The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 made permanent the interest assistance program for the Farm Service Agency's guaranteed loans, authorized a significant increase in funding for the program, and targeted funding for beginning farmers and ranchers. The research presented here...

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct farm loan program is designed to provide credit to family-sized farms unable to obtain credit from conventional sources at reasonable rates and terms despite having sufficient cash flow to repay and an ability to fully securitize the loan. FSA policy...

Classical and count data regression models are estimated to predict improvement in three key financial indicators—net worth, debt-to-asset ratio and current ratio—as well as the number of loan restructurings and delinquencies. Data consist of Farm Service Agency direct loans originated in...

Farmer bankruptcies, bankruptcy rates, and related issues are explored from the beginning of modern bankruptcy legislation over a century ago. Farmer bankruptcies historically have been controversial because they are thought to indicate changes in the economic well-being and structure of the...

The sensitivity of farm inventory investment to movements in cash flow is tested. Inventories should be sensitive to shifts in cash flow because inventory investment is readily reversible and inventories are a significant portion of assets. Investment models estimated with Kansas farm panel data...

Regression analysis is used to estimate static and dynamic restructuring, direct and external effects of mergers from 1994 to 2001 on bank agricultural loan-to-asset ratios. Results indicate that mergers have a negative effect on agricultural loan ratios. The effect is less pronounced for...

Financial, farm economy and bank factors are hypothesized to explain variation in FSA guaranteed loan principal outstanding. Regression models using state-level data (1990-1998) are estimated. Debt-to-asset ratios, percentage of agricultural revenues due to crops, interest rates, and off-farm...

The study identifies farm operator and economic characteristics explaining variation in FSA guaranteed loan loss claims rates. Regression models using state-level data are estimated. Debt-to-asset ratios, interest rates, off-farm income and bank loan-to-asset ratios explain FO loss rates. Farm...

The USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) serves as the nation's lender of last resort by providing direct loans to farmers unable to obtain credit at reasonable rates and terms. Annual loan losses have been substantial, averaging $576 million for fiscal 1994-2004. An econometric model using survey...

This paper presents a detailed summary analysis of commercial bank, Farm Credit System (FCS), and other commercial lenders use of Farm Service Agency (FSA) guaranteed loan program over the time period fiscal 1993-2003. Key aspects of the guaranteed program are examined including the usage level...