Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack has unveiled new steps the USDA is taking to re-center American agriculture and benefit small and midsized operations, including a proposed an $89 million expansion of the USDA intermediary lending program.
Vilsack told those at the National Farmers Union conference in San Francisco that he was creating a new “seed liaison” to increase fairness in the commodity biotech industry, and was proposing changes to the Packers and Stockyards Act.
Vilsack said all were part of a concerted effort to create another model that doesn’t require farmers not to produce but is instead focused on producing what the world needs them to produce.and bringing more revenue to small and midsize ag operations..
Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, said that despite record farm income last year, 50% of farms nationwide lost money and only 10% made a net profit – and with nearly 40% of those profitable farms owned by investment banks and large landholders who bring in more than $1 million per year in revenue.
Vilsack also announced new investments in diversifying local and regional meat processors, including $89-million dollars in guaranteed loans to provide credit to independently owned-and-operated meat processing facilities. That’s on top of the $100-million in grants this year to expand processing supply chain capacity.
then why can’t a farmer get loans to expand its always no to old or you don’t have enough income. it’s just like the VA they don’t come thru and very poor service
hellow. I’ve 50 ewes that live in double garage . with previous collect water collection land to fence in to grazing. could be its own balage and small grains to help practicality and a storage /wintering barn /lambing barn grant . difficult to assume a loan would pay back with no mud in the water. looking forward to the details and ranking with some cattle
He said it himself with the data that was provided. It all indicates more consolidation and concentration of the Ag sector which wherein the Big get richer and poor get poorer. Our national food system supports this 10 fold; the prices paid to cattle farmers for their calves is suppressed so much the break evens have gotten ridiculously high in the past 12 years. The government always subsidies the row crop boys while the cattle guys are drowning in shark infested waters. The sharks in the water are Big businesses gobbling up the small guys and keeping your groceries cheap while family farms go out of business at an alarming rate. The model that those Giant corporations that run our protein sector keep flooding our Country with cheap BEEF from Brazil to meet demand becasue they can’t get enough Beef from our own Country, the United States of America. We’re getting to the point where it’s become so expensive to raise BEEF in the USA fewer people are doing it and Brazil will continue to fill the void. While their hedge fund cronies continue to manipulate the CBOT in their favor all while keeping the cash market supressed with 73% of the market privatized with AMA’s family cattle farms and ranches are and will continue to drop like flies. They’re literally biting off the hand that feeds them in here in the USA becasue they can get it cheaper from their own country,BRAZIL, and make more money with the currency exchange rates as well. Make The American BEEF Industry Great Again! We produce the most flavorful and amazing BEEF in the world, but the packers send that over seas and cash in on foreign exchange rates plus premium for the Prime Beef. The system is rigged and it’s rigged their favor.
What about small n mid size dairy farmers. They have to BEG banks for operating capital cuz the FCS, AG LENDERS WILL ONLY CATER TO THOSE MEGA FARMS! With diesel, fertilizer, equipment n parts, help, who now want 15.00 even if illegals plus housing thanks to Old Alzheimers Joe’s policies we are going out of business at a alarming rate!!! After a 750 cow dairy pays 15,000.00 just to.have a milk hauler get your milk to the plant n other expenses i mentioned. Unlike beef farmers we have to be there 365 days a yr 24/7. Milk 2-3 x a day. feed the calves 2x a day. ITS REALLY SAD CUZ IF A DISEASE HITS THESE MEGA FARMS. WHERE THEY HAVE TO KILL ALL THE COWS ON A FARM.
Jim C small farmers can’t get get help please please help us get grants or loans inflation is soaring as God be our father please please help us all we want to do is the world