The House Ag Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development and Credit held a public hearing Wednesday to review credit availability in rural America. Chairman Eric Crawford said the hearing was important because the farm credit landscape is always changing. The ag economy is highly cyclical – and after a recent period of historic highs – Crawford says crop prices have declined and farmland values are slightly decreasing. To sustain an abundant food and fiber supply into the future – he says responsibly farm and ag credit policies must be in place. Ranking Member Jim Costa agrees and says it’s imperative for farmers, ranchers and dairy producers to have access to the necessary resources to produce the best and safest food and fiber in the world. Subcommittee members heard from two panels of witnesses – which included representatives from the Farm Credit Administration, USDA Farm Service Agency, Federal Reserve Bank, Farmer Mac and local banks.
Source: NAFB News Service