7 USC § 9052 - Calculation of average feed cost and actual dairy production margins

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t7/s9052"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "7 USC § 9052 - Calculation of average feed cost and actual dairy production margins"
title_number: 7
title_name: "AGRICULTURE"
section_number: "9052"
section_name: "Calculation of average feed cost and actual dairy production margins"
chapter_number: 115
chapter_name: "AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY POLICY AND PROGRAMS"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "DAIRY"
part_number: "A"
part_name: "Dairy Margin Coverage"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 113–79, title I, § 1402, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 689; Pub. L. 115–123, div. F, § 60101(b)(1)(B), Feb. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 311; Pub. L. 115–334, title I, § 1401(k)(3), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4516.)"
---


# § 9052. Calculation of average feed cost and actual dairy production margins

**(a)** **Calculation of average feed cost** The Secretary shall calculate the national average feed cost for each month using the following data:

**(1)** The price of corn for a month shall be the price received during that month by farmers in the United States for corn, as reported in the monthly Agricultural Prices report by the Secretary.

**(2)** The price of soybean meal for a month shall be the central Illinois price for soybean meal, as reported in the Market News–Monthly Soybean Meal Price Report by the Secretary.

**(3)** The price of alfalfa hay for a month shall be the price received during that month by farmers in the United States for alfalfa hay, as reported in the monthly Agricultural Prices report by the Secretary.

**(b)** **Calculation of actual dairy production margin**

**(1)** **In general** For use in dairy margin coverage, the Secretary shall calculate the actual dairy production margin for each month by subtracting—

**(A)** the average feed cost for that month, determined in accordance with subsection (a); from

**(B)** the all-milk price for that month.

**(2)** **Time for calculation** The calculation required by this subsection shall be made as soon as practicable using the full-month price of the applicable reference month.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 113–79, title I, § 1402, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 689; Pub. L. 115–123, div. F, § 60101(b)(1)(B), Feb. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 311; Pub. L. 115–334, title I, § 1401(k)(3), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4516.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b)(1).  substituted “dairy margin coverage” for “the margin protection program” in introductory provisions.

substituted “month” for “consecutive 2-month period” wherever appearing.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by  effective on , see , set out as a note under .

Amendment by  applicable beginning with the 2018 calendar year, see , set out as a note under .

### Collection of Alfalfa Hay Data

> “Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [
> 
> ], the Secretary [of Agriculture], acting through the National Agricultural Statistics Service, shall revise monthly price survey reports to include prices for high-quality alfalfa hay in the top five milk producing States, as measured by volume of milk produced during the previous month.”

, , , provided that: