Farm Service Agency 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this notice to announce that it is issuing a second round of payments for ELRP 2022 participants. These payments will be subject to a modified payment calculation in compliance with a court order currently in effect.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing the extension of the Application Fast Track (AFT) pilot program that was launched August 7, 2023, which continues the expedited processing of qualified direct Operating Loans (OL) and Farm Ownership Loans (FO) to family farmers and ranchers. AFT has been available to all customers nationwide since January 1, 2024. AFT is being extended through December 31, 2025, to allow time for FSA to continue to evaluate the administrative effectiveness of AFT. The initial results of AFT reflect a significant improvement in processing times for all customers, and FSA is continuing to monitor loan performance, and overall satisfaction with the AFT pilot program from both customers and staff.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is amending the Farm Loan Programs (FLP) regulations to implement the Distressed Borrower Set- Aside (DBSA) Program and other changes. DBSA will provide a new loan servicing program for financially distressed borrowers that will allow for the deferral of one annual loan installment at a reduced interest rate. DBSA will provide a simpler option to resolve financial distress than existing loan servicing programs. In addition to helping borrowers by adding DBSA as a new loan servicing program, FSA is amending the FLP regulations to revise loan making and servicing to improve program access and delivery. This rule is part of FSA's ongoing efforts for farm loans to remove barriers to capital access and increase opportunities for borrowers to be successful.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirements, FSA is requesting comments from interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection request associated with the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirement, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with revision of a currently approved information collection that supports CCC and FSA loan programs. The information collection is necessary to gather data regarding the applicant which is required on a financing statement, and to obtain the applicant's permission to file a financing statement prior to the execution of a security agreement.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) announces the revised loan volume eligibility criteria for existing lenders participating in the Preferred Lender Program (PLP) for FSA guaranteed loans or who have recently participated in PLP but lost that status due to loan volume requirements and wish to reapply. Due to decreased loan demand, many former PLP lenders, who would have otherwise been expected to have renewed their PLP status, have been unable to qualify for the renewal of their status in PLP within the past 5 years due solely to loan volume requirements. This document applies lower loan volume eligibility criteria to PLP lenders who renew their PLP status and to former PLP lenders who reapply for PLP status after losing that status because they were unable to renew due solely to decreased loan volume within the 5 years immediately preceding the date of this notice. FSA also announces the revised loan volume eligibility criteria for all lenders participating in the Certified Lender Program (CLP) for FSA guaranteed loans due to the same decreased loan demand discussed previously. This document applies less restrictive loan volume eligibility criteria to all lenders currently participating in the CLP program and lenders applying to participate in the CLP program.