§ 1524. Education and risk management assistance
(a)
Education assistance
(2)
Education and information
The Corporation shall establish a program under which crop insurance education and information is provided to producers in States in which (as determined by the Secretary)—
(3)
Partnerships for risk management education
(A)
Authority
The Secretary, acting through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, shall establish a program under which competitive grants are made to qualified public and private entities (including land grant colleges, cooperative extension services, and colleges or universities), as determined by the Secretary, for the purpose of educating agricultural producers about the full range of risk management activities, including futures, options, agricultural trade options, crop insurance, cash forward contracting, debt reduction, production diversification, farm resources risk reduction, and other risk management strategies.
(B)
Basis for grants
A grant under this paragraph shall be awarded on the basis of merit and shall be subject to peer or merit review.
(4)
Requirements
In carrying out the programs established under paragraphs (2) and (3), the Secretary shall place special emphasis on risk management strategies, education, and outreach specifically targeted at—
(B)
legal immigrant farmers or ranchers that are attempting to become established producers in the United States;
(b)
Agricultural management assistance
(1)
Authority
The Secretary shall provide financial assistance to producers in the States of Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
(2)
Uses
A producer may use financial assistance provided under this subsection to—
(C)
mitigate financial risk through production or marketing diversification or resource conservation practices, including—
(D)
enter into futures, hedging, or options contracts in a manner designed to help reduce production, price, or revenue risk;
(4)
Commodity Credit Corporation
(A)
In general
The Secretary shall carry out this subsection through the Commodity Credit Corporation.
(B)
Funding
(C)
Certain uses
Of the amounts made available to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year, the Commodity Credit Corporation shall use not less than—
(i)
50 percent to carry out subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (2) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service;
[1] See References in Text note below.