Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Fruit and Vegetable Planting Flexibility Act of 2017”.
Fruit and Vegetable Planting Flexibility Act of 2017
A BILL
To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to require base acres planted to fruits, vegetables, and wild rice to be considered planted to a covered commodity for purposes of any recalculation of base acres.
Sec. 2 Effect of planting fruits and vegetables
Section 1114 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9014) is amended by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
“(e) Effect of planting fruits and vegetables
“(1) Reduction required—In the manner provided in this subsection, payment acres on a farm shall be reduced in any crop year in which fruits, vegetables (other than mung beans and pulse crops), or wild rice have been planted on base acres on a farm.
“(2) Price loss coverage and county coverage—In the case of price loss coverage payments and agricultural risk coverage payments using county coverage, the reduction under paragraph (1) shall be the amount equal to the base acres planted to crops referred to in that paragraph in excess of 15 percent of base acres.
“(3) Individual coverage—In the case of agricultural risk coverage payments using individual coverage, the reduction under paragraph (1) shall be the amount equal to the base acres planted to crops referred to in that paragraph in excess of 35 percent of base acres.
“(4) Reduction exceptions—No reduction to payment acres shall be made under this subsection if—
“(A) cover crops or crops described in paragraph (1) are grown solely for conservation purposes and not harvested for use or sale, as determined by the Secretary; or
“(B) in any region in which there is a history of double-cropping covered commodities with crops described in paragraph (1), those crops were so double-cropped on the base acres, as determined by the Secretary.
“(5) Recalculation of base acres
“(A) In general—For each crop year for which fruits, vegetables (other than mung beans and pulse crops), or wild rice are planted to base acres on a farm for which a reduction in payment acres is made under this subsection, the Secretary shall consider those base acres to be planted or prevented from planting to a covered commodity for purposes of any reallocation, adjustment, or reduction of base acres for the farm under section 1112.
“(B) Prohibition—Nothing in this paragraph provides authority to the Secretary to reallocate, adjust, reduce, or otherwise recalculate base acres for a farm.”