American Bankers Association

Despite numerous headwinds in 2022, agricultural lending by U.S. farm banks increased by 8.1% last year to $103.1 billion.  The American Bankers Association’s annual Farm Bank Performance Report said the change is due to a 9.7% increase in outstanding loans, secured by farmland and a 5.9% increas...

As conversations over the 2023 Farm Bill intensify in the coming months, all corners of the farming economy will watch the debate very closely for a variety of reasons.   But, what about the Ag Lending community?   Ed Elfmann Sr. Vice Pre...

One of the top points of discussion at this year’s American Bankers Association Ag Bankers Conference was the 2023 Farm Bill.  You may ask yourself, why do bankers care about the farm bill.  Ed Elfmann, Senior Vice President for Ag and Rural Banking Policy at the ABA says despite what many think, a large portion of the banking industry is connected to rural America, and the Farm Bill has a direct

The top concern facing agricultural lenders going into 2023 is interest rate volatility, according to the 2022 Agricultural Lender Survey report.  The report announced this week is produced jointly by the American Bankers Association and Farmer Mac.  Nearly ...

Despite a global slowdown in 2020, agricultural lending by U.S. farm banks remained strong at $98.6 billion, just a 1.8% drop from the prior year. The American Bankers Association’s annual Farm Bank Performance Report attributes the change to a 6.7% de ...

The Fall 2020 Agricultural Lender Survey report shows that ag lenders continue to remain focused on credit quality, even as the farm economy continues to work through the prolonged downturn caused by COVID-19. The survey from the American Bankers Association and Farmer Mac said when it comes to their customers, lenders continue to be most concerned about liquidity, income, and leverage ... Read Mo

When hemp became legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, there was a lot of buzz in farm country about what that would look like as an everyday crop, and who would grow it.  It’s not just farmers that are curious about the newly legal commodity, many in the Ag banking sector are watching hemp very closely.   T...

Will it be a little tougher to get operating capital this spring?  For some the answer is yes.   “And I think it will be instead of a $150,000 operating line, it might be $110,000 or $100,000 operating line," said Montana Banker Heather Malcolm.  "So, it might...

If you ask farm and ranch lenders from across the country their thoughts on the future of the Ag economy, their responses may not be as somber as you’d expect.  And while there is caution about the current farm economy, Montana banker Heather Malcolm says it’s not all gloom and doom as we look at 2020.   “From a...

Last week, the federal government released banking guidance for the finance industry related to hemp producers.  The American Bankers Association said the guidance makes clear that banks are not required to file Suspicious Activity Reports on hemp producers operating under an approved federal, state or tribal license or plan.  Th...