The Agricultural Lending Industry: Commercial Banks and the Farm Credit System

1. The Agricultural Lending Industry: Commercial Banks and the Farm Credit System Chapter 8

2. Commercial Banks • In US today there are 8,000 independently chartered banks. • Chartering of first bank came in 1791

3. Regulatory History • National Banking act of 1863 - congresses third attempt to regulate banking at the federal level. • Federally Chartered – office of the Comptroller of the Currency. • State Chartered – all states already had their own state chartering agencies, thus the beginning of our dual banking system.

4. Regulatory History • Federal Reserve Act established our current national bank in 1913. • Fed’s original task was to provide liquidity to banks as a lender of last resort. • Federal Reserve was established as a system of twelve district banks. • Great Depression • Price Deflation

5. Mergers • The banking industry is consolidating • Ultimately the nation may have just 2000 or so chartered banks • Will this improve the lot of the consumer?

8. REAL PRIME INTEREST RATES

9. Bank Balance Sheets

10. Liabilities • Banks earn maintenance fees on traditional demand deposit accounts. • Demand deposits have been shrinking as a percentage of total since 70s due to money market accounts. • Savings include passbook savings, CDs, educational savings funds and IRAs • Interest Rate Differences.

11. Equity • Remaining accounts on RHS are Ownership Accounts or Equity • Common Stock @ Par • Excess Paid in Capital • Retain Surplus or Retained Earnings • How banks use this is a matter or asset financial management

12. Assets • Cash and Reserves • Fed Requires approx. 10% of bank demand deposits to be placed in reserve. • Not a significant source of liquidity for the bank • Securities Portfolio • Loan Portfolio • Premises and Equipment

13. Introduction • Many farmers have long argued that credit for agriculture has not been met by conventional financial institutions. • Private lending procedures, sources of funds, and loan terms are not beneficial to the needs of agriculture.

14. History • Government began to make direct loans to farmers for short term credit requirements in the 1920’s. • In the 1930’s FCS, FmHA, REA, and CCC were created. • All of these agencies continue to operate although the names and scope of work have changed over time.

15. Farm Credit System • Long Term FCS loans are made to farmers, corporations producing farm products, agribusinesses, and rural homeowners. • Loans can be used to acquire land, equipment, and livestock or to refinance existing debt. • The largest holders of farm real estate debt are the FCS and commercial banks.

16. Farm Credit System • Short and intermediate term FCS loans can be used for the production of farm products, aquatic products, and purchase or repair of rural homes. • FCS holds 20% of non real estate farm debt.

17. Government-Sponsored Enterprise • Farm Credit began as a government sponsored cooperative effort to provide a system through which farmers could provide their own credit. • FCS is now self-supporting. • As a GSE , FCS can borrow money from the US Treasury cheaper than commercial banks. • In turn, FCS can usually loan out money cheaper than commercial banks.

18. FCS Independence • FCS became wholly user owned when the last government loan was repaid in 1968. • In 1985 FCS lost $2.7 billion through mortgage and loan defaults. • Several of the FCS banks had become insolvent and Congress responded with a Federal bailout. • Now FCS is run by the Farm Credit Administration which is an agency of the U.S. Executive Branch.

19. USDA • USDA has a number of credit programs for ag and rural areas. • FSA is the direct lending arm in agriculture. • Rural Development is the direct lending agency for rural programs.

20. FmHA • Farmers Home Administration was created to implement all direct lending, loan insurance, and grant programs for low income farmers. • FmHA was abolished in 1994 and its farm credit programs were transferred to the newly created FSA.

21. Farm Service Agency • Lender of last resort to farmers. • Loans are for farmers who can not get credit with commercial banks or FCS. • FSA makes farm ownership loans, operating loans, and emergency loans.

22. Farm Service Agency • Emergency loans are made only to counties designated as a disaster area. • Interest rates on FSA loans are significantly lower than those of commercial banks. • FSA held 4.1% of total US farm business debt in 2000. • Because of their risky loans, many FSA loans result in default.

23. Rural Development • Rural Development includes the Rural Housing Service, Rural Business Cooperative Service, and Rural Utilities Service. • Direct loans, loan guarantees, and rental assistance are available to low income people in rural areas which include cities with populations up to 50,000.

24. Rural Development • The Rural Business-Cooperative Service administers the business assistance programs. • Grants are made to non profits and public bodies for business development. • Large loan guarantees are also available to businesses.

25. Rural Development • Rural Utilities Service provides large loans and grants for electricity, water, and sewer. • Assistance is available to public bodies and utility districts for expanded utility programs.

26. Commodity Credit Corporation • Farmers would pledge a quantity of a commodity as collateral and obtain a recourse loan from the CCC. • Farmers can either repay the loan with interest within a period of time or they must forfeit their commodity to the CCC.

27. Effects of Subsidized Credit • Immediate effects are to reduce interest rates and to increase the amount of credit used in agriculture. • This contributes to increased production and larger, more highly mechanized farms. • It is harmful to nonusers because it increases output and decreases product prices.

28. Problems with Subsidized Credit • Moral Hazards • Government restrictions reduced diversification in bank loan portfolios, thereby increasing risk and likelihood of bank failure. • These instances have made it difficult to make a case for subsidized credit to agriculture.