Farm Storage Facility Loan Program

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

The Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL) provides low-interest financing so producers can build or upgrade facilities to store commodities. Eligible commodities include grains, oilseeds, peanuts, pulse crops, hay, honey, renewable biomass commodities, fruits and vegetables, floriculture, hops, maple sap, milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, eggs, meat/poultry (unprocessed), rye and aquaculture. Eligible facility types include grain bins, hay barns, bulk tanks, and facilities for cold storage. Drying and handling and storage equipment is also eligible, including storage and handling trucks. Eligible facilities and equipment may be new or used, permanently affixed or portable.

Since its inception in May 2000, more than 33,000 loans have been issued for on-farm storage, increasing storage capacity by 900 million bushels.

FSFL is an excellent financing program for on-farm storage and handling for small and mid-sized farms, and for new farmers. Loan terms vary from 3 to 12 years. The maximum loan amount for storage facilities is $500,000. The maximum loan amount for storage and handling trucks is $100,000. In 2016 FSA introduced a new loan category, the microloan, for loans with an aggregate balance up to $50,000. Microloans offer a 5 percent down payment requirement, compared to a 15 percent down payment for a regular FSFL, and waive the regular three-year production history requirement.

Final Rule

7CFR 1436

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers the FSFL Program on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). This rule amends the FSFL Program regulations to add eligibility for portable storage structures, portable equipment, and storage and handling trucks, and to reduce the down payment and documentation requirements for a new “microloan” category of FSFLs up to $50,000. These changes are intended to address the needs of smaller farms and specialty crop producers. This rule also includes technical and clarifying changes that are consistent with how the FSFL Program is already implemented, including specifying commodities that are already eligible for FSFLs but are not currently listed in the regulations, and changing the required life span of the storage facility from a minimum of 15 years to a minimum of the FSFL term, plus any extensions.

This rule is effective April 29, 2016.

Interest Rates

The June 2023 CCC lending rates are: FSFL Rates

3.750 percent per annum for FSFL with 3-year loan terms;
3.500 percent per annum for FSFL with 5-year loan terms;
3.500 percent per annum for FSFL with 7-year loan terms;
3.500 percent per annum for FSFL with 10-year loan terms;
3.625 percent per annum for FSFL with 12-year loan terms;

Emergency Grain Storage Facility Assistance Program

About Available Assistance

FSA is providing $20 million in cost-share assistance to help agricultural producers in counties affected by eligible disaster events in Kentucky, Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, and Tennessee to rebuild storage facilities damaged by devastating natural disaster events that occurred between December 1, 2021 through August 1, 2022.

The application period opens later this month and closes Dec. 29, 2023.  

Eligible Impact Areas

To determine locations where producers may be eligible for emergency grain storage facility assistance, see below link for state impact area maps for Kentucky, Minnesota, South Dakota and surrounding areas. These maps depict damaged storage facility locations and counties within a 30-mile radius of these facilities where producers may be eligible to apply for EGSFP benefits.

Additionally, FSA may determine a need for EGSFP assistance in other states and regions during the application period. Eligible disaster events include hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, derechos, and winter storms.

Impact Area Maps

Eligible Facilities

EGSFP helps producers market and build new or used, permanent or temporary on-farm grain storage, restore existing grain storage, and acquire drying and handling equipment for losses due to limited marketing and storage opportunities because of destructions caused by eligible disaster events.

The following types of new/used facilities and upgrades are eligible for cost-share assistance and must have a useful life of at least three years: 

conventional-type cribs or bins designed and engineered for grain storage  
open buildings with two end walls  
converted storage structures,  
asphalt, concrete or gravel floors with grain piles and tarp covering,  
ag baggers (including bags)

On-farm grain storage structures may account for aeration, drainage, and may require loading or unloading augers, drying and handling equipment.   

How to Apply

Producers must submit the EGSFP Application, form FSA-413, to their FSA administrative office either in person, by mail, email, or facsimile by the Dec. 29, 2023, deadline. Form FSA-413-1, Continuation Sheet for EGSFP, must be submitted with the FSA-413 when a group of producers are applying for assistance.

Payment Calculation

FSA will use the producer’s self-certified estimated cost of the on-farm grain storage capacity or drying and handling equipment multiplied by the producer’s share of grain.

This is the EGSFP payment, which will be multiplied by the cost share factor of 75% or 90%. An eligible producer who certifies they are socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning and veteran farmer or rancher filing form CCC-860 with FSA will receive 90% of the payment rate.

Additional Recovery Assistance

Farm Storage Facility Loan Program

About the Program