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Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73not60

§603 Government Owned Cotton; Transfer to Secretary of Agriculture; Powers of Secretary

Title 7 › Chapter 26— AGRICULTURAL ADJUSTMENT › Subchapter II— COTTON OPTION CONTRACTS › § 603

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

Federal agencies (including the Farm Credit Administration but not the Federal intermediate credit banks) must sell any cotton they own to the Secretary of Agriculture. The sale price is whatever they agree on, but it cannot be higher than the market price. The Secretary is allowed to buy that cotton. Agencies must also take the steps needed to get clear ownership of cotton tied to government loans or held as collateral, including cotton tied to futures contracts, and settle those loans. Agencies other than the Secretary will generally take over the cotton for an amount equal to the outstanding loans and advances on it, plus any unpaid carrying and operating costs, and plus whatever is needed so growers’ advances equal 90 percent of the cotton’s value at the time it was first put up as collateral (this is figured by subtracting what growers already received from that 90 percent). The agency will reduce the amount by any assets the borrower has earned from that cotton or related operations. The Secretary will settle cotton he held as collateral on terms he thinks are appropriate. To do this, the Secretary may protect warehouse operators for lost warehouse receipts and pay for bonds or bond premiums to do so.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §603

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Farm Credit Administration and all departments and other agencies of the Government, not including the Federal intermediate credit banks are directed—
(a)To sell to the Secretary of Agriculture at such price as may be agreed upon, not in excess of the market price, all cotton now owned by them.
(b)To take such action and to make such settlements as are necessary in order to acquire full legal title to all cotton on which money has been loaned or advanced by any department or agency of the United States, including futures contracts for cotton or which is held as collateral for loans or advances and to make final settlement of such loans and advances as follows:
(1)In making such settlements with regard to cotton, including operations to which such cotton is related, such cotton shall be taken over by all such departments or agencies other than the Secretary of Agriculture at a price or sum equal to the amounts directly or indirectly loaned or advanced thereon and outstanding, including loans by the Government, department or agency and any loans senior thereto, plus any sums required to adjust advances to growers to 90 per centum of the value of their cotton at the date of its delivery in the first instance as collateral to the department or agency involved, such sums to be computed by subtracting the total amount already advanced to growers on account of pools of which such cotton was a part, from 90 per centum of the value of the cotton to be taken over as of the time of such delivery as collateral, plus unpaid accrued carrying charges and operating costs on such cotton, less, however, any existing assets of the borrower derived from net income, earnings, or profits arising from such cotton, and from operations to which such cotton is related; all as determined by the department or agency making the settlement.
(2)The Secretary of Agriculture shall make settlements with respect to cotton held as collateral for loans or advances made by him on such terms as in his judgment may be deemed advisable, and to carry out the provisions of this section, is authorized to indemnify or furnish bonds to warehousemen for lost warehouse receipts and to pay the premiums on such bonds.
(c)The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to purchase the cotton specified in subsections (a) and (b).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Farm Credit AdministrationEstablishment of Farm Credit Administration as independent agency, and other changes in status, functions, etc., see section 2241 et seq., of Title 12, Banks and Banking.

Executive Documents

Change of Name

Ex. Ord. No. 6084, set out as a note preceding section 2241 of Title 12, Banks and Banking, changed the name of “Federal Farm Board” to “Farm Credit Administration”.

Transfer of Functions

Ex. Ord. No. 9322, Mar. 26, 1943, 8 F.R. 3807, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 9334, Apr. 19, 1943, 8 F.R. 5423, removed Farm Credit Administration from Food Production Administration of Department of Agriculture and returned it to its former status as a separate agency of Department. Ex. Ord. No. 9280, Dec. 5, 1942, 7 F.R. 10179, made Farm Credit Administration a part of Food Production Administration of Department of Agriculture. Farm Credit Administration transferred to Department of Agriculture by 1939 Reorg. Plan No. 1, § 401, 4 F.R. 2727, 53 Stat. 1423, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Exceptions From

Transfer of Functions

Functions of Corporations of Department of Agriculture, boards of directors and officers of such corporations; Advisory Board of Commodity Credit Corporation; and 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 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 2, § 1, effective June 4, 1953, 18 F.R. 3219, 67 Stat. 633, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 603

Title 7 — Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60