Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 84 Part 1.djvu/1440

 1382

PUBLIC LAW 91-524-NOV. 30, 1970

[84 STAT.

base when the owner of the farm states in writing that he has no further use of such allotment or base. INDEMNIFICATION FOR BEEKEEPERS Pesticide residue lossesa

Appropriations^ Regulations* Effective date. Hay production on set-aside or diverted acreage. Ante, pp. 1362, 1368, 1371,

Hay storage, loans, conditions.

SEC. 804. (a) The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to make indemnity payments to beekeepers who through no fault of their own have suffered losses of honey bees after January 1, 1967, as a result of utilization of economic poisons near or adjacent to the property on which the beehives of such beekeepers were located. (b) The amount of the indemnity payment in the case of any beekeeper shall be determined on the basis of the net loss sustained by such beekeeper as a result of the loss of his honey bees. (c) Indemnity payments shall be made only in cases in which the loss occurred as a result of the use of economic poisons which had been registered and approved for use by the Federal Government. (d) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. (e) The Secretary is authorized to issue such regulations as he deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. (f) The provisions of this section shall not be in effect after December 31, 1973. SEC. 805. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall permit any producer who is participating in the wheat program under title IV of this Act, in the feed grain program under title V of this Act, or in the cotton program under title VI of this Act, in any year in which an acreage diversion or set-aside program is in effect, under any such program in which such producer is participating, subject to the conditions prescribed in subsection (b) of this section, to plant and harvest hay from 25 per centum of the acreage on the farm diverted from production under such programs or twenty-five acres, whichever is greater. (b) Any producer who elects to plant and harvest hay on diverted or set aside acreage pursuant to this section shall first agree not to use any such hay harvested from such acreage unless authorized to do so by the Secretary. (c) When any diverted or set aside acreage has been planted and harvested under authority of this section, the hay harvested therefrom shall be baled and stored in sealed storage on the farm in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe and shall be available only for use during periods of emergency declared by the Secretary. In order to avoid deterioration of such hay stored on the farm for emergency purposes pursuant to this section, the Secretary may permit such hay to be removed and used or sold from time to time so long as an amount of hay equal to the amount removed is previously placed in storage and sealed. (d) Any farmer who has hay stored on his farm for emergency purposes pursuant to this section may remove such hay from storage and use it whenever the Secretary has (1) designated as an emergency area the area in which such farm is located, and (2) specifically authorized the use of emergency hay by farmers in the area. (e) The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to make or guarantee loans to farmers, both tenants and landowners, to assist such farmers in the construction of storage facilities on the farm for the storage of emergency hay pursuant to the provisions of this section if such farmers are unable to obtain loans from commercial sources at reasonable rates and on reasonable terms and conditions. Loans made by the Secretary under this subsection shall be made at the current rate of

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