Food and Agriculture Act of 1985

Food and Agriculture Act of 1985 - Title I: Wheat - Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 for the 1986 through 1989 crops of wheat to provide for price supports and target prices for years when marketing quotas are proclaimed and for years when they are not proclaimed.

Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to determine, before April 15 of any year, the wheat supply needed to meet anticipated needs for the next marketing year, and by June 1 to implement mandatory marketing quotas if they are determined necessary, subject to approval by referendum.

Title II: Feed Grains - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to set price supports, target prices, and deficiency payment rates for the 1986 through 1989 crops of corn and other feed grains.

Title III: Soybeans - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to set price supports for the 1986 through 1989 marketing years for soybeans.

Title IV: Peanuts - Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to set national poundage quotas for the 1986 through 1989 marketing years for peanuts.

Title V: Sugar - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to set price supports for the 1986 through 1989 crops of sugarcane and sugar beets.

Title VI: Wool and Mohair - Amends the National Wool Act of 1954 to extend the current price supports for wool and mohair through 1989.

Title VII: Dairy - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to extend through FY 1989 certain milk marketing order provisions of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937. Sets price supports for milk through FY 1990.

Title VIII: Tobacco - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to terminate the current price support program for tobacco after 1989 unless it is reauthorized by law.

Title IX: Miscellaneous Commodity Provisions - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to extend through 1989 the current limitation ($50,000) on total payments to any person under the wheat, feed grain, upland cotton, and rice programs.

Authorizes the Secretary to make advance deficiency payments available for wheat or feed grains if an acreage limitation or set-aside program is established and it is determined that deficiency payments are likely to be made.

Title X: Agricultural Exports - Extends the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (Public Law 480) through 1989.

Exempts certain export activities (but not Public Law 480 exports) from the Cargo Preference Act.

Amends the Food for Peace Act of 1966 regarding intermediate credit for agricultural exports.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a program under which commodities acquired by the Commodity Credit Corporation through its price support operations are made available to United States exporters, processors, and foreign purchasers at no cost.

Directs the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out an export subsidy program whenever the supply of a particular commodity exceeds a certain amount, in order to neutralize the effect on U.S. exports of the export subsidy or trading practices of foreign countries or instrumentalities.

Declares that it is the sense of Congress that the President should negotiate to develop long-term bilateral and multilateral agreements to promote the free trade of agricultural commodities and products between the United States and other countries.

Title XI: Natural Resource Conservation - Soil Conservation Act of 1985 - Directs the Secretary to carry out a conservation reserve program under which farmers agreeing to perform long-term (seven to 15 year) conservation measures on highly erodible lands shall receive payments to help offset the cost of such measures.

Disqualifies from agricultural program benefits, with specified exceptions, any person who produces during any crop year an agricultural commodity on highly erodible land on a field in which such land is the predominant class.

Wetland Conservation Act of 1985 - Makes ineligible for agricultural program benefits, with specified exceptions, any person who produces during any crop year an agricultural commodity on wetland.

Title XII: Farm Credit Assistance - Farm Credit Assistance Act of 1985 - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Secretary to release certain borrowers from personal liability and any lien the Secretary may hold on their assets, up to a total of $10,000. Limits such release authority to borrowers with a negative net worth who are facing imminent foreclosure or bankruptcy. Limits the use of such released assets to transition out of farming or ranching. Requires any released borrower to convey the remainder of his or her property to the Secretary.

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States for use in buying down the interest rates charged by commercial or cooperative lenders to limited resource farmers. Provides for Federal buy-downs where it is not practicable for States to provide matching funds.

Directs the Secretary to hire personnel needed to process Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) farm loan applications whenever the number of applications exceeds specified levels.

Revises requirements for speedy designation of approved lenders and for the sale of farm property in inventory to limited resource farmers.

Directs the Secretary to study the administrative appeals procedure of the FmHA and report findings to the Congress by September 1, 1986.

Directs the Farm Credit Administration to study the feasibility of obtaining insurance to protect its borrower capital.

Title XIII: Task Force on Agricultural Credit - Agricultural Credit Task Force Act of 1985 - Establishes a National Task Force on Agricultural Credit to study the credit problems confronting U.S. agricultural producers and related businesses. Requires a final report to the President and the Congress by July 1, 1986.

Title XIV: Agricultural Research and Extension - National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act Amendments of 1985 - Extends through FY 1989 certain provisions of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977.

Title XV: Rural Development - Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Improvement Act of 1985 - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act with respect to grants and loans for drinking water and waste disposal facilities in rural communities.

Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services to revise the memorandum of understanding on financing for rural health centers with respect to the costs of repaying FmHA loans for buildings and to provide for the lawful period for the amortization of such loans.

Title XVI: Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Committees - Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Committee Act of 1985 - Amends the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act with respect to local committees.

Title XVII: Food Reserves - Emergency Food Reserve Act of 1985 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a separate reserve of inventories of wheat and feed grains to alleviate distress resulting from a national emergency.

Extends through FY 1989 the Food Security Wheat Reserve Act of 1980.

Title XVIII: Food Stamps - Extends through FY 1989 the Food Stamp Act of 1977.

Title XIX: Commodity Distribution - Amends the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 to extend through FY 1989 the commodity distribution program and the commodity supplemental feeding program.

Extends through FY 1987 the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983.

Title XX: Extension of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act - Extends through FY 1987 the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

Title XXI: Effective Date - Makes October 1, 1985, the effective date of this Act.