Smaller Loans Define Farm Credit’s YBS Lending Mission

YBS producers received more than half of Farm Credit loans but only a quarter of loan dollars.

bank phoner.jpg

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD News) — Young, beginning and small producers accounted for more than half of Farm Credit System loans made in 2025, but only about one-quarter of new loan dollars. Farm Credit Administration data show YBS borrowers received 175,068 loans totaling $38.2 billion.

Those loans represented 56.3% of all new loan counts but just 25.5% of committed volume. Non-YBS borrowers received 135,753 loans totaling nearly $112 billion, highlighting the much smaller financial scale of many YBS borrowers.

Small-only producers accounted for 42.5% of YBS loan counts but 24.5% of YBS loan volume. Beginning-and-small borrowers represented another 17.3% of counts and 19.1% of dollars.

Farm Credit institutions also reported $396.4 million in YBS services, although $350.1 million involved investments and leases. Another $46 million supported financially related services, scholarships, grants, education and outreach.

The agency cautions that higher 2025 loan counts partly reflect changes in how some institutions counted pooled loans, making longer-term trends more useful than the one-year increase alone.

Farm-Level Takeaway: Farm Credit is reaching large numbers of young, beginning and small producers, but their smaller loan sizes underscore persistent capital-access challenges.
Tony St. James, RFD News Markets Specialist

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Crop-focused farms face greater financial pressure as strong cattle prices support the broader farm economy.
Corn export inspections remain well ahead of last year as soybean and wheat shipments lag.
Growing GLP-1 use could shift what consumers buy and influence long-term decisions across agriculture.
New duties on Canadian mushrooms could support U.S. growers while raising import costs.
Heat, Tight Margins Shape Agriculture Across U.S. States
Strong ethanol output continues to support corn demand, but rising inventories and weaker exports could limit further growth.