The definitions in 7 CFR part 718 apply to this part except to the extent they are inconsistent with the provisions of this part. In addition, for the purpose of this part, the following definitions apply.

Administrator means the FSA Administrator, or a designee.

Application means DDAP-III application.

Application period means the time period established by the Deputy Administrator for producers to apply for program benefits.

Base annual production means the pounds of production determined by multiplying the average annual production per cow calculated from base period information times the average number of cows in the dairy herd during each applicable disaster year.

County committee means the FSA county committee.

County office means the FSA office responsible for administering FSA programs for farms located in a specific area in a State.

Dairy operation means any person or group of persons who, as a single unit, as determined by FSA, produces and markets milk commercially from cows and whose production facilities are located in the United States.

Department or USDA means the United States Department of Agriculture.

Deputy Administrator means the Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs (DAFP), FSA, or a designee.

Disaster claim period means the calendar year(s) applicable to the disaster declaration during the eligible period in which the production losses occurred.

Disaster county means a county included in the geographic area covered by a natural disaster declaration, and any county contiguous to a county that qualifies by a natural disaster declaration.

Farm Service Agency or FSA means the Farm Service Agency of the Department.

Hundredweight or cwt. means 100 pounds.

Milk handler or cooperative means the marketing agency to, or through, which the producer commercially markets whole milk.

Milk marketings means a marketing of milk for which there is a verifiable sale or delivery record of milk marketed for commercial use.

Natural disaster declaration means a natural disaster declaration issued by the Secretary of Agriculture after January 1, 2005, but before December 31, 2007, under section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1961(a)), a major disaster or emergency designation by the President of the United States in that period under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, or a determination of a Farm Service Agency Administrator's Physical Loss Notice for a county covered in an otherwise eligible Presidential declaration.

Payment pounds means the pounds of milk production from a dairy operation for which the dairy producer is eligible to be paid under this part.

Producer means any individual, group of individuals, partnership, corporation, estate, trust association, cooperative, or other business enterprise or other legal entity who is, or whose members are, a citizen of, or a legal resident alien in, the United States, and who directly or indirectly, as determined by the Secretary, have a share entitlement or ownership interest in a commercial dairy's milk production and who share in the risk of producing milk, and make contributions (including land, labor, management, equipment, or capital) to the dairy farming operation of the individual or entity.

Reliable production evidence means records provided by the producer subject to a determination of acceptability by the county committee that are used to substantiate the amount of production reported when verifiable records are not available; the records may include copies of receipts, ledgers of income, income statements of deposit slips, register tapes, and records to verify production costs, contemporaneous measurements, and contemporaneous diaries.

Verifiable production records means evidence that is used to substantiate the amount of production marketed, including any dumped production, and that can be verified by FSA through an independent source.