who finances america’s family farmers?
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Who Finances America’s Family Farmers?. A Review of the Recent. USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey. The 1999 Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey. Released by the USDA in August of 2001. Provides the Most Current Data About U.S. Farmers and Ranchers. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Who FinancesAmerica’s
Family Farmers?
USDA Agriculture Economics and
Land Ownership Survey
A Review of the Recent
The 1999 Agriculture Economics and
Land Ownership Survey
The Questionnaires Were Completed by Thousands of Farmers and Ranchers and Compiled by the USDA
Provides the Most Current Data About U.S. Farmers and Ranchers
Provides Insight into Where Farm Operators and Owners Get Their Financing
Released by the USDA in August of 2001
Congress created the Farm Credit System (“FCS”) in 1916 as America’s first government-sponsored enterprise (“GSE”). The FCS competes with the private sector by lending directly to farmers, ranchers, rural businesses and rural homeowners. GSE status allows the FCS to borrow money from the public at rates comparable to the federal government. Its earnings are largely tax exempt. While the federal government does not explicitly guarantee bonds that the FCS issues, the government did provide a $4 billion line of credit to stave off the insolvency of the FCS in 1987. Today, the Farm Credit System has over $98 billion in assets and made over $1.4 billion in net income in 2000.
The Farm Credit System
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Banks are privately owned businesses which are capitalized by investors whose money is at risk. Banks fund their operations primarily by accepting deposits and making loans to farmers, ranchers, rural businesses, and individuals. Banks are the only financial institutions subject to the federal Community Reinvestment Act.
Banks in Rural America
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Source: 2001 USDA Agriculture Income and Finance Report
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000
Farm Credit SystemBanks
Banks Have Steadily Increased Their Loans to Farmers
Mark
ets
hare
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The Average American Farm With Debt
Has 615 Acres
Source: USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey
The Average Farm Acreage of:
Bank Customers = 600
FCS Customers = 935
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The Average Market Value of Farm Products Sold By All Farms With Debt: $168,000
The Average Market Value of Farm Products Sold By Bank Customers: $156,000
The Average Market Value of Farm Products Sold By FCS Customers: $311,000
Source: USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey
The Average Family Farmer is aBank Customer
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Banks74%
Other9%
Farm Credit System17%
Banks Serve Three-Quarters of the Youngest Farm Operators*
*Defined as operators under the age of 35Source: USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey
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The Farm Credit System is Not Focused
on Beginning Farmers
Over 50 years54%
35 to 50 years38%
Under 35 years 8%
Source: USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey
Breakdown of FCS Loan Portfolio by Farmer Age
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Source: USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey
Banks Lend to More Family Farmers*
680,297
91,016169,128
FCS Banks Other
Number of Family Farm Customers
* Sole proprietorships, partnerships and family held farms
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Small 33%
Large24%
Very Small43%
Source: USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey
A Quarter of Farm Credit System Loans Are To Large Farms*
* Farms with $250,000 or more in sales
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Source: USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey
Almost a Quarter of Farm Credit System
Customers Operate America’s Largest Farms
52%
32%
45%
34%
14%
23%
FCSBanks
Very Small Farms
(179 acres or less)
Small Farms (180 to 1000
acres)
Very Large Farms
(Over 1000 acres)
10
Source: USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey
Who Serves More Mega-Farms?*
* Farms with $500,000 or more in sales
12.51%
5.43%
Farm Credit System Banks
Percentage of Customers
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Farm Operators*: Banks Finance More Minorities and Women
Than Anyone
12%
70%
18%
Farm CreditSystem
Banks Other
Source: USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey
*A “farm operator” is defined as a person who operates a farm or ranch, either doing the work or making day-to-day decisions about such items as
planting, harvesting, feeding, and marketing. See Appendix A of the AELOS
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Farm Owners*: Banks Finance More Minorities and Women Than
Anyone
Source: USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey
*A “farm owner” is defined as an individual, partnership, corporation, or other entity who owns land used for agricultural purposes. See Appendix A
of the AELOS
27%
52%
21%
Farm CreditSystem
Banks Other
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The ABA brings together all categories of banking institutions to best represent the interests of this rapidly changing industry. Its membership - which includes community, regional and money center banks and holding companies, as well as savings associations, trust companies and savings banks - makes ABA the largest banking trade association in the country. ABA can be found on the world wide web at http://www.aba.com.
This Review of the 1999 USDA Agriculture Economics and Land Ownership Survey was prepared by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking of theAmerican Bankers Association.AELOS data may be found on the USDA website:
http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census97/aelos/aelos.htm
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Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking