotton and rice crops. Exempts such cotton crops from current price support levels. Amends the Rice Production Act of 1975 to extend the national acreage allotment for rice through 1985. Exempts the 1982-1985 rice crops from specified marketing quota provisions. Extends the applicability of the existing definition of "cooperator" (with respect to rice) through 1985.

Title VIII: Amends the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 to: (1) extend through 1985 the President's authority to enter into agreements for concessional sales of U.S. agricultural commodities and to provide such commodities for use in foreign assistance programs; and (2) increase the authorization of appropriations available to reimburse the Commodity Credit Corporation for costs incurred in such programs.

Title IX: National Soil and Water Conservation Loans - Amends the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act to direct the Corporation to make loans to agricultural producers for conservation and environmental enhancement. Limits loans to any single producer to: (1) $10,000 annually in unsecured loans; (2) not less than $10,000 nor more than $25,000 annually in secured loans; and (3) a total of not more than $200,000. Limits such loans to a maximum term of ten years.

Title X: Resource Conservation and Development Program - Resource Conservation and Development Act of 1981 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a resource conservation and development program to assist States, local units of government, and local nonprofit organizations to operate and maintain a planning process for land conservation and utilization, natural resources development, and rural economic and environmental improvement.

Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide technical assistance in developing area plans for designated rural areas; (2) cooperate in conducting surveys and inventories, disseminating information, and developing area plans; (3) assist in the carrying out of approved area plans by local public agencies and nonprofit organizations designated by States; and (4) enter into specified agreements with such State and local entities. Sets forth the terms and conditions of such agreements.

Directs the Secretary to establish within the Department of Agriculture a Resource Conservation and Development Policy Board to advise the Secretary regarding the administration of this title.

Directs the Secretary to evaluate such program.

Authorizes appropriations necessary to carry out this title, with specified annual limits on technical and financial assistance and on loans.

Title XI: Special Areas Soil Conservation Program - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide assistance to farm and ranch owners or operators and public entities to identify and correct erosion or irrigation management problems in special areas (as designated under this Act). Prohibits assistance to: (1) public lands unless they are an integral part of a farm or ranch; and (2) nonfarm or nonranch land unless such land has a serious erosion problem which threatens farm or ranch land.

Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cost-sharing contracts (not to exceed ten years in duration) with landowners and operators to: (1) make necessary changes in their cropping systems or land management practices; (2) install the necessary soil and water conservation treatments; and (3) maintain any other established conservation treatment. States that locally-developed conservation plans shall form the basis for such plan. Requires a recipient to provide the Secretary with a plan that: (1) incorporates practices to prevent land erosion; (2) outlines a schedule for implementing cropping system changes or other conservation methods; (3) considers local, social, economic, and environmental conditions; (4) allows for varying levels of conservation application as appropriate; (5) allows for wildlife and recreation measures; and (6) identifies methods for controlling agricultural related point and nonpoint pollution. Directs the Secretary to: (1) implement a plan for each designated special area assessing problems, objectives, priorities, and implementation schedules; and (2) submit such plan to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and to the House Committee on Agriculture. Prohibits the Secretary from entering into any contracts involving such plans without the Committees' approval.

Authorizes the Secretary to expend funds directly or through grants for conservation technology research related to such plans.

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States to evaluate the impact of local and State tax structures on the acceptance and implementation of conservation measures.

Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress at the end of each of the first five years of such program's operation.

Title XII: Agricultural Volunteers - Directs the Secretary to establish a volunteer program. States that such volunteers shall not be considered Federal employees except for provisions relating to compensation for injury and tort claims. Authorizes necessary appropriations.

Title XIII: Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes the Secretary to assist, including the use of Soil Conservation Service personnel and equipment, in local search and rescue operations.

Directs the Secretary to establish centers to assemble, test, and distribute plants for use in soil, water, and energy conservation programs. Authorizes specified appropriations.

Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act to permit the Secretary to carry out experimental reclamation treatment projects on all lands within a hydrologic unit (rather than on individual land parcels) to reduce the effects of past surface mining techniques.

Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance to landowners and operators for the: (1) beneficial use or safe disposal of land wastes; (2) control of agricultural related pollution; and (3) development of rural storm water runoff facilities. Authorizes specified appropriations.

Title XIV: Miscellaneous - Requires the Secretary to set the loan level for a suspended agricultural export at 100 percent of such commodity's parity price. Defines "commodity" to include wheat, corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, oats, rye, barley, rice, flaxseed, and cotton.

Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to authorize the Secretary to administer a special wheat acreage grazing and hay program for the 1981-1985 crops. Permits a participant to replace a certain portion of the wheat, feed grain, or cotton acreage with noncommercial wheat or hay. Sets forth the payment formula. Directs the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out such program.

Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require foreign plants to: (1) be inspected at least six times each year; and (2) receive certification from the Secretary.

Title XV: Reauthorizes title XIV (National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977) of the Food and Agricultural Act of 1977. Authorizes appropriations (with a specified annual limit) to support research on specific national or regional animal disease problems. Directs the Secretary in consultation with the Joint Council, the Users Advisory Board, and the Animal Health Science Research Advisory Board, to establish annually a priority list of such diseases. Requires grantees to be selected on a competitive basis.