This subpart specifies the eligibility requirements and payment calculations for the MFP for 2019 agricultural commodities. MFP will provide payments with respect to agricultural commodities that have been impacted by trade actions of foreign governments resulting in the loss of exports. Any specific program requirements for a commodity will be specified in a notice of funding availability published by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) in the Federal Register.

The following definitions apply to MFP. The definitions in 7 CFR part 718 and parts 1400 and 1421 of this chapter apply, except where they conflict with the definitions in this section.

Application means the MFP application form.

Commodity means an agricultural commodity produced in the United States intended to be marketed for commercial purposes that has been designated as eligible for payments under MFP.

County payment rate means the per acre value determined by: Historical acres and yields of non-specialty crops planted in that county and the amount of damage calculated due to trade actions of foreign governments resulting in the loss of exports represented as a per unit (for example, bushel or pound).

Crop means the non-specialty crops and specialty crops.

Crop year means:

(1) For insurable crops, the crop year as defined according to the applicable crop insurance policy; and

(2) For NAP covered crops, the crop year as provided in part 1437 of this chapter.

MFP means the Market Facilitation Program funded by CCC and administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

NOFA means a notice of funds availability published by CCC in the Federal Register that specifies terms and conditions of MFP that are applicable to a specific commodity.

Non-specialty crop means any of the following crops: Alfalfa hay, barley, canola, corn, crambe, dried beans, dry peas, extra long staple cotton, flaxseed, lentils, long grain and medium grain rice, millet, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, rapeseed, rye, safflower, sesame seed, small and large chickpeas, sorghum, soybeans, sunflower seed, temperate japonica rice, triticale, upland cotton, and wheat. If warranted, additional non-specialty crops may be included in MFP in which case the availability of assistance will be specified in a NOFA published in the Federal Register.

Producer means a livestock producer, dairy producer, or a producer of a crop as defined in 7 CFR 718.2.

Specialty crops means any of the following crops: Almonds, cranberries, cultivated ginseng, fresh grapes, fresh sweet cherries, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. If warranted, additional specialty crops may be included in MFP in which case the availability of assistance will be specified in a NOFA published in the Federal Register.

(a) To be eligible for an MFP payment, a producer must meet all of the requirements in this part and the NOFA that is applicable to the commodity.

(b) A producer's share in the crop must be reported for the 2019 crop year on form FSA-578, Report of Acreage, submitted to FSA, and must be on file in the FSA county office by the applicable reporting dates, or no later than the date specified in the applicable NOFA.

(c) For non-specialty crops, except as determined by CCC, each applicant must be a person or legal entity who was actively engaged in farming, as provided in part 1400 of this chapter.

(d) For livestock and dairy, a producer must have had an ownership interest in livestock or dairy production during the applicable time period established by CCC in the applicable NOFA.

(a) To apply for a payment, the producer must submit an MFP application on the form designated by CCC to an FSA county office.

(b) In the event that the producer does not submit documentation in response to any request of CCC to support the producer's application or documentation furnished does not show the producer had ownership in the commodity as claimed, the application for that commodity will be disapproved.

(c) A request for a payment will not be approved by CCC until all the applicable eligibility provisions have been met and the producer has submitted all required forms and supporting documentation. In addition to the completed application form, if the following forms and documentation are not on file in the FSA county office or are not current for the 2019 crop year of the crop or applicable year for the commodity for which MFP has been announced as available, the producer must also submit:

(1) A farm operating plan for an individual or legal entity as provided in part 1400 of this chapter;

(2) An average adjusted gross income statement for the applicable year entity as provided in part 1400 of this chapter;

(3) A highly erodible land conservation and wetland conservation certification as provided in part 12 of this title;

(4) For non-specialty and specialty crops, an acreage report for the applicable crop year as provided in 7 CFR part 718; and

(5) For dairy and livestock, verifiable records that substantiate the amount of production as specified in the applicable NOFA.

(a) For non-specialty crops, the payment under this subpart will be calculated by multiplying the county payment rate by the 2019 reported planted acreage for a farm not to exceed the sum of planted and prevented planted acres of non-specialty crops on the farm in 2018, and available acreage from 2018 expired Conservation Reserve Program contracts. Producers' payments may be adjusted as determined by CCC and as detailed in the applicable NOFA.

(b) For non-specialty prevented planted crops followed by a CCC approved cover crop, the payment rate will be $15 per acre.

(c) For dairy and livestock, the payment under this subpart will be calculated by multiplying the total production of the commodity times the producer's eligible share of the commodity times the payment rate for that commodity, as provided for in a subsequent NOFA.

(d) For specialty crops, the payment under this subpart will be calculated by multiplying 2019 bearing acres of the specialty crop by the payment rate for the relevant specialty crop.

(e) For MFP payments:

(1) The first payment will be up to 50 percent of the total calculated payment.

(2) CCC will determine if any further payments are warranted. If CCC determines that a second payment is warranted, it will be up to 75 percent of the total calculated payment less the amount received in the first payment and the second payment period will begin in November 2019.

(3) If CCC determines that a final payment is warranted, it will be for up to the remaining amount of the total calculated payment, unless otherwise adjusted by CCC, and the last payment period will begin in January 2020.

(a) Producers approved for participation in MFP are required to retain documentation in support of their application for 3 years after the date of approval.

(b) Producers must submit documentation to CCC as requested to substantiate an application.

(c) Producers receiving payments or any other person who furnishes such information to CCC must permit authorized representatives of USDA or the General Accounting Office during regular business hours to inspect, examine, and to allow such representatives to make copies of such books, records, or other items for the purpose of confirming the accuracy of the information provided by the producer.

(a) If an MFP payment resulted from erroneous information provided by a producer, or any person acting on their behalf, the payment will be recalculated and the producer must refund any excess payment to CCC with interest calculated from the date of the disbursement of the payment.

(b) The refund of any payment to CCC is in addition to liability under any other provision of law including, but not limited to: 18 U.S.C. 286,287,371,641,651,1001,and; 15 U.S.C. 714; and 31 U.S.C. 3729.

(c) The regulations in 7 CFR parts 11 and 780 part 1400 of this chapter apply to determinations under this subpart.

(d) Any payment under this part will be made without regard to questions of title under State law and without regard to any claim or lien against the commodity or proceeds from the sale of the commodity.

(e) The $900,000 average AGI limitation provisions in part 1400 of this chapter relating to limits on payments for persons or legal entities, excluding joint ventures and general partnerships, apply to each applicant for MFP unless at least 75 percent of the person or legal entity's average AGI is derived from farming, ranching or forestry related activities. If at least 75 percent of the person or legal entity's average AGI is derived from farming, ranching, or forestry related activities, the person or legal entity, other than a joint venture or general partnership, is eligible to receive 2019 MFP payments up to the $250,000 payment limitation specified in the applicable NOFA. The average AGI will be calculated for a person or legal entity based on the 3 complete tax years that precede the year for which the payment is made (for the 2019 crop year or marketing year for livestock and dairy the tax years are 2015, 2016, and 2017).

(f) No person or legal entity, excluding a joint venture or general partnership, as determined by the rules in part 1400 of this chapter may receive, directly or indirectly, more than $250,000 in payments as specified in the applicable NOFA.

(g) The direct attribution provisions in part 1400 of this chapter apply to MFP. Under those rules, any payment to any legal entity will also be considered for payment limitation purposes to be a payment to persons or legal entities with an interest in the legal entity or in a sub-entity. If any such interested person or legal entity is over the payment limitation because of direct payment or their indirect interests or a combination thereof, then the payment to the actual payee will be reduced commensurate with the amount of the interest of the interested person in the payee. If anyone with a direct or indirect interest in a legal entity or sub-entity of a payee entity exceeds the AGI levels that would allow a producer to directly receive an MFP payment, then the MFP payment to the actual payee will be reduced commensurately with that interest.

(h) For the purposes of the effect of lien on eligibility for Federal programs (28 U.S.C. 3201(e)), CCC waives the restriction on receipt of funds under MFP but only as to beneficiaries who, as a condition of such waiver, agree to apply the MFP payments to reduce the amount of the judgment lien.

(i) The provisions of 7 CFR 718.304, “Failure to Fully Comply,” do not apply to this part.