federal reserve

According to the Federal Reserve’s Agricultural Finance Databook, the volume of non-real estate farm debt continued to increase in the fourth quarter of 2018.  Total non-real estate farm loans were up nearly 8% from a year ago, which was the seventh consecutive quarter of annual growth in loan volumes.   The Fe...

Large operating loans made by large agricultural banks led to a significant increase in farm lending in the third quarter of 2018.  According to the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank, the total volume of non-real estate farm loans was more than 30% higher than a year ago.  A sharp...

It came as no surprise when the Federal Reserve recently moved interest rates higher, a one-quarter-percent hike in short-term interest rates.  The Fed said the increase is to keep the overall U.S. economy strong.  But for the farm economy, rate hikes in the past have tended to have the opposite affect.   ...

Very few people were surprised last week when the Federal Reserve increased the federal funds rate target range by 0.25%.  With their positive outlook for the U.S. economy, the Feds plan on continuing to raise interest rates well into 2018.  Mi...

The Federal Reserve announced an increase in their basic interest rate after what has appeared to be good economic indicators.   USDA Chief Economist Rob Johannson said that could increase the value of the U.S. dollar.   “And that has the effect of making it more difficult for our producers to sell our products overseas. It makes them ...

The Federal Reserve has again elected to move forward with interest rate increases.  Wednesday’s decision, which was widely expected,  increased the Fed’s benchmark rate to a range between 0.75% and 1%.  The Fed attributed the change to a continued “moderate pace” of growth  in the U.S. economy.   For agriculture, a Depa...

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President John Williams said the best time for the U.S. central bank to raise rates again likely will be at its policy gathering in December.  Williams still expects one rate increase this year, and says it could happen at either of the two remaining rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee meetings in 2016.   ...

The Federal Reserve Bank reports the need for farm lending remained high in the second quarter of 2016.  And that need was driven by ongoing demand for operating loans.   The Federal Reserve’s Agricultural Finance Databook found the total number of non-real estate loans made to farmers in the second quarter increased six percent from a year ago.  The report sa...

Three years of lower farm income has small bankers on notice.   Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank executive director Esther George said this week “I wouldn't say we're in a crisis, but we are seeing signs of underperforming loans,” according to DTN.  She suggested ...

The U.S. Federal Reserve Wednesday chose to keep its benchmark interest rate at current levels as economic growth has again been slower than The Fed predicted.  Following a two-day meeting, The Fed also said it now expects to raise interest rates more slowly in coming years than it had previously anticipated.  ...