(a) Priority over conflicting security interests. – Except as otherwise provided in subsections (c), (d), and (e) of this section, if the requirements of subsection (b) of this section are satisfied, a perfected production-money security interest in production-money crops has priority over a conflicting security interest in the same crops and, except as otherwise provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 25-9-327, also has priority in their identifiable proceeds.

(b) Requirements for priority. – A production-money security interest has priority under subsection (a) of this section if:

(1) The production-money security interest is perfected by filing when the production-money secured party first gives new value to enable the debtor to produce the crops;

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(2) The production-money secured party sends an authenticated notification to the holder of the conflicting security interest not less than 10 or more than 30 days before the production-money secured party first gives new value to enable the debtor to produce the crops if the holder had filed a financing statement covering the crops before the date of the filing made by the production-money secured party; and

(3) The notification states that the production-money secured party has or expects to acquire a production-money security interest in the debtor’s crops and provides a description of the crops.

(c) Multiple production-money security interests. – Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d) or (e) of this section, if more than one security interest qualifies for priority in the same collateral under subsection (a) of this section, the security interests rank according to priority in time of filing under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 25-9-322(a).

(d) New value to produce production-money crops. – To the extent that a person holding a perfected security interest in production-money crops that are the subject of a production-money security interest gives new value to enable the debtor to produce the production-money crops and the value is in fact used for the production of the production-money crops, the security interests rank according to priority in time of filing under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 25-9-322(a).

(e) Holder of agricultural lien and production-money security interest. – To the extent that a person holds both an agricultural lien and a production-money security interest in the same collateral securing the same obligations, the rules of priority applicable to agricultural liens govern priority.

(f) Creating or perfecting production-money security interest not to operate as default or accelerating event. – Creating or perfecting a production-money security interest shall not operate under any circumstances as a default on, an accelerating event under, or otherwise as a breach of any note or other instrument or agreement of any kind or nature to pay debt, any loan or credit agreement, or any security agreement or arrangement of any kind or nature where the collateral is real or personal property. (1866-7, c. 1, s. 1; 1872-3, c. 133, s. 1; Code, s. 1799; 1893, c. 9; Rev., s. 2052; C.S., s. 2480; 1925, c. 302, s. 1; 1927, c. 22; 1935, c. 205; 1945, c. 196, s. 4; 1955, c. 816; 1957, c. 999; 1965, c. 700, s. 1; 1967, c. 24, s. 13; 1975, c. 862, s. 7; 1979, c. 404, s. 2; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 1024, s. 8(o); 1997-181, ss. 15, 16; 1997-336, s. 1; 1997-456, s. 5; 2000-169, s. 1.)