Friday 14 March 2014

Facts About Getting USDA Farm Loans

By Jaclyn Hurley


People who own farms may need to take out an agricultural loan to meet their financial needs. Many kinds of farm loans are available but farmers have to know where to get them and how to apply for them. Government agencies that offer agricultural loans usually require applicants to own farms or use the funds to purchase farms. The US Department of Agriculture offers loans through its agencies such as the Farm Service Agency. The USDA is responsible for coming up with and executing federal government policies on food, forestry and agriculture.

You can apply for USDA farm loans if you want to purchase new land, improve existing farmland, construct or improve farm structures, promote conservation projects or to finance closing costs. The repayment term for a farm ownership loan cannot be more than forty years. The repayment term for a farmland operating loan is usually one to seven years.

The FSA also offers loan guarantees through its farm loan program. This allows people who are unable to get financing elsewhere to purchase, sustain or expand their farms. Loan officers from the Farm Service Agency often assist farmers to apply for loans. Applicants should seek the assistance of business advisers as they develop a business plan which they need to submit to the lender.

Your business plan should be detailed and should show how your cash flow will look in the future. This will help your lender know the amount of money you need and how much you can be able to pay back. To create a well projected business plan, you can read through a copy of Business Plans for Agricultural Producers.

Since the situation of every farmer is different, the process you follow to apply for funding may be different from that followed by other farmers or ranchers. Before applying for a loan, you need to first determine the kind of funding you need. You may apply for more than one kind of funding if you need money for different purposes.

You can apply for a farm ownership loan when you need to buy or enlarge your farmland or pay for soil and water conservation. If you want to buy livestock or equipment or meet minor real estate repair costs, you should apply for a farm operating loan. If you have suffered losses due to a natural disaster that affected your farming operations, you can apply for an emergency loan.

The other kind of loan available is a conservation loan. It helps meet the need of farm owners who need to complete conservation practices in an approved conservation plan. After they get approved for a loan from the USDA, farmers are required to repay the principle plus a certain amount of interest. The total amount of interest to pay usually depends on the repayment period of the loan and the rate of interest charged. The interest rate can be either fixed or variable.

The USDA also has a microloan program for small scale farmers, disadvantaged producers and veterans. This program allows them to borrow an amount of up to 35,000 dollars. You apply for such a loan if you are starting out. It can provide you with the resources you need to begin operating profitably and help increase your equity. After repaying a microloan, you can be able to obtain commercial credit in order to expand your operations.




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