To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide for a pilot program under which development loans and loan guarantees may be made to beginning farmers and ranchers, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · June 3, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
This bill establishes a pilot program to provide loans and loan guarantees specifically for beginning farmers and ranchers to fund long-term capital investments in their operations. The loans would cover development expenditures such as equipment, breeding stock, soil improvements, business infrastructure, and regulatory compliance systems that benefit farms or ranches for more than one year. Borrowers would receive loans of up to $100,000 with repayment terms between 3 and 10 years and interest rates between zero and 3 percent, with flexible principal repayment requirements. The Department of Agriculture must establish the pilot program within two years of the bill's enactment and must provide comprehensive training and support to borrowers on farm management, bookkeeping, cash flow, and risk management through existing agricultural education programs. The Secretary would need to evaluate the program's outcomes and submit biennial reports to Congress on how it is performing.
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