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The effects of direct payments on liquidity and repayment capacity of beginning farmers

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  • Jaclyn D. Kropp
  • Ani L. Katchova

Abstract

Purpose - US decoupled direct payments, paid to farm operators based on historic yields and base acreage under the 2002 Farm Bill, may alter a farmer's access to credit or his ability to meet debt servicing obligations. More specifically, direct payments might improve the farmer's liquidity position or repayment capacity enabling the farmer to obtain more favorable credit terms. In turn, more favorable credit terms might allow a farm to remain in business or expand production, leading to current production distortions. Since direct payments are based on historic production, beginning farmers tend to receive lower levels of direct payments and hence these payments might impact beginning farmers differently than more experienced farmers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of direct payments on liquidity and repayment capacity for experienced and beginning farmers. Design/methodology/approach - Given the manner in which direct payments are calculated and administered, it is likely that direct payments affect beginning farmers and more experienced farmers differently; hence the authors analyze the impacts of direct payments on the current and term debt coverage ratios for these two groups separately. In the analysis, the authors control for farm financial characteristics, farm operator characteristics, and other factors. Data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) for the years 2005, 2006, and 2007 were used in the weighted regression analysis and jackknifed standard errors computed. Findings - A positive significant relationship was found between the level of direct payments (in dollars) and the term debt coverage ratio for experienced farmers, suggesting that direct payments improve repayment capacity. However, this relationship is not significant for beginning farmers. Also, a negative significant relationship was found between the number of base acres and the current ratio for experienced farmers, while this relationship lacks significance for beginning farmers. Originality/value - The paper provides evidence that decoupled direct payments impact a farmer's liquidity and repayment capacity. Furthermore, direct payments impact beginning and experienced farmers differently. This paper also contributes to the growing body of research investigating the mechanisms by which decoupled payments have the potential to distort current production.

Suggested Citation

  • Jaclyn D. Kropp & Ani L. Katchova, 2011. "The effects of direct payments on liquidity and repayment capacity of beginning farmers," Agricultural Finance Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 71(3), pages 347-365, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:afrpps:v:71:y:2011:i:3:p:347-365
    DOI: 10.1108/00021461111177611
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    Cited by:

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    2. Agnė Žičkienė & Rasa Melnikienė & Mangirdas Morkūnas & Artiom Volkov, 2022. "CAP Direct Payments and Economic Resilience of Agriculture: Impact Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-24, August.
    3. Soliwoda, Michał, 2014. "Bezpieczeństwo Finansowe Gospodarstw Rolniczych W Polsce Z Perspektywy Wspólnej Polityki Rolnej," Village and Agriculture (Wieś i Rolnictwo), Polish Academy of Sciences (IRWiR PAN), Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development, vol. 3(164).
    4. Soliwoda, Michał, 2016. "How to Improve a Farm Financial Management? The Lesson from Poland," Rural Areas and Development, European Rural Development Network (ERDN), vol. 13, pages 1-12.
    5. Williamson, James M. & Katchova, Ani L., 2013. "Tax-Exempt Bond Financing for Beginning and Low-Equity Farmers: The Case of 'Aggie Bonds'," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 45, pages 1-12, August.
    6. Ekaterina Vorotnikova & Serhat Asci & James L. Seale, 2018. "Joint production, land allocation, and the effects of the production flexibility program," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 1121-1143, November.
    7. Katchova, Ani & Ahearn, Mary, 2015. "Farmland Assets and Growth Trends for Young and Beginning Farmers in the U.S," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211839, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Weir, Rebecca & Hadrich, Joleen & Jablonski, Becca & Bauman, Allie, 2022. "Financial performance of beginning dairy farmers in Minnesota," Staff Papers 329376, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    9. Iotti, Mattia, 2023. "Financial evaluation and credit access of agricultural firms," Economia agro-alimentare / Food Economy, Italian Society of Agri-food Economics/Società Italiana di Economia Agro-Alimentare (SIEA), vol. 25(2), October.
    10. repec:eme:afrpps:v:72:y:2012:i:2:p:262-272 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Ani L. Katchova & Mary Clare Ahearn, 2016. "Dynamics of Farmland Ownership and Leasing: Implications for Young and Beginning Farmers," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 38(2), pages 334-350.
    12. Jan Zwolak, 2018. "Sold Commercial Production and Its Financial Security in Polish Agriculture," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 1, pages 141-151.
    13. Mattia Iotti, 2023. "Financial evaluation and credit access of agricultural firms," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 25(2), pages 31-67.
    14. Denis Nadolnyak & Valentina Hartarska & Bretford Griffin, 2019. "The Impacts of Economic, Demographic, and Weather Factors on the Exit of Beginning Farmers in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-17, August.
    15. Bruce L. Ahrendsen & Ani L. Katchova, 2012. "Financial ratio analysis using ARMS data," Agricultural Finance Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 72(2), pages 262-272, July.
    16. Mattia Iotti & Giuseppe Bonazzi, 2023. "Financial Sustainability in Agri-Food Companies: The Case of Members of the PDO Parma Ham Consortium," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-31, February.
    17. Hisham S. El-Osta, 2016. "Farmland Ownership and Its Impact on the Debt Servicing Capacity Among U.S. Married-Couple Farm Households," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 3(4), pages 190-206, November.
    18. Katchova, Ani L. & Ahearn, Mary Clare, 2014. "Farmland Ownership and Leasing: Implications for Young and Beginning Farmers," Staff Papers 184725, University of Kentucky, Department of Agricultural Economics.
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    20. Bob Ssekiziyivu & Rogers Mwesigwa & Mayengo Joseph & Isaac Nkote Nabeta, 2017. "Credit allocation, risk management and loan portfolio performance of MFIs—A case of Ugandan firms," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 1374921-137, January.

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