§8783 Availability of Quality Incentive Payments for Covered Oilseed Producers

Summary

Pays incentive money to encourage growing oilseeds that have special traits that make them healthier for people to eat, if money is available under subsection (h) and the oilseed meets the rules in subsection (b). To qualify, an oilseed must be shown to make the oil healthier for human use by cutting or removing the need to partially hydrogenate the oil or by using new technology traits, and it must face one or more barriers to being sold widely. When funds are available for a crop year, the Secretary must ask for proposals. Proposals can cover more than one year and must explain how the oil improves health, what blocks commercialization, which varieties are involved, a range for base price and premiums per bushel or per hundredweight, the incentive per unit (no more than 1/3 of the total premium), the payment period (no more than 4 years), and target production and acres. Approved proposals get contracts, and payments are made after proof that the contract premium was paid to producers. If funds go unused, more proposal requests may be issued, and payments may be prorated. Proprietary information is protected. Applicants must guarantee their oilseeds are used for human consumption as approved. If they are not, the applicant must repay money: twice the payment for an accidental failure, or up to twice the full value of the oilseeds in other cases. The Secretary can require documents to enforce this and can penalize others who misuse restricted oilseeds, with penalties set by the Secretary but not more than twice the oilseeds’ full value. Money was authorized as needed for fiscal years 2009 through 2012.