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Title 12, Banks and BankingRelease 119-102

§1141 Declaration of Policy; Effective Merchandising of Agricultural Commodities; Speculation; Cooperative Marketing; Surpluses; Administration of Chapter

Title 12 › CHAPTER 7A — AGRICULTURAL MARKETING › § 1141

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress requires that farm products be sold fairly and reliably across state lines and to other countries. The goal is to cut down on risky price gambling, stop wasteful or inefficient ways of getting goods to market, help farmers form and run their own cooperatives and marketing groups, and control surpluses so markets stay steady and prices don’t crash. A surplus means any seasonal or yearly extra grown in the United States that is more than needed for orderly distribution or for domestic use. The Farm Credit Administration must use its powers to help carry out these goals as much as it can.

Full Legal Text

Title 12, §1141

Banks and Banking, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)It is declared to be the policy of Congress to promote the effective merchandising of agricultural commodities in interstate and foreign commerce so that the industry of agriculture will be placed on a basis of economic equality with other industries, and to that end to protect, control, and stabilize the currents of interstate and foreign commerce in the marketing of agricultural commodities and their food products—
(1)by minimizing speculation.
(2)by preventing inefficient and wasteful methods of distribution.
(3)by encouraging the organization of producers into effective associations or corporations under their own control for greater unity of effort in marketing and by promoting the establishment and financing of a farm marketing system of producer-owned and producer-controlled cooperative associations and other agencies.
(4)by aiding in preventing and controlling surpluses in any agricultural commodity, through orderly production and distribution, so as to maintain advantageous domestic markets and prevent such surpluses from causing undue and excessive fluctuations or depressions in prices for the commodity.
(b)There shall be considered as a surplus for the purposes of this chapter any seasonal or year’s total surplus, produced in the United States and either local or national in extent, that is in excess of the requirements for the orderly distribution of the agricultural commodity or is in excess of the domestic requirements for such commodity.
(c)The Farm Credit Administration shall execute the powers vested in it by this chapter only in such manner as will, in the judgment of the administration, aid to the fullest practicable extent in carrying out the policy above declared.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 521 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

“Farm Credit Administration” and “administration” substituted in text for “Federal Farm Loan Board” and “board”, respectively, pursuant to Ex. Ord. No. 6084, set out preceding section 2241 of this title.

Short Title

For

Short Title

of this chapter as the Agricultural Marketing Act, see section 1141j(e) of this title.

Transfer of Functions

Establishment of Farm Credit Administration as an independent agency, composition of Farm Credit Administration, appointment of Governor of Farm Credit Administration and duties thereof, including duty to perform functions, etc., of Farm Credit Administration, see section 2241 et seq. of this title.

Executive Documents

Exceptions From

Transfer of Functions

Functions of Farm Credit Administration or any agency, officer, or entity of, under, or subject to supervision of said Administration excepted from functions of officers, agencies, and employees transferred to Secretary of Agriculture by Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1953, § 1, eff. June 4, 1953, 18 F.R. 3219, 67 Stat. 633, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

12 U.S.C. § 1141

Title 12, Banks and Banking

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102