The National Bison Association (NBA) was pleased to learn this week that bison have
officially been added as an eligible commodity to the US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency’s (USDA FSA) Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL) nationally.
This welcome change to the USDA FSA’s regulations will allow American bison marketers of all shapes and sizes to access to critical infrastructure support in the form of cold storage. This will greatly benefit bison producers across the country by offsetting the significant expense of investing in coolers, freezers, reefer trailers, cool-bots and any similar storage/transportation equipment needed to operate a meat business.
As the nascent bison industry grows, so too does the need for inclusion in USDA support programs like these. Said NBA executive director, Jim Matheson, “The NBA applauds the Farm Service Agency for this change to their policy, and underscores the progress that the bison industry is creating and maintaining an even playing field that allows us to compete with our mainstream, commodity-raising neighbors.”
Specifically, access to the FSFL program will provide bison producers the opportunity to take advantage of a low-interest loan program through the USDA FSA to purchase equipment that can aid in the transportation and storage of their commodity.
Current interest rates for the month of April are:
- 4.000 percent per annum for FSFL with 3-year loan terms
- 4.125 percent per annum for FSFL with 5-year loan terms
- 4.125 percent per annum for FSFL with 7-year loan terms
Links to additional information on the program: