11/12/07 FSA streamlines farm loan forms, rules

LASSITER "This is the most aggressive initiative that's ever been undertaken since the inception of the farm loan program some 60 years ago. So we're very excited." Hopefully so are agricultural producers in Idaho and across the nation. That was Farm Service Agency administrator Teresa Lassiter talking about changes that will be made by her agency on January first. Farmers and ranchers will find the 2008 forms and rules for USDA's farm loan programs have been streamlined. LASSITER "Its going to make it easier for America's farmers, ranchers and producers to apply for loans simply by reducing the number of pages in the code of federal regulations necessary to administer the loan programs by more 80 percent and insuring that all forms are on line and cutting nearly in half the number of forms required and making guidance more manageable by replacing nearly 40 handbooks we've reduced down to six handbooks." Lassiter said work done in Washington by her staff and in field offices around the country led to the new forms. They had over 15 hundred comments at FSA. If you want more information go to the Internet, www.fsa.usda.gov and click on farm loan programs. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott