Infusing Rural Communities with Stronger Businesses and Sounder Agricultural Economies The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced another year of high activity in its farm loan programs. Hard-working farm families across the country accessed nearly $6 billion in new credit, either directly or guaranteed through commercial lenders in 2017. At year end, FSA was assisting more …
Farmers Can Expect Higher Interest Rates/Tighter Credit in 2018
Farmers looking to borrow money this year will likely see higher interest rates and a tighter credit environment. Gary Crawford has the details. Farmers Can Expect Higher Interest Rates-Tighter Credit in 2018 Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
Farmers Celebrate 2017 Victories
From tax reform, to the Waters of the U.S. Rule, officials in Washington, D.C., gave farmers and ranchers plenty to cheer about last year. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall this month told Farm Bureau members at the organization’s Annual Convention that tax reform topped the list. Tax Duvall says the Waters of the U.S. rule was one of …
USDA Hazlett on Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Report
On behalf of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett discussed key findings and recommendations, and the strategies for implementing the recommendations, from the newly released report by the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. Created by President Donald Trump in April 2017 and chaired by Secretary Perdue, the Task Force …
Funding to Run Government Runs Out Friday
Funding to keep the government open runs out this Friday…and agriculture and other industries face what they don’t like most—uncertainty… The only thing certain about Washington is, there’s always “uncertainty.” Hear American Farm Bureau budget adviser RJ Karney talk about the possibility. Uncertainty New programs are delayed and some existing programs not expanded, making producer decisions much harder. And Karney …
Congress Fixing Farm Co-op Tax Change
A provision in the overhaul of the U.S. tax code had some unintended negative side effects on certain agribusinesses across the country. The provision gives producers a chance to cut down on their taxable income if they sell their commodities to agricultural cooperatives. It appears that farmer-owned cooperatives like CHS, Inc., came out ahead of other agribusiness giants like Cargill …
USDA Sending Extra Financial Help to Farmers in Seven States
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will start sending additional money to row crop farmers in 14 counties throughout seven states who are enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage program. The move comes after the USDA reevaluated the program using a different method of determining county yields. Politico says the re-evaluation was directed by a provision in the fiscal 2017 government …
USDA Under Secretary Ibach on Section 199A Tax Code Fix
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach issued the following statement regarding efforts to address concerns with recent changes to Section 199A of the federal tax code. Some agriculture stakeholders have raised questions about potential market effects on cooperatives and independent grain-related businesses. Ibach’s statement is as follows: “The aim of the …
War of Words Over Republican Tax Package Continues
The war of words over the recently enacted Republican tax package continues, and farm state GOP lawmakers are pushing back against claims by Democrats, that the new tax law benefits mostly the wealthy. Farm-state Republicans weighed in, as the partisan sniping over the successful tax legislation continued, ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst said her neighbors …
2017 Farm Equipment Sales Up
Sales of farm tractors and combines increased in 2017, up five percent and four percent, respectively. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers latest monthly sales report found the sale of all tractors in the U.S. in December 2017, were up 18 percent compared to the same month last year. For the twelve months in 2017, a total of 220,500 tractors were …