The USDA announced it is simplifying the Farm Service Agency direct loan application by reducing it from 29 pages to 13 pages. Though the option to fill out a paper application for submission at local FSA farm loan office is still available, producers can now opt to submit an electronic online form starting March 1, 2023.
This is all part of the USDA’s efforts to simplify the process for the approximately 25,000 farmers and ranchers who submit loan applications to the FSA annually. The lengthy 29-page paper application proved challenging, as there was a high rate of incomplete, rejected and withdrawn applications. But the new and simplified application will also provide information about the process and necessarily documents to complete the application.
