Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T13:39:59.250Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Tax-Exempt Bond Financing for Beginning and Low-Equity Farmers:The Case of ‘Aggie Bonds’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2015

James M. Williamson
Affiliation:
Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Ani L. Katchova
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, and AAAS Fellow and Visiting Scholar at the Economic Research Service, USDA, Washington, DC

Extract

The “Aggie Bond” program was established in the 1980s to provide beginningand low-equity farmers access to capital. The bonds, which pay tax-exemptinterest, may be used by qualifying famers for purchases of farm real estateand equipment. Using Aggie Bond data collected from states and Census ofAgriculture data spanning 25 years, we examine whether the program has hadan impact on farm entrance, land ownership, and the size of operation. We donot find strong evidence that the program led to an increase in theproportion of beginning farmers; however, we find limited evidence theprogram helped beginning farmers become full land owners as well asincreased the rate of growth in the proportion of beginning farmers who arefull land owners.

Type
Session Title: Challenges of Entering and Succeeding in Southeastern Agriculture: Access to Credit, Supply Chains, and Consumers
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adhikari, A., Mishra, A.K., and Chintawar, S.. “Adoption of Technology and Its Impact on Profitability of Young and Beginning Farmers: A Quantile Regression Approach.” Selected paper, Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, 2009.Google Scholar
Ahearn, M.Potential Challenges for Beginning Farmers.Choices (New York, NY.) 26(2011):16.Google Scholar
CDFA. Aggie Bonds. Council of Development Finance Agencies, 2005. Internet site: www.cdfa.net/cdfa/cdfaweb.nsf/ordredirect.html?open&id= cdfafactsheetaggiebonds.html. Accessed February 2013.AMBIGUOUS (697180 citations)Google Scholar
Hoppe, R.A., MacDonald, J.M., and Korb, P.. Small Farms in the United States: Persistence Under Pressure. EIB-63, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, February 2010.Google Scholar
Katchova, A.L.An Analysis of the Financial Performance of Beginning Farmers.” Selected paper, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Meeting, Denver, CO, July 25-27, 2010.Google Scholar
Kirwan, B.The Incidence of U.S. Agricultural Subsidies on Farmland Rental Rates.The Journal of Political Economy 117(2009):138-64.10.1086/598688Google Scholar
Kropp, J., and Katchova, A.L.. “The Effect of Direct Payments on Liquidity and Repayment Capacity for Beginning Farmers.Agricultural Finance Review 71(2011):347-65.10.1108/00021461111177611Google Scholar
Meyer, L., Hunter, J., Katchova, A.L., Lovett, S., Thilmany, D., Sullins, M., and Card, A.. “Approaching Beginning Farmers as a New Stakeholder for Extension.Choices (New York, NY.) 26(2011):17.Google Scholar
Michael, J.R., Kirwan, B., and Hopkins, J.. “The Incidence of Government Payments on Agricultural Land Rents: The Challenges of Identification.American Journal of Agricultural Economics 85(2003):762-69.10.1111/1467-8276.00481Google Scholar
Mishra, A.K., Wilson, C.A., and Wilhams, R.P.. “Technology Adoption, Management Practices, and Financial Performance of New and Beginning Farmers: Evidence from a National Survey.” Selected paper, American Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, 2007.Google Scholar
Nickerson, C., Morehart, M., Kuethe, T., Beckman, J., Ifft, J., and Williams, R.. Trends in U.S. Farmland Values and Ownership. EIB-92. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Econ. Res. Serv. February 2012.Google Scholar
Pederson, G., Chung, W., and Nel, R.. “Micro-Economic Impacts of a State-Funded Farmer Loan Program.Agricultural Finance Review 7(2012):125.Google Scholar
P.L. 140-188. Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996. Public Law (1996).Google Scholar