The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Act) reauthorizes nonrecourse marketing assistance loans (MALs) and loan deficiency payments (LDPs), for the 2008 - 2012 crop of honey.

Nonrecourse MALs and LDPs are administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).

See the fact sheet Nonrecourse Marketing Assistance Loans/Loan Deficiency Payments for additional information about MALs and LDPs.

Honey nonrecourse MALs provide eligible producers with interim financing on their production and facilitate the orderly distribution of loan-eligible honey throughout the year, and allows the producer to delay the sale of their honey until more favorable market conditions emerge. A producer may satisfy the loan obligation by delivering to CCC the quantity of honey pledged as collateral for full payment of the loan at maturity.

This handbook provides general instructions and information for administering loans and LDPs for honey