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 The ‘safety net’ provided in the 2014 Farm Bill has helped
producers withstand economic losses as well as losses resulting
from natural disasters. Loans for operating expenses, farm
purchases and other purposes help current producers stay in
business and allow a new generation of farmers and ranchers get
their start.
Agriculture demands working capital. FSA provided credit, either
directly or guaranteed through commercial lenders, to 120,000
family farmers across the country.
In fiscal year 2017, USDA Farm Loan Programs pumped $6 billion
in support to a diverse group of producers across America. That
was the second highest total in FSA history. Over $2.5 billion
of that total was direct and guaranteed operating loans, and
another $3.5 billion was allocated for direct and guaranteed
farm ownership loans. This additional financing enabled farmers
and ranchers across the country to access capital to start their
operations, or to expand their existing operations. The new
lending continued the recent growth in FSA’s farm loan
portfolio.
FSA highlights from the year include:
Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage (ARC/PLC)
and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
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USDA is issuing approximately $8 billion in
payments under the ARC and PLC programs to agricultural
producers who suffered market downturns in 2016.
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In 2017, FSA distributed $1.6 billion in
CRP payments to over 375,000 Americans for doing their part
in improving water quality, reducing soil erosion and
increasing wildlife habitat.
Disaster Assistance
In response to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, USDA announced
special procedures to assist producers in states and territories
who lost crops or livestock or had other damage to their farms
or ranches. Also, because of the severe and widespread damage
caused by the hurricanes, USDA provided flexibility to assist
farm loan borrowers. FSA dispatched additional staff to the
affected areas and, in response to a request for assistance,
rolled out a special program providing vouchers to dairy herd
owners in Puerto Rico who used the assistance to purchase feed.
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USDA also provided extensive assistance for a variety
of other disasters throughout the country, including drought in the
northern high plains, wildfires in the west and central plains,
floods, tornados, freezes and other storms. For example, in July,
USDA authorized the use of additional CRP lands for emergency
grazing and haying in and around portions of Montana, North Dakota
and South Dakota affected by severe drought. USDA also added the
ability for farmers and ranchers in those areas to hay and graze CRP
wetland and buffer practices. This followed a previous action in
April and June to assist the area and provided livestock producers
with an additional feed source. In October, FSA teamed with other
USDA agencies to provide assistance to wildfire-damaged areas of
northern California, including loans and other disaster assistance
programs.
New Farmers
In August, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with officials from SCORE, the nation’s largest
volunteer network of expert business mentors, to support new and
beginning farmers. The agreement provides new help and resources for
beginning ranchers, veterans, women, socially disadvantaged
Americans and others, providing new tools to help them both grow and
thrive in agri-business.
These accomplishments are in line with Secretary Perdue’s goals of
maximizing the ability of the men and women of America’s agriculture
and agribusiness sector to create jobs, prioritizing customer
service every day for American taxpayers and consumers and ensuring
the food we produce meets the strict safety standards we’ve
established while always remembering that America’s agricultural
bounty comes directly from the land.
For more information about FSA program, please visit
www.fsa.usda.gov or contact your local FSA office. To find an FSA
location near you, visit
http://offices.usda.gov.
Questions?
Please contact your local County FSA Office if you have any
questions regarding this message
[USDA Farm Service Agency]
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