§ 1282. — Declaration of policy.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC1282]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 35--AGRICULTURAL ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 1938
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 1282. Declaration of policy
It is declared to be the policy of Congress to continue the Soil
Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, as amended [16 U.S.C. 590a et
seq.], for the purpose of conserving national resources, preventing the
wasteful use of soil fertility, and of preserving, maintaining, and
rebuilding the farm and ranch land resources in the national public
interest; to accomplish these purposes through the encouragement of
soil-building and soil-conserving crops and practices; to assist in the
marketing of agricultural commodities for domestic consumption and for
export; and to regulate interstate and foreign commerce in cotton,
wheat, corn, tobacco, and rice to the extent necessary to provide an
orderly, adequate, and balanced flow of such commodities in interstate
and foreign commerce through storage of reserve supplies, loans,
marketing quotas, assisting farmers to obtain insofar as practicable,
parity prices for such commodities and parity of income, and assisting
consumers to obtain an adequate and steady supply of such commodities at
fair prices.
(Feb. 16, 1938, ch. 30, Sec. 2, 52 Stat. 31.)
References in Text
The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, as amended,
referred to in text, is act Apr. 27, 1935, ch. 85, 49 Stat. 163, as
amended, which is classified generally to chapter 3B (Sec. 590a et seq.)
of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to
the Code, see section 590q of Title 16 and Tables.
Transfer of Functions
Functions of Agricultural Adjustment Administration transferred to
Secretary of Agriculture by 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, Sec. 501, eff. July
16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7877, 60 Stat. 1100. See note set out under section
610 of this title.
Soil Conservation Service and Agricultural Adjustment Administration
consolidated with other agencies into Agricultural Conservation and
Adjustment Administration for duration of war, see Ex. Ord. No. 9069,
set out in note under section 601 of Appendix to Title 50, War and
National Defense.
Functions of Soil Conservation Service in Department of Agriculture
with respect to soil and moisture conservation operations conducted on
lands under jurisdiction of Department of the Interior transferred to
Department of the Interior, to be administered under direction and
supervision of Secretary of the Interior through such agency or agencies
in Department of the Interior as Secretary shall designate, by 1940
Reorg. Plan No. IV, Sec. 6, eff. June 30, 1940, set out in the Appendix
to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. See, also, sections
13 to 15 of said plan for provisions relating to transfer of functions
of department heads, records, property, personnel, and funds.
Congressional Declaration of Policy Under Agricultural Act of 1961
Section 2 of Pub. L. 87-128, Aug. 8, 1961, 75 Stat. 294, provided
that: ``In order more fully and effectively to improve, maintain, and
protect the prices and incomes of farmers, to enlarge rural purchasing
power, to achieve a better balance between supplies of agricultural
commodities and the requirements of consumers therefor, to preserve and
strengthen the structure of agriculture, and to revitalize and stabilize
the overall economy at reasonable costs to the Government, it is hereby
declared to be the policy of Congress to--
``(a) afford farmers the opportunity to achieve parity of income
with other economic groups by providing them with the means to
develop and strengthen their bargaining power in the Nation's
economy;
``(b) encourage a commodity-by-commodity approach in the
solution of farm problems and provide the means for meeting varied
and changing conditions peculiar to each commodity;
``(c) expand foreign trade in agricultural commodities with
friendly nations, as defined in section 107 of Public Law 480, 83d
Congress, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1707), and in no manner either
subsidize the export, sell, or make available any subsidized
agricultural commodity to any nations other than such friendly
nations and thus make full use of our agricultural abundance;
``(d) utilize more effectively our agricultural productive
capacity to improve the diets of the Nation's needy persons;
``(e) recognize the importance of the family farm as an
efficient unit of production and as an economic base for towns and
cities in rural areas and encourage, promote, and strengthen this
form of farm enterprise;
``(f) facilitate and improve credit services to farmers by
revising, expanding, and clarifying the laws relating to
agricultural credit;
``(g) assure consumers of a continuous, adequate, and stable
supply of food and fiber at fair and reasonable prices;
``(h) reduce the cost of farm programs, by preventing the
accumulation of surpluses; and
``(i) use surplus farm commodities on hand as fully as
practicable as an incentive to reduce production as may be necessary
to bring supplies on hand and firm demand in balance.''
Congressional Declaration of Policy for Year 1949
Section 1(d) of act July 3, 1948, ch. 827, title I, 62 Stat. 1248,
provided that: ``It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress
that the lending and purchase operations of the Department of
Agriculture (other than those referred to in subsections (a), (b), and
(c) hereof [subsections (a) and (b) are set out as notes under this
section and subsection (c) is set out as a note under section 713a-8 of
Title 15, Commerce and Trade]) shall be carried out until January 1,
1950, so as to bring the price and income of the producers of other
agricultural commodities not covered by subsections (a), (b), and (c) to
a fair parity relationship with the commodities included under
subsections (a), (b), and (c), to the extent that funds for such
operations are available after taking into account the operations with
respect to the commodities covered by subsections (a), (b), and (c). In
carrying out the provisions of this subsection the Secretary of
Agriculture shall have the authority to require compliance with
production goals and marketing regulations as a condition to eligibility
of producers for price support.''
Study of Parity Income Position of Farmers; Report to Congress by June
30, 1966
Section 705 of Pub. L. 89-321, title VII, Nov. 3, 1965, 79 Stat.
1210, directed the Secretary of Agriculture to make a study of the
parity income position of farmers, and report the results of such study
to the Congress not later than June 30, 1966.
Price Stabilization During Year 1950
Section 1(a), (b) of act July 3, 1948, ch. 827, title I, 62 Stat.
1247, as amended June 10, 1949, ch. 191, 63 Stat. 169, authorized the
Secretary of Agriculture through any instrumentality or agency within or
under the direction of the Department of Agriculture, by loans,
purchases, or other operations to support prices received by producers
of cotton, wheat, corn, tobacco, rice, and peanuts marketed before June
30, 1950 (September 30, 1950, in the case of Maryland and the cigar-leaf
types of tobacco), if producers had not disapproved marketing quotas for
such commodity for the marketing year beginning in the calendar year in
which the crop is harvested.
Section 2 of act July 3, 1948, ch. 827, title I, 62 Stat. 1248,
authorized the Secretary, from any funds available to the Department of
Agriculture or any agency operating under its direction for price
support operations or for the disposal of agricultural commodities, to
use such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of section
1 of the Act.
Section 6 of act July 3, 1948, ch. 827, title I, 62 Stat. 1250,
provided in part that sections 1 and 2 of the act were to become
effective Jan. 1, 1949.
