Cooperative reserve supply unit means any cooperative association or its agent that is a handler pursuant to § 1000.9(c) that does not own or operate a plant, if such cooperative has been qualified to receive payments pursuant to § 1124.73 and has been a handler of producer milk under the order in this part or its predecessor order during each of the 12 previous months, and if a majority of the cooperative's member producers are located within 125 miles of a plant described in § 1124.7(a). A cooperative reserve supply unit shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a) The cooperative shall file a request with the market administrator for cooperative reserve supply unit status at least 15 days prior to the first day of the month in which such status is desired to be effective. Once qualified as a cooperative reserve supply unit pursuant to this paragraph, such status shall continue to be effective unless the cooperative requests termination prior to the first day of the month that change of status is requested, or the cooperative fails to meet all of the conditions of this section.

(b) The cooperative reserve supply unit supplies fluid milk products to pool distributing plants located within 125 miles of a majority of the cooperative's member producers in compliance with any announcement by the market administrator requesting a minimum level of shipments as follows:

(1) The market administrator may require such supplies of bulk fluid milk from cooperative reserve supply units whenever the market administrator finds that milk supplies for Class I use are needed for plants defined in § 1124.7(a) or (b). Before making such a finding, the market administrator shall investigate the need for such shipments either on the market administrator's own initiative or at the request of interested persons if the request is made in writing at least 15 days prior to the month for which the requested revision is desired effective. If the market administrator's investigation shows that such shipments might be appropriate, the market administrator shall issue a notice stating that a shipping announcement is being considered and inviting data, views and arguments with respect to the proposed shipping announcement. Any decision on the required shipment of bulk fluid milk from cooperative reserve supply units must be made in writing at least one day before the effective date.

(2) Failure of a cooperative reserve supply unit to comply with any announced shipping requirements, including making any significant change in the unit's marketing operation that the market administrator determines has the impact of evading or forcing such an announcement, shall result in immediate loss of cooperative reserve supply unit status until such time as the unit has been a handler pursuant to § 1000.9(c) for at least 12 consecutive months.