Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73not60

§2303 Prohibited Practices

Title 7 › Chapter 56— UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES AFFECTING PRODUCERS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS › § 2303

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

Handlers must not knowingly force or pressure a producer (farmer) about joining or leaving a producers’ association, or refuse to do business with them for that reason. They also must not give a producer worse price, quantity, quality, or other purchase terms because of association membership or contracts. Handlers must not bully producers about contracts, pay or give things to make a producer quit an association, spread false reports about associations or handlers, or team up with others to do any of these acts.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §2303

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

It shall be unlawful for any handler knowingly to engage or permit any employee or agent to engage in the following practices:

(a)To coerce any producer in the exercise of his right to join and belong to or to refrain from joining or belonging to an association of producers, or to refuse to deal with any producer because of the exercise of his right to join and belong to such an association; or

(b)To discriminate against any producer with respect to price, quantity, quality, or other terms of purchase, acquisition, or other handling of agricultural products because of his membership in or contract with an association of producers; or

(c)To coerce or intimidate any producer to enter into, maintain, breach, cancel, or terminate a membership agreement or marketing contract with an association of producers or a contract with a handler; or

(d)To pay or loan money, give any thing of value, or offer any other inducement or reward to a producer for refusing to or ceasing to belong to an association of producers; or

(e)To make false reports about the finances, management, or activities of associations of producers or handlers; or

(f)To conspire, combine, agree, or arrange with any other person to do, or aid or abet the doing of, any act made unlawful by this chapter.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 2303

Title 7 — Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60