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Kansas City Fed

Farm sector borrowing up sharply as lower crop prices pinch

Low crop prices and high production costs depressed profits for farmers in the closing months of 2014, "leading to a sharp rise in farm-sector borrowing and a slight decline in farmland values," said the Agricultural Finance Databook produced by the...

Farm income “has fallen short of previous years”

Crop farmers are seeing much lower incomes this year, down by an average 25 percent in the Plains, according to agricultural bankers in the Farm Belt.

Ranchland value rising, cropland is steady or declining

Cropland values are steady or starting to erode while ranch and pasture land is rising in value, say agricultural bankers in the Midwest and central Plains.

Main Street begins to feel the pinch of lower farm income

Farmers and ranchers are tightening their purse strings and spending less in town, say farm bankers across the Farm Belt. With farm income down due to sharply lower commodity prices, cutbacks are expected to continue into the fall at a minimum.

Feeder livestock borrowing up 50 percent in Fed survey

Agricultural banks say loan volume for feeder livestock rose by 50 percent in the second quarter of this year after rising by 13 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, according to the Federal Reserve in its Agricultural Finance Databook.

Farmland values step off price escalator after long ride up

U.S. farmland values will hold steady or decline somewhat in the near term due to lower grain prices and high production costs, lenders and financial experts told a House Agriculture subcommittee.

House hearing looks at rural credit as ag markets tighten

Private and public lenders are scheduled to testify on availability in rural America at a House Agriculture subcommittee hearing.

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