Except as provided for in paragraph (e) of this section, producer milk means the skim milk (or the skim equivalent of components of skim milk), including nonfat components, and butterfat in milk of a producer that is:

Received by the operator of a pool plant directly from a producer or a handler described in § 1000.9(c). All milk received pursuant to this paragraph (a) shall be priced at the location of the plant where it is first physically received;

Received by a handler described in § 1000.9(c) in excess of the quantity delivered to pool plants;

Diverted by a pool plant operator to another pool plant. Milk so diverted shall be priced at the location of the plant to which diverted; or

Diverted by the operator of a pool plant or a cooperative association described in § 1000.9(c) to a nonpool plant located in the States of California, Arizona, Nevada, or Oregon, subject to the following conditions:

Milk of a dairy farmer shall not be eligible for diversion unless at least one day's production of such dairy farmer is physically received as producer milk at a pool plant during the first month the dairy farmer is a producer. If a dairy farmer loses producer status under the order in this part (except as a result of a temporary loss of Grade A approval or as a result of the handler of the dairy farmer's milk failing to pool the milk under any order), the dairy farmer's milk shall not be eligible for diversion unless at least one day's production of the dairy farmer has been physically received as producer milk at a pool plant during the first month the dairy farmer is re-associated with the market;

The quantity of milk diverted by a handler described in § 1000.9(c) may not exceed 90 percent of the producer milk receipts reported by the handler pursuant to § 1051.30(c) provided that not less than 10 percent of such receipts are delivered to plants described in § 1051.7(c)(1)(i) through (iii). These percentages are subject to any adjustments that may be made pursuant to § 1051.7(g); and

The quantity of milk diverted to nonpool plants by the operator of a pool plant described in § 1051.7(a), (b) or (d) may not exceed 90 percent of the Grade A milk received from dairy farmers (except dairy farmers described in § 1051.12(b)) including milk diverted pursuant to this section. These percentages are subject to any adjustments that may be made pursuant to § 1051.7(g).

Diverted milk shall be priced at the location of the plant to which diverted.

Producer milk shall not include milk of a producer that is subject to inclusion and participation in a marketwide equalization pool under a milk classification and pricing program imposed under the authority of a State government maintaining marketwide pooling of returns.

The quantity of milk reported by a handler pursuant to either § 1051.30(a)(1) or (c)(1) for April through February may not exceed 125 percent, and for March may not exceed 135 percent, of the producer milk receipts pooled by the handler during the prior month. Milk diverted to nonpool plants reported in excess of this limit shall be removed from the pool. Milk in excess of this limit received at pool plants, other than pool distributing plants, shall be classified pursuant to § 1000.44(a)(3)(v) and (b). The handler must designate, by producer pick-up, which milk is to be removed from the pool. If the handler fails to provide this information, the market administrator will make the determination. The following provisions apply:

Milk shipped to and physically received at pool distributing plants in excess of the previous month's pooled volume shall not be subject to the 125 or 135 percent limitation;

Producer milk qualified pursuant to § _____.13 of any other Federal Order and continuously pooled in any Federal Order for the previous six months shall not be included in the computation of the 125 or 135 percent limitation;

The market administrator may waive the 125 or 135 percent limitation:

For a new handler on the order, subject to the provisions of paragraph (f)(4) of this section; or

For an existing handler with significantly changed milk supply conditions due to unusual circumstances; and

A bloc of milk may be considered ineligible for pooling if the market administrator determines that handlers altered the reporting of such milk for the purpose of evading the provisions of this paragraph (f).