Farm Credit System

Through good times and bad, the Farm Credit System strives to provide a steady source of capital to rural communities, businesses and the infrastructure providers that supply clean water, reliable energy and vital internet access.

With the right resources at their fingertips, families can thrive and rural economies can grow. Young, beginning and small farmers can build their futures. Producers with operations of any size can continue to invest in new technologies and adapt to evolving agricultural practices.

System History and Scope

Congress established the Farm Credit System in 1916 to support rural communities with reliable credit and financially related services. Today, it consists of a nationwide network of customer-owned financial institutions with customers in every state, Puerto Rico and, under certain conditions, U.S. territories.

The Funding Corporation is a crucial part of this network. Our work with investors enables the System to make loans to more than 600,000 customers and support more than 40% of all U.S. farm business debt, making it the largest single lender to U.S. agriculture.

How the System Works

Farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, rural utility systems and agribusinesses.
AgFirst FCB, AgriBank FCB, Farm Credit Bank of Texas, CoBank ACB. CoBank has lending authority to Associations within its District as well as national lending authorities to agricultural cooperatives, rural utilities and other eligible borrowers.
The Farm Credit Funding Corporation is responsible for Systemwide debt issuance and financial disclosure.
The Farm Credit Council is the national trade association for the Farm Credit System.
The Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation is an independent U.S. Government-controlled corporation that insures the timely payment of principal and interest on debt obligations issued by the Farm Credit Banks.

Regulation and Representation

Created by Congress, the System is under the jurisdiction of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. It is regulated by the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), an independent federal agency that maintains the safety and soundness of all System institutions.

The Farm Credit Council, the System's trade association, represents customer-owner interests before Congress and the executive branch.

The Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation provides an additional level of confidence for investors. This government-controlled entity ensures the timely payment of principal and interest on Systemwide Debt Securities issued on behalf of System Banks, to the extent that funds are available.

Equal Credit Opportunity

The Funding Corporation shares the Farm Credit System's commitment to supporting the diverse people and needs of U.S. agriculture without discrimination, in compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

Meet Our Customer-Owners

As a network of cooperatives, each Farm Credit institution is owned by its customers. Meet some of our customer-owners and learn how the Farm Credit System serves a variety of families, businesses and communities around the nation.

Farm Credit System

System History and Scope

How the System Works

Regulation and Representation

Equal Credit Opportunity

Meet Our Customer-Owners

Farm Credit System

Stewardship

Corporate Governance