§ 1435.310 - Sharing processors' allocations with producers.

§ 1435.310 Sharing processors' allocations with producers.

(a) Every sugar beet and sugarcane processor must provide CCC a certification that:

(1) The processor intends to share its allocation among its producers fairly and equitably, and in a manner adequately reflecting each producer's production history, and

(2) The processor has, in the previous allotment year, shared its allocation among producers fairly and equitably, reflecting each producer's production history. If a processor is unable to provide such certification, CCC may reduce or eliminate its marketing allocation.

(b) CCC will determine that a processor in a proportionate share state has met the conditions of paragraph (a) of this section if the processor establishes a grower payment plan that incorporates the following provisions:

(1) Pays growers for sugar from their delivered sugarcane in the following priority:

(i) Sugar production from proportionate share acreage; as established under § 1435.311, for producers determined by CCC, who;

(A) Delivered to the mill in at least one of the crop years 1999, 2000, or 2001, or

(B) Obtained an allocation transfer from a predecessor mill,

(ii) Sugar production from base acreage, as established under § 1435.312, but exclusive of the acreage described in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section, for producers who meet the requirements of paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section, then

(iii) All other sugar production.

(2) In determining the payment priority, a processor may aggregate the acreage of an operator (producer making the crop production decisions) across all the operator's farms delivering cane to the processor.

(c) CCC will determine that a processor not in a proportionate share state, which is cooperatively owned by producers, has met the conditions of paragraph (a) of this section if the processor shares its allocation with its producers according to its cooperative membership agreement.

(d) CCC will disclose farm base and reported acres data in a proportionate share state to processors upon their request for growers delivering to their mill. In the case of multiple producers on a farm or growers delivering to more than one mill, subject mills will be responsible for coordinating proportionate share data.

(e) Any producer or processor may request arbitration of a dispute regarding the sharing of the processor's allocation among the producers. Arbitration will be available on behalf of CCC at the State FSA office for the State in which the processor is located. Subsequent review of the arbitration decision is available at the discretion of the Executive Vice President, CCC. Any arbitration is subject to appeal to the Office of the Administrative Law Judge, USDA.

[67 FR 54926, Aug. 26, 2002, as amended at 69 FR 39813, July 1, 2004; 74 FR 15366, Apr. 6, 2009]