FCA Board Meeting

August 12, 2021

Salvatore Iannetta, FCA Senior Analyst

Office of Data Analytics and Economics

2020 Results: 

FCA’s Annual Report on the Farm Credit 

System’s Young, Beginning, and Small 

Farmer Mission Performance
YBS Program Guidance

2

Farm Credit Act of 1971 as Amended

▪FCS institutions must have programs to furnish sound and constructive

credit and related services to YBS farmers and ranchers.

▪Requires reporting of YBS activities.

Regulation 614.4165 – 2004

▪Sets minimum YBS program components, reporting, and disclosure

requirements for institutions.

Bookletters – 2007 and 2012

▪BL 040 – Provides flexibility on lending opportunities for YBS.

▪BL 066 – Provides guidance for serving farmers who market their

agricultural products through local or regional food systems.

Informational Memorandum – 2014

▪Provides information on opportunities to coordinate lending, training

and outreach with the Farm Service Agency.

Advance Notice of Public Rulemaking (ANPRM) – 2019
YBS Definitions and Data Clarifications

Definitions for FCA Reporting:

 Young Farmer: 35 years of age or younger.

 Beginning Farmer: 10 years or less of farming experience.

 Small Farmer: gross annual farm sales of less than $250,000. 

Important Data Clarifications:

 YBS data is currently reported separately for each category.

 Borrowers may qualify under more than one category.

 Combining Y,B, and S total does not produce an accurate

measure of YBS lending as borrowers can be in one or more

categories.

 Dollar volumes include advances and commitments.

3
YBS Reporting Guidance for Lending 

Data

4

C

▪

urrent Guidance for New Business Activity

A loan that was closed during the calendar year. This includes

loans that were renegotiated or refinanced during the year

meeting at least one of the following conditions:

▪Commits additional funds.

▪Substitutes or adds different borrower or lessee.

▪Has substantially different terms or conditions.

▪Involves a new or separate credit decision.

Current Guidance for Reporting Outstanding Loans

▪Extension of (or the commitment) to extend credit authorized

by the Act. This includes loans outstanding, including

undisbursed commitments to lend.
YBS Results 

Source: Annual Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Reports submitted by each System lender through the District 

Banks 5

YBS Loans Outstanding—As of December 31, 2020

Number of 

loans

Percentage of 

total number 

Dollar volume 

of loans in 

millions

Percentage of 

total volume 

Young 181,378 19.2% $33,586 10.8%

Beginning 283,936 30.0% $54,779 17.6%

Small 470,836 49.8% $58,587 18.8%

YBS Made During 2020—As of December 31, 2020

Number of 

loans

Percentage of 

total number 

Dollar volume 

of loans in 

millions

Percentage of 

total volume 

Young 65,807 17.7% $13,810 11.5%

Beginning 94,329 25.4% $22,488 18.8%

Small 166,282 44.8% $23,437 19.6%
YBS New Loan Volume

Source: Annual Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Reports submitted by each System lender through the District Banks

6

13.8

22.5

23.4

0

5

10

15

20

25

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Dollars in Billions

Young Beginning Small
YBS Outstanding Loan Volume

Source: Annual Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Reports submitted by each System lender through the District Banks

7

33.6

54.8

58.6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Dollars in Billions

Young Beginning Small
YBS Share of New Loan Volume

Source: Annual Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Reports submitted by each System lender through the District Banks

8

11.5

18.8

19.6

0

5

10

15

20

25

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Percent of New Loan Volume

Young Beginning Small
YBS Share of Outstanding Loan Volume

Source: Annual Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Reports submitted by each System lender through the District Banks

9

10.8

17.6

18.8

0

5

10

15

20

25

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Percent of Outstanding Loan Volume

Young Beginning Small
YBS New Loan Count

Source: Annual Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Reports submitted by each System lender through the District Banks

10

66

94

166

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Loan Counts, Thousands

Young Beginning Small
YBS Outstanding Loan Count

Source: Annual Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Reports submitted by each System lender through the District Banks

11

181

284

471

0

100

200

300

400

500

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Loan Counts, Thousands

Young Beginning Small
YBS Share of New Loan Count

Source: Annual Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Reports submitted by each System lender through the District Banks

12

17.7

25.4

44.8

0

10

20

30

40

50

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Percent of New Loan Counts

Young Beginning Small
YBS Share of Outstanding Loan Count

Source: Annual Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Reports submitted by each System lender through the District Banks

13

19.2

30.0

49.8

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Percent of Outstanding Loan Counts

Young Beginning Small
YBS Initiatives Update

 Work with FCS data workgroups to modernize 

collection and reduce burden for reporting of YBS 

lending data.

 Improve the Agency’s ability to track FCS service to 

YBS producers and identify best practices used to 

serve YBS producers, including working with other 

government agencies for the benefit of YBS 

producers. 

 Evaluate and rate the effectiveness of each 

institution’s program to serve YBS.

14
Thank you

Questions?

15