Only producers covered by a certification of eligibility under § 1580.203 of this title, may apply for adjustment assistance.

An eligible producer may submit an application for adjustment assistance by submitting to FSA a designated application form at any time after the certification date but not later than 90 days after the certification date. If the 90-day application period ends on a weekend or legal holiday, the producer may apply the following business day.

When submitting an application, the producer shall provide sufficient documentation to establish that:

The producer produced the agricultural commodity in the marketing year for which the petition is filed and in at least 1 of the 3 marketing years preceding that marketing year;

There has been a decrease in the quantity of the agricultural commodity produced by the producer in the marketing year for which the petition is certified from the most recent prior marketing year preceding that marketing year for which data is available; or

There has been a decrease in the price of the agricultural commodity based on:

The price received for the agricultural commodity by the producer during the marketing year with respect to which the petition is filed from the average price for the commodity received by the producer in the 3 marketing years preceding that marketing year; or

The effective posted county price maintained by the Secretary for the agricultural commodity on the date on which the Administrator (FAS) accepts a petition for consideration as published in the Federal Register from the average effective posted county level price for the commodity in the 3 marketing years preceding that date. If USDA prices are not available, prices from verifiable sources, including universities, cooperatives, or local markets, may be used.

If a petition is certified with respect to a commodity not produced by the producer every year, the producer may establish the average price received by the producer for the commodity in the 3 marketing years preceding the year in which the petition is filed by using annual price data for the 3 most recent marketing years in which the producer produced the commodity.

The producer must certify that the producer has not received cash benefits under the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers or Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms programs; or TAA for Farmers benefits based on the production of an agricultural commodity covered by another TAA for Farmers petition.

The producer must certify that:

For petitions certified for 2008 crops, their compliance with person determinations set forth in part 1400 of this title, subpart B and average adjusted gross income limitation requirements set forth in subpart G, effective July 18, 1996.

For petitions certified for 2009 and subsequent crops, their average gross nonfarm income and average adjusted gross farm income meet requirements set forth in part 1400 of this title, subpart F, and payment limitation requirements set forth in part 1400 of this title, subparts A and B, effective December 29, 2008; and,

The total amount of payments made to a producer for which the application was approved may not exceed the limitations on payments applicable to:

For petitions certified for 2008 crops, counter-cyclical payments, set forth in part 1400 of this title, subpart A, effective July 18, 1996.

For petitions certified for 2009 and subsequent crops, the counter-cyclical payments, including the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) set forth in part 1400 of this title, subparts A and B, effective December 29, 2008; and

If requested by FSA, a producer must provide documentation regarding average adjusted gross income and payment limitations.