Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§9039 Availability of recourse loans for high moisture feed grains and seed cotton

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 115— - AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - MARKETING LOANS › § 9039

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must offer recourse loans for corn and grain sorghum that are harvested wetter than Commodity Credit Corporation standards for the 2014 through 2031 crops. "High moisture state" means corn or grain sorghum with moisture above those CCC standards. To get a loan, producers must normally harvest some of their crop wet, prove the amount with certified scale tickets from inspected commercial scales (like licensed warehouses, feedlots, feed mills, distilleries, or similar places the Secretary approves) or, where scales are not nearby, use field or other physical measurements. Producers must confirm they owned the grain when they delivered it and that the grain was harvested on the farm and delivered to an approved storage or user facility. They must meet harvest and loan-application deadlines set by the Secretary. Loan quantities are based on acreage harvested wet multiplied by the lower of a payment yield for a similar field or the actual yield for a similar field as the Secretary decides. For 2014 through 2031, the Secretary must also offer recourse loans for seed cotton (upland and extra long staple) on any production. For commodities judged contaminated but still merchantable and thus ineligible for 100% of the county nonrecourse loan rate, the Secretary must offer recourse commodity loans for the 2019 through 2031 crops at the rate in section 9032. Repayment of any recourse loan is at the loan rate plus interest calculated under section 7283.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §9039

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)In this subsection, the term “high moisture state” means corn or grain sorghum having a moisture content in excess of Commodity Credit Corporation standards for marketing assistance loans made by the Secretary under section 9031 of this title.
(2)For each of the 2014 through 2031 crops of corn and grain sorghum, the Secretary shall make available recourse loans, as determined by the Secretary, to producers on a farm that—
(A)normally harvest all or a portion of their crop of corn or grain sorghum in a high moisture state;
(B)present—
(i)certified scale tickets from an inspected, certified commercial scale, including a licensed warehouse, feedlot, feed mill, distillery, or other similar entity approved by the Secretary, pursuant to regulations issued by the Secretary; or
(ii)field or other physical measurements of the standing or stored crop in regions of the United States, as determined by the Secretary, that do not have certified commercial scales from which certified scale tickets may be obtained within reasonable proximity of harvest operation;
(C)certify that the producers on the farm were the owners of the feed grain at the time of delivery to, and that the quantity to be placed under loan under this subsection was in fact harvested on the farm and delivered to, a feedlot, feed mill, or commercial or on-farm high-moisture storage facility, or to a facility maintained by the users of corn and grain sorghum in a high moisture state; and
(D)comply with deadlines established by the Secretary for harvesting the corn or grain sorghum and submit applications for loans under this subsection within deadlines established by the Secretary.
(3)A loan under this subsection shall be made on a quantity of corn or grain sorghum of the same crop acquired by the producer equivalent to a quantity determined by multiplying—
(A)the acreage of the corn or grain sorghum in a high moisture state harvested on the farm of the producer; by
(B)the lower of—
(i)the payment yield in effect for the calculation of price loss coverage under section 9015 of this title, or the payment yield deemed to be in effect or established under subclause (II) or (III) of section 9036(b)(1)(B)(ii) of this title, with respect to corn or grain sorghum on a field that is similar to the field from which the corn or grain sorghum referred to in subparagraph (A) was obtained; or
(ii)the actual yield of corn or grain sorghum on a field, as determined by the Secretary, that is similar to the field from which the corn or grain sorghum referred to in subparagraph (A) was obtained.
(b)For each of the 2014 through 2031 crops of upland cotton and extra long staple cotton, the Secretary shall make available recourse seed cotton loans, as determined by the Secretary, on any production.
(c)In the case of a loan commodity that is ineligible for 100 percent of the nonrecourse marketing loan rate in the county due to a determination that the commodity is contaminated yet still merchantable, for each of the 2019 through 2031 crops of such loan commodity, the Secretary shall make available recourse commodity loans, at the rate provided under section 9032 of this title, on any production.
(d)Repayment of a recourse loan made under this section shall be at the loan rate established for the commodity by the Secretary, plus interest (determined in accordance with section 7283 of this title).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Provisions of law applicable to a loan commodity for the 2023 crop year pursuant to title I of Pub. L. 113–79 applicable to the 2024 crop year for that loan commodity, see section 102(c)(1) of Pub. L. 118–22, set out in an Extension of Agricultural Programs note under section 9001 of this title.

Amendments

2025—Subsecs. (a)(2), (b), (c). Pub. L. 119–21 substituted “2031” for “2023”. 2018—Subsecs. (a)(2), (b). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1205(a), substituted “2023” for “2018”. Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1205(b), added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsec. (c) as (d).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 9039

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73