§ 1445j. Deficiency and land diversion payments
(a)
Deficiency payments
(1)
In general
If the Secretary establishes an acreage limitation program for any of the 1991 through 1997 crops of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, or rice under this Act and determines that deficiency payments will likely be made for the commodity for the crop, the Secretary shall make advance deficiency payments available to producers for each of the crops.
(2)
Terms and conditions
Advance deficiency payments under paragraph (1) shall be made to the producer under the following terms and conditions:
(A)
Form
Such payments may be made available in the form of—
(B)
Commodities and certificates
If payments are made available to producers as provided for under subparagraph (A)(ii), such producers may elect to receive such payments either in the form of—
(C)
Maturity
Such a certificate shall be redeemable for a period not to exceed 3 years from the date the certificate is issued.
(D)
Storage
The Commodity Credit Corporation shall pay the cost of storing a commodity that may be received under such a certificate until such time as the certificate is redeemed.
(E)
Timing
The payments shall be made available as soon as practicable after the producer enters into a contract with the Secretary to participate in such program.
(F)
Amounts
The payments shall be made available in such amounts as the Secretary determines appropriate to encourage adequate participation in the program, except that the amount may not exceed an amount determined by multiplying—
(iii)
as determined by the Secretary.
(G)
Repayment
If the deficiency payment payable to a producer for a crop, as finally determined by the Secretary under this Act, is less than the amount paid to the producer as an advance deficiency payment for the crop under this subsection, the producer shall repay an amount equal to the difference between the amount advanced and the amount finally determined by the Secretary to be payable to the producer as a deficiency payment for the crop concerned.
(H)
Repayment requirement
If the Secretary determines under this Act that deficiency payments will not be made available to producers on a crop with respect to which advance deficiency payments already have been made under this subsection, the producers who received the advance payments shall repay the payments.
(I)
Deadline
Any repayment required under subparagraph (G) or (H) shall be due at the end of the marketing year for the crop with respect to which the payments were made.
(J)
Noncompliance
If a producer fails to comply with requirements established under the acreage limitation program involved after obtaining an advance deficiency payment under this subsection, the producer shall repay immediately the amount of the advance, plus interest thereon in such amount as the Secretary shall prescribe by regulation.
(3)
Regulations
The Secretary may issue such regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this section.