0000845877us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel3Memberagm:FloatingInterestRateMemberus-gaap:AuctionRateSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-01-012021-12-31



As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 21, 201928, 2022

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
(Mark One)
xANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 20182021


or
oTRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from _____ to _____.
Commission File Number 001-14951 


agm-20211231_g1.jpg
FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Federally chartered instrumentality
of the United States
52-1578738
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. employer identification number)
1999 K Street, N.W., 4th Floor,
Washington, D.C.
20006
Washington,DC20006
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip code)
(202)872-7700
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each classTrading symbolExchange on which registered
Class A voting common stockAGM.ANew York Stock Exchange
Class C non-voting common stockAGMNew York Stock Exchange
5.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series ANew York Stock Exchange
6.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series BNew York Stock Exchange
6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series CAGM.PRCNew York Stock Exchange
5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series DAGM.PRDNew York Stock Exchange
5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series EAGM.PRENew York Stock Exchange
5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series FAGM.PRFNew York Stock Exchange
4.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series GAGM.PRGNew York Stock Exchange


Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Class B voting common stock

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes        o                                No          x
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes        o                                No           x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes        x                              No           o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Yes        x                               No          o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (17 C.F.R. §229.405) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.    x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.  See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.  (Check one):
Large accelerated filerxAccelerated filero
Non-accelerated fileroSmaller reporting companyo
Emerging growth companyo
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☒ 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes         o                               No           x
The aggregate market value of the Class A voting common stock and Class C non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $787,705,568$966,366,719 as of June 30, 20182021, the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, based upon the closing prices for the respective classes on June 30, 20182021 reported by the New York Stock Exchange.  For purposes of this information, the outstanding shares of Class A voting common stock and Class C non-voting common stock held by directors, executive officers, and significant stockholders of the registrant, as applicable, as of June 30, 20182021 were deemed to be held by affiliates.  The aggregate market value of the Class B voting common stock is not ascertainable due to the absence of publicly available quotations or prices for the Class B voting common stock as a result of the limited market for, and infrequency of trades in, Class B voting common stock and the fact that any such trades are privately negotiated transactions.
As of February 1, 2019,7, 2022, the registrant had outstanding 1,030,780 shares of Class A voting common stock, 500,301 shares of Class B voting common stock, and 9,137,6109,235,578 shares of Class C non-voting common stock.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The definitive proxy statement relating toCertain information contained in the registrant's 2019Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (portions of which areis incorporated herein by reference intoin Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K)


Table10-K. The Proxy Statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of Contents
the registrant's fiscal year to which this report relates.
Auditor Firm ID: 238Auditor Name: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPAuditor Location: Washington DC, DC, USA
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Table of Contents
Item 1A.Risk Factors

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS


In this report, the words "Farmer Mac," "we," "our," and "us" refer to the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation unless otherwise stated or unless the context otherwise requires.


Some statements made in this report, such as in the "Management's Discussion &and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" section, are "forward-looking statements" underas defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about management's current expectations for Farmer Mac's future financial results, business prospects, and business developments. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement, including statements about the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Farmer Mac, that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance, or achievements. These statements typically include terms such as "anticipates," "believes," "continues," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "intends," "outlook," "plans," "potential," "project," "target" and similar terms, and future or conditional tense verbs like "could," "may," "could,"might," "should," "will," and similar phrases."would."  This report includes forward-looking statements addressing Farmer Mac's:
 
prospects for earnings;
prospects for growth in business volume;
assessment of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial results, financial condition, and business plans and strategies;
trends in net interest income and net effective spread;
trends in portfolio credit quality, delinquencies, substandard assets, credit losses, and provisions for losses;

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assessment of economic and market trends;
trends in expenses;
trends in investment securities;
prospects for asset impairments and allowance for losses;
changes in capital position;
future dividend payments; and
other business and financial matters.


Management's expectations for Farmer Mac's future necessarily involve assumptions, estimates, and the evaluation of risks and uncertainties. Various factors or events, both known and unknown, could cause Farmer Mac's actual results to differ materially from the expectations as expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2018, andreport, as well as uncertainties about:
 
the duration, spread, and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the business operations of agricultural and rural borrowers, the capital markets, and Farmer Mac's business operations;
the public response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including the possibility of government actions to mitigate the pandemic and its effects, and any social or economic disruption that may be caused by any new COVID-19 variants or any further outbreaks;
the availability to Farmer Mac of debt and equity financing and, if available, the reasonableness of rates and terms;
legislative or regulatory developments that could affect Farmer Mac, its sources of business, or the agricultural or rural utilitiesinfrastructure industries;
fluctuations in the fair value of assets held by Farmer Mac and its subsidiaries;
the rate and directionlevel of development of the secondary market for agricultural mortgage and rural utilities loans, including lender interest in Farmer Mac's products and the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac;
the general rate of growth in agricultural mortgage and rural utilities indebtedness;
the effect of economic conditions including the effects of drought and other weather-related conditions and fluctuations in agricultural real estate values,geopolitics on agricultural mortgage or rural utilities lending, and borrower repayment capacity;capacity, or collateral values, including fluctuations in interest rates, changes in U.S. trade policies, fluctuations in export demand for U.S. agricultural products, supply chain disruptions, increases in input costs, labor availability, and volatility in commodity prices;
the effect of any changesdegree to which Farmer Mac is exposed to interest rate risk resulting from fluctuations in Farmer Mac's executive leadership;borrowing costs relative to market indexes;
developments in the financial markets, including possible investor, analyst, and rating agency reactions to events involving government-sponsored enterprises, including Farmer Mac;


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changes in the level and directioneffect of interest rates, which could, among other things, affect the value of collateral securing Farmer Mac's agricultural mortgage loan assets;
the degree to which Farmer Mac is exposed to basis risk, which results from fluctuationsany changes in Farmer Mac's borrowing costs relative to market indexes;executive leadership; and
volatility in commodity prices relative to costsother factors that could hinder agricultural mortgage lending or borrower repayment capacity, including the effects of production, changes in U.S. trade policies,severe weather, climate change, or fluctuations in export demand for U.S. agricultural products.real estate values.


Considering these potential risks and uncertainties, no undue reliance should be placed on any forward-looking statements expressed in this report. Farmer Mac undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or any future events or circumstances, except as otherwise mandatedrequired by the SEC.applicable law. The information in this report is not necessarily indicative of future results.




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SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS

The following summarizes some of the key risks and uncertainties that could materially adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition, operations, liquidity and capital levels. The following summary does not contain all of the information that may be important to you, and you should review and consider carefully the risks and uncertainties listed in this summary together with the more complete discussion of each risk factor set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of this report, along with other information in this report and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements discussed above are qualified by these risk factors.
The continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are uncertain and may heighten the risk factors described in this report.
Factors outside of Farmer Mac's or borrowers' control may impair borrowers' profitability and ability to repay their loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio.
Climate change and the occurrence of weather-related events or other natural or environmental disasters could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac’s business, operating results, or financial condition.
Concentrations in Farmer Mac’s loan or investments portfolios, or to one or more borrowers or counterparties, may increase Farmer Mac’s exposure to credit risk.
Farmer Mac guaranteed securities and purchase commitments expose Farmer Mac to significant contingent liabilities, and Farmer Mac's ability to fulfill its obligations under its guarantees and purchase commitments may be limited.
Farmer Mac is exposed to counterparty risk on both its cleared and non-cleared swaps transactions.
External factors may affect the demand for Farmer Mac's secondary market, the price or marketability of Farmer Mac's products, or Farmer Mac's ability to offer its products and services.
An inability to access the equity and debt capital markets could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, liquidity, and capital levels.
The loss of business from key business counterparties or customers, including AgVantage counterparties, could weaken Farmer Mac’s business and decrease its revenues and profits.
Farmer Mac's efforts to balance fulfilling its mission with providing a return to its stockholders may result in business transactions that involve lower returns or higher risk.
A few stockholders who own large amounts of Farmer Mac voting common stock may seek to influence Farmer Mac's business, strategy, or board composition, and the interests of these stockholders may differ from the interests of Farmer Mac or other holders of Farmer Mac's common stock.
The inadequacy or failure of Farmer Mac's operational systems, cybersecurity program, internal controls or processes, or infrastructure, or those of third parties, could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition.
Farmer Mac’s business depends, in part, on effective and reliable loan servicing, and Farmer Mac’s internal loan servicing function and reliance on third-party servicers could expose Farmer Mac to operational risks.
Any significant deficiency, failure, interruption, or breach in Farmer Mac's or our service providers’ technology and information systems, infrastructure, or cybersecurity program, including the occurrence of successful cyber-attacks, could result in a loss of business, damage to Farmer Mac's reputation, the disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, or increased costs or liability to Farmer Mac.

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Failure by Farmer Mac's third-party loan servicers, information systems providers, and other service providers to protect confidential information from unauthorized access and dissemination could result in liability for Farmer Mac or damage Farmer Mac's reputation.
If Farmer Mac's management of risk associated with its loan assets and investment securities based on model assumptions and output is not effective, its business, operating results, financial condition, or capital levels could be materially adversely affected.
Farmer Mac's efforts to expand product offerings and services to its customers exposes Farmer Mac to operational risk.
Farmer Mac is exposed to interest rate risk.
Changes in interest rates relative to Farmer Mac's management of interest rate risk through derivatives may cause volatility in financial results and capital levels.
The reform, replacement, or discontinuation of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition.
Incorrect estimates and assumptions by management in preparing financial statements, and changes in accounting standards or in applying accounting policies or in the value or composition of Farmer Mac’s investment securities could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, reported assets and liabilities, financial condition, reputation, or capital levels.
The trading price for Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock may be volatile due to market influences, trading volume, the effects of equity awards for Farmer Mac's officers, directors, and employees, or sales of significant amounts of the stock by large holders.
Farmer Mac and many of its business partners are subject to comprehensive government regulation, and changes to the laws and regulations to which Farmer Mac or its business partners are subject could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, reputation, or financial condition.
Farmer Mac’s capital requirements may change, and failure to meet those requirements could result in supervisory measures or the inability of Farmer Mac to declare dividends.
Farmer Mac is a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) that may be materially and adversely affected by legislative or political developments.
Farmer Mac's ability to attract and retain motivated and qualified employees is critical to the success of its business.

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PART I


Item 1.Business

Item 1.Business
GENERAL


Farmer Mac is a stockholder-owned, federally chartered corporation that combines private capital and public sponsorship to serve a public purpose. Congress has charged Farmer Mac with the mission of providing a secondary market for a variety of loans made to borrowers in rural America. A secondary market is an economic arrangement in which the owners of financial assets, such as the originators of loans, may sell all or part of those assets or pay a fee to offset some or all of the inherent risks of holding the assets. Farmer Mac's main secondary market activities are:include:
 
purchasing eligible loans directly from lenders;lenders (including participation interests, syndicated notes, revolving and non-revolving credit facilities, and unfunded commitments to make advances on loans);
providing advances againstpurchasing securities that are issued by lenders and guaranteed by Farmer Mac and that are secured by eligible loans by purchasing obligations secured by those loans;(Farmer Mac refers to these securities as "AgVantage," a registered trademark of Farmer Mac);
securitizing assetsissuing and guaranteeing the payment of principal and interest on the resulting securities that represent interests in, or obligations secured by, pools of eligible loans;loans (together with AgVantage, Farmer Mac refers to these securities as "Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities");
servicing (including as master servicer) eligible loans purchased or securitized by Farmer Mac; and
issuingproviding long-term standby purchase commitments ("LTSPCs") for eligible loans.


Securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities may be retained by the seller of the underlying loans, retained by Farmer Mac, or sold to third-party investors.


Farmer Mac was established under federal legislation first enacted in 1988 and amended most recently in 2018 – Title VIII of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. §§ 2279aa et seq.), which is sometimes referred to as Farmer Mac's charter. Farmer Mac is a government-sponsored enterprise ("GSE") by virtue of the status conferred by its charter. The charter provides that Farmer Mac has the power to establish, acquire, and maintain affiliates under applicable state law to carry out any activities that Farmer Mac otherwise would perform directly. Farmer Mac established its two existing subsidiaries – Farmer Mac II LLC and Farmer Mac Mortgage Securities Corporation – under that power.


Farmer Mac is an institution of the Farm Credit System (the "FCS"("FCS"), which is composed of the banks, associations, and related entities, including Farmer Mac and its subsidiaries, regulated by the Farm Credit Administration ("FCA"), an independent agency in the executive branch of the United States government. Although Farmer Mac is an institution of the FCS, it is not liable for any debt or obligation of any other institution of the FCS. None of FCA, the FCS, or any other individual institution of the FCS is liable for any debt or obligation of Farmer Mac or its subsidiaries. The debts and obligations of Farmer Mac and its subsidiaries are not guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the United States.States of America.


Farmer Mac's two mainprimary sources of revenue are:
 
interest income earned on assets held on balance sheet, net of related funding costs and interest payments and receipts on financial derivatives; and
guarantee and commitment fees received for outstanding guaranteed securities and LTSPCs.


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Farmer Mac funds its purchases of eligible loans (including participation interests in eligible loans) and guaranteed securities primarily by issuing debt obligations of various maturities in the public capital markets. Farmer Mac also uses the proceeds of debt issuance to fund liquidity investments that must comply with policies adopted by Farmer Mac's board of directors and with FCA regulations, which establish limitations on asset class, dollar amount, issuer concentration, and credit quality. Those


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regulations can be found at 12 C.F.R. §§ 652.1-652.45 (the "Liquidity("Liquidity and Investment Regulations"). Farmer Mac's regular debt issuance supports its access to the capital markets, and Farmer Mac's liquidity investment assetsinvestments provide an alternative source of funds should market conditions become unfavorable. As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac had $1.6$2.2 billion of discount notes and $14.6$20.6 billion of medium-term notes outstanding. For more information about Farmer Mac's eligible loan assetsloans, securities, and liquidity investment assets,investments, as well as its financial performance and sources of capital and liquidity, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." For more information about Farmer Mac's debt issuance, see "Business—Financing—Debt Issuance."


Secondary Market


Farmer Mac's activities are intended to provide lenders with an efficient and competitive secondary market that enhances these lenders' ability to offer competitively-priced financing solutions to rural borrowers. This secondary market is designed to increase the availability of credit at stablecompetitive interest rates to America's rural communities and agricultural sectors, as well as to provide rural borrowers with the benefits of capital markets pricing and product innovation. The secondary market provided by Farmer Mac functions as a bridge between the nationalpublic capital markets and the U.S. agricultural and rural credit markets by attracting newadditional capital sources for financing rural America and agricultural borrowers.


Farmer Mac's purchases of loans and obligations secured by loanssecurities and its sale of guaranteed securities to investors increase lenders' liquidity and lending capacity and provide a continuousstable source of funding for lenders that extend credit to borrowers inthe agricultural and rural America.credit markets. Farmer Mac's issuance of LTSPCs for loans held by lenders and its issuance of guaranteed securities retained byto lenders in exchange for the related securitized loans could result in lower regulatory capital requirements for the lenders and reduced borrower or commodity concentration exposure for somemany lenders, thereby expanding their lending capacity. By increasing the efficiencyThrough providing efficient and competitiveness of rural finance, the secondary market provided bycompetitive financing solutions, Farmer Mac has the potential to increase lending flexibility for rural credit markets, which may result in lower the interest rates paid on loans made by lenders to rural and agricultural borrowers.


The current economic and regulatory environment presents Farmer Mac with opportunities to marketmarkets a mix of products to rural lenders who may be in need of capital, liquidity, portfolio diversification, andand/or access to a wide variety of loan products, including those with long-term fixed rates. As part of its outreach strategy, Farmer Mac engages with current and prospective rural lenders to identify how their specific needs, with an emphasis on individual lender meetings, lender road shows,use of Farmer Mac's secondary market could further support their origination efforts and face-to-face contact at statedrive efficient capital deployment to agriculture communities and national banking conferences.rural America. Farmer Mac has also increased its focus onprovides wholesale financingfunding for institutional investors in agricultural assets that qualify as eligible collateral under Farmer Mac's charter. For these potential issuers, Farmer Mac directs its outreach efforts through its business relationships within the agricultural community and through executive outreach to institutions whose profile presents opportunity tomay benefit from wholesale financing.funding. Farmer Mac seeks to maximize the use of technology to support these business development efforts.


Lines of Business


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FARMER MAC'S LINES OF BUSINESS

Farmer Mac conducts itsengages in a variety of secondary market activities through fouracross its two lines of business, Agricultural Finance and Rural Infrastructure Finance. Within those two lines of business are four segments: Corporate AgFinance, Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, Rural Utilities, and Institutional Credit.  Renewable Energy, as shown in the table below:

Agricultural FinanceRural Infrastructure Finance
Farm & RanchCorporate AgFinanceRural UtilitiesRenewable Energy
Interest-earning assets
LoansXXXX
Loans held in trustsX
AgVantage SecuritiesXXX
Farmer Mac Guaranteed SecuritiesX
USDA SecuritiesX
Products and services that earn fee income
LTSPCsXX
Farmer Mac Guaranteed SecuritiesXX
Unfunded CommitmentsXXXX
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities1
X
Securitized loan servicingX
1 Structured securitization transactions

The loans (and participation interests in those loans) eligible for theFarmer Mac's secondary market provided byactivities in each of Farmer MacMac's lines of business include:
For Farmer Mac's Agricultural Finance line of business, mortgage loans secured by first liens on agricultural real estate, including part-time farms and rural housing (comprising the assets eligible for the Farm & Ranch line of business);


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loans, as well as agricultural and rural development loans guaranteed by the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA") (comprising the assets eligible for the USDA Guarantees; and
For Farmer Mac's Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business); and
business, loans by lenders organized as cooperatives to finance electrification and telecommunications systems and renewable energy providers or projects in rural areas (comprising the assets eligible for the Rural Utilities line of business).areas.


Farmer Mac also guarantees and purchases general obligations of lenders that are secured by pools of these types of eligible loans (comprising the assets eligible for the Institutional Credit line of business). As of December 31, 2018,2021, the total outstanding business volume in all of Farmer Mac's two lines of business (Agricultural Finance and Rural Infrastructure Finance) was $19.7$23.6 billion. The following table presents the outstanding balances under Farmer Mac's two lines of business as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:


Farm & Ranch


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Under the Farm & Ranch



Lines of Business - Outstanding Business Volume
 On or Off
Balance Sheet
As of December 31, 2021As of December 31, 2020
 (in thousands)
Agricultural Finance:
Farm & Ranch:
LoansOn-balance sheet$4,775,070 $3,979,854 
Loans held in consolidated trusts:
Beneficial interests owned by third-party investorsOn-balance sheet948,623 1,287,045 
IO-FMGSOn-balance sheet12,297 — 
USDA SecuritiesOn-balance sheet2,445,806 2,487,420 
AgVantage SecuritiesOn-balance sheet4,725,000 4,425,000 
LTSPCs and unfunded commitmentsOff-balance sheet2,587,154 2,314,965 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed SecuritiesOff-balance sheet578,358 378,610 
Loans serviced for othersOff-balance sheet22,331 — 
Total Farm & Ranch$16,094,639 $14,872,894 
Corporate AgFinance:
LoansOn-balance sheet$1,123,300 $909,539 
AgVantage SecuritiesOn-balance sheet367,464 744,110 
Unfunded Loan CommitmentsOff-balance sheet47,070 10,466 
Total Corporate AgFinance$1,537,834 $1,664,115 
Total Agricultural Finance$17,632,473 $16,537,009 
Rural Infrastructure Finance:
Rural Utilities:
LoansOn-balance sheet$2,302,373 $2,187,377 
AgVantage SecuritiesOn-balance sheet3,033,262 2,565,837 
LTSPCs and Unfunded Loan CommitmentsOff-balance sheet556,837 556,425 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed SecuritiesOff-balance sheet2,755 4,412 
Total Rural Utilities$5,895,227 $5,314,051 
Renewable Energy:
LoansOn-balance sheet$86,763 $73,035 
Unfunded Loan CommitmentsOff-balance sheet— — 
Total Renewable Energy$86,763 $73,035 
Total Rural Infrastructure Finance$5,981,990 $5,387,086 
Total$23,614,463 $21,924,095 


Agricultural Finance

Farmer Mac provides a secondary market for eligible loans in Farmer Mac's Agricultural Finance line of business by (1) purchasing and retaining eligible loans and securities, (2) guaranteeing the payment of principal and interest on securities that represent interests in, or obligations secured by, pools of eligible loans, (3) servicing (including as master servicer) eligible loans purchased or securitized by Farmer Mac, purchasesand (4) issuing LTSPCs for designated eligible loans. Farmer Mac is compensated for these activities through net interest income on loans and securities held on balance sheet, guarantee fees earned on securities issued to third parties, servicing fees on securitized loans, and commitment fees earned on loans in LTSPCs and on unfunded loan commitments.


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Loan Eligibility

To be eligible for the Agricultural Finance line of business, a loan must either:
be an agricultural mortgage loans (and related participation interests) loan (referred to as "Agricultural Finance mortgage loans") that is
secured by a fee simple mortgage or a leasehold mortgage with status as a first lienslien on agricultural real estate which includes(including part-time farms and rural housing ("Farm & Ranch loans").  Farmer Mac also guarantees securities representing interestshousing) located within the United States; and
an obligation of a citizen or national of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in poolsthe United States, or a private corporation or partnership that is majority-owned by U.S. citizens, nationals, or legal resident aliens that, in each case, has training or farming experience that is sufficient to ensure a reasonable likelihood that the loan will be repaid according to its terms; or
be the guaranteed portion of eligible Farm & Ranch loans and participation interests ("Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities").  Farmer Mac also commits to purchase, subject to the applicable LTSPC agreement, eligible Farm & Ranch loans and participation interests. To be eligible, Farm & Ranch loans must meet Farmer Mac's credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other specified standards described in "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Farm & Ranch."  As of December 31, 2018, outstanding Farm & Ranch loans held by Farmer Mac and loans that either backed off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities or were subject to LTSPCs totaled $7.2 billion.

USDA Guarantees

Under the USDA Guarantees line of business, Farmer Mac II LLC, a subsidiary of Farmer Mac, purchases the portions of agricultural, rural development, business and industry, and community facilities loansloan guaranteed by the USDA under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. §§§ 1921 et seq.) (referred to as "USDA Securities").

Farmer Mac's charter authorizes a maximum loan size (adjusted annually for inflation) for an eligible Agricultural Finance mortgage loan secured by more than 2,000 acres of agricultural real estate. That maximum loan size was $14.1 million as of December 31, 2021. The charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a total borrower exposure for an eligible Agricultural Finance mortgage loan secured by 2,000 acres or less of agricultural real estate. However, an internal policy approved by Farmer Mac's board of directors limits the cumulative direct credit exposure to any one borrower or group of related borrowers on loans secured by 2,000 acres or less of agricultural real estate to 10% of Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ($120.1 million as of December 31, 2021). For Agricultural Finance mortgage loans, eligible agricultural real estate consists of one or more parcels of land, which may be improved by permanently affixed buildings or other structures, that (i) is used for the production of one or more agricultural commodities or products and (ii) either consists of a minimum of five acres or generates minimum annual receipts of $5,000.

As required by Farmer Mac's charter, Farmer Mac has established underwriting, security appraisal, and repayment standards for eligible loans that consider the nature, risk profile, and other differences between different categories of eligible loans. The charter prescribes that the following minimum standards must be applied to all Agricultural Finance mortgage loans:

provide that no loan with a loan-to-value ratio ("LTV") more than 80% may be eligible;
require each borrower to demonstrate sufficient cash flow to adequately service the loan;
require sufficient documentation standards;
protect the integrity of the appraisal process for any loan; and
confirm that the borrower is or will be actively engaged in agricultural production.

Underwriting and Collateral Standards - Farm & Ranch

Farmer Mac experiences direct credit exposure to borrowers on Agricultural Finance mortgage loans in its Farm & Ranch reportable operating segment (referred to as "Farm & Ranch loans") through its loan purchases, unfunded commitments, LTSPCs, and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities that represent interests in, or obligations secured by, pools of eligible Farm & Ranch loans but that are not AgVantage securities ("Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities"). Farmer Mac refersapplies credit underwriting standards and

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methodologies to these USDA-guaranteed portionshelp assess exposures to Farm & Ranch loans, which may include collateral valuation, financial metrics, and other appropriate borrower financial and credit information.

Farm & Ranch loans typically are required to meet specific underwriting criteria established by Farmer Mac or demonstrate compensating strengths in one or more other underwriting criteria. Farmer Mac relies on the combined expertise of experienced internal agricultural credit underwriters and loan servicers, along with external agricultural loan servicing and collateral valuation contractors, to perform the necessary underwriting, servicing, and collateral valuation functions on Farm & Ranch loans.

USDA Securities are exempted from the credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other standards that other loans as "USDA Securities."must meet to be eligible for the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac and are exempted from any diversification and internal credit enhancement that may be required of pools of other eligible loans. Farmer Mac purchases nearly all of its USDA Securities through Farmer Mac II LLC, a subsidiary of Farmer Mac that operates substantially all of the business related to Farmer Mac's USDA Securities.

Underwriting and Collateral Standards - Corporate AgFinance

Farmer Mac experiences direct credit exposure to borrowers on Agricultural Finance mortgage loans in Farmer Mac’s Corporate AgFinance reportable operating segment (referred to as “Corporate AgFinance loans”) through its loan purchases and unfunded commitments. Farmer Mac applies credit underwriting standards and methodologies to help assess exposures to Corporate AgFinance loans, which may include cash flow, leverage, and liquidity assessment, financial metrics analysis, collateral valuation, and other appropriate borrower financial and credit information.

Corporate AgFinance loans tend to be larger and more complex farming operations than Farm & Ranch loans (generally more than $10 million) and typically are loans made to agribusinesses focused on agriculture production, food and fiber processing, and other supply chain production. Thus, Corporate AgFinance loans often have a different credit risk profile than Farm & Ranch loans. Farmer Mac has implemented methodologies and parameters to help assess credit risk and has established specific underwriting criteria for Corporate AgFinance loans based on the sector, borrower construct, and transaction complexity. Due to the larger loan sizes and different credit risk profiles, Farmer Mac thoroughly analyzes each prospective Corporate AgFinance loan, including assessing the borrower's leverage, cash flows, liquidity, and revenue and margin trends, as well as evaluating the borrower's suppliers, customers, market share, and competition. Any underlying weaknesses are assessed and analyzed in conjunction with any compensating strengths. Corporate AgFinance loans also typically require ongoing monitoring of reporting requirements and financial and non-financial covenants. Farmer Mac relies on the experience of internal underwriters with the expertise to analyze large, complex farming operations and agribusiness loans, along with collateral valuation contractors, and legal counsel to perform the necessary diligence to assess the overall credit risk and loan structures of these transactions.

Lenders

Farmer Mac approves lenders into its network of Farm & Ranch loan sellers based on an assessment of the lender's credit profile, which may include factors such as the institution's credit rating, origination history, or financial profile. Most lenders that participate in Farmer Mac's secondary market for Farm & Ranch loans meet prescribed criteria that Farmer Mac establishes for loan-selling counterparties, which typically include the requirement to:

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own a requisite amount of Farmer Mac common stock according to a schedule prescribed for the size and type of institution;
have, in the judgment of Farmer Mac, the ability and experience to make or purchase and sell Farm & Ranch loans and service those loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's requirements either through the lender's own staff or through contractors and originators, as well as have appropriate internal controls, policies, and procedures;
maintain a minimum amount of net liquidity or appropriate credit enhancements; and
enter into a Seller/Servicer Agreement, which requires compliance with the terms of Farmer Mac's Seller/Servicer Guide, including providing representations and warranties about the eligibility of the loans and accuracy of loan data provided to Farmer Mac.

Any lender authorized by the USDA to obtain a USDA guarantee on a loan may participate in Farmer Mac's secondary market for USDA Securities.  

Farmer Mac purchases Corporate AgFinance loans and unfunded commitments from a diverse set of lenders that support financing of the agriculture sector. Lenders may be existing Farm & Ranch lenders that have larger, more complex borrowers in their territories, as well as larger financial and non-bank institutions, such as national and regional banks, insurance companies, Farm Credit System institutions, and other non-traditional lending organizations, that structure and originate transactions for larger, more complex farming operations and agribusinesses.

Farmer Mac evaluates each lender who originates Corporate AgFinance loans to assess the experience and capabilities of the lender’s ability to originate, structure, distribute, and monitor Corporate AgFinance transactions. In many instances, Farmer Mac will purchase loans and unfunded commitments from lenders that structure and arrange large, syndicated transactions involving numerous lenders that are necessary to support the larger transaction loan size. In these cases, Farmer Mac typically assesses each arranger’s capabilities and experience in arranging syndicated loans. Because Corporate AgFinance loans are typically offered to Farmer Mac without or with few representations and warranties, Farmer Mac places a greater emphasis on underwriting and legal documentation due diligence in connection with its purchase of these loans to mitigate risks associated with the transaction, including loan documentation, borrower eligibility, and loan data.

Loan Servicing

During 2021, Farmer Mac began servicing a sizeable portion of the Agricultural Finance mortgage loan and USDA Securities portfolios through a strategic acquisition of loan servicing rights along with experienced servicing personnel and an operational servicing platform. Farmer Mac also continues to contract with other institutions to undertake most of the servicing responsibilities for the remaining portion of its Agricultural Finance mortgage loans in exchangeaccordance with Farmer Mac's specified servicing requirements or in accordance with the servicing standards established by the servicing institution if the institution's standards are acceptable to Farmer Mac. For these loans, the servicer may or may not be the same entity as the lender that sold the loans to Farmer Mac. For Farm & Ranch loans for issuing securitieswhich the servicer is not the originating lender, the originating lender often retains some servicing responsibility, particularly with direct borrower contact, which is referred to third parties backed by thoseas "field servicing." Field servicers may enter into contracts with Farmer Mac's servicers that specify their field servicing responsibilities.


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For Farmer Mac's USDA Securities, whichthe lender on each USDA-guaranteed loan is required by regulation to retain the unguaranteed portion of the guaranteed loan, to service the entire underlying guaranteed loan (including the USDA-guaranteed portion of that loan), and to remain mortgagee and/or secured party of record, if applicable. The USDA-guaranteed portion and the unguaranteed portion of the loan are then also guaranteedto be secured by Farmer Mac ("Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities").  Asthe same collateral with equal lien priority. The USDA-guaranteed portion of December 31, 2018, outstanding USDAa loan cannot be paid later than, or in any way be subordinated to, the related unguaranteed portion.

Other Products - Agricultural Finance

AgVantage Securities and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities totaled $2.5 billion, of which $395.1 million were Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities.

Rural Utilities


Under the Rural Utilities line of business, Farmer Mac's authorized activities are similar to those conducted under the Farm & Ranch line of business – purchases of, guarantees of securities backed by, and issuances of LTSPCs for eligible rural utilities loans and related participation interests ("Rural Utilities loans").  To be eligible, Rural Utilities loans must meet Farmer Mac's credit underwriting and other specified standards described in "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities."  As of December 31, 2018, the aggregate outstanding principal balance of Rural Utilities loans held by Farmer Mac or that were subject to LTSPCs totaled $1.6 billion. There currently are no guaranteed securities issued under the Rural Utilities line of business, although the Institutional Credit line of business includes some AgVantage securities that are secured by Rural Utilities loans.



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Institutional Credit

Under the Institutional Creditproduct line, of business, Farmer Mac guarantees and purchases general obligationssecurities issued by lenders and other financial institutions (including financial funds and real estate investment funds) that are secured by pools of eligible loans. Typically, Farmer Mac retains AgVantage securities in its portfolio. Most of the AgVantage securities in Farmer Mac's Agricultural Finance line of business are securities issued by agricultural lenders that are secured by pools of Farm & Ranch loans. The AgVantage securities in the Agricultural Finance line of business also include securities issued by other financial institutions (including financial funds and institutional real estate investors) secured by mortgage loans that generally have different credit profiles, structural characteristics, and loan terms than typical Farm & Ranch loans. The loans serving as collateral for these AgVantage securities require a more comprehensive underwriting that more closely approximates Farmer Mac's underwriting for Corporate AgFinance loans.

Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure to the general credit of the issuers of AgVantage securities and assumes the ultimate credit risk of an issuer default on the AgVantage securities. Before approving an institution as an issuer in an AgVantage transaction, Farmer Mac assesses the issuer's creditworthiness as well as the credit quality and performance of the issuer's loan portfolio and loan underwriting standards. Farmer Mac continues to monitor the counterparty risk assessment on an ongoing basis after the AgVantage security is issued. In addition to being a general obligation of the issuer, all AgVantage securities must be secured by eligible loans or eligible securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac in an amount at least equal to the outstanding principal amount of the issuer's AgVantage securities. As a result, Farmer Mac has indirect credit exposure to the loans or guaranteed securities that are pledged to secure the AgVantage securities, which comprise collateral for Farmer Mac in the event of a default by the issuer.   

Loans pledged under AgVantage securities are serviced by the issuers of the securities (or their affiliated servicing institutions) in accordance with these institutions' servicing procedures. Farmer Mac reviews these servicing procedures before purchasing AgVantage securities from the issuer. In AgVantage transactions, the issuer is generally required to remove from the pool of pledged collateral any loan that becomes and remains delinquent in the payment of principal or interest and to replace the delinquent loan with another eligible loan that is current in payment or to pay down the AgVantage securities to maintain the minimum required collateralization level.

For AgVantage securities secured by loans eligible for Farmer Mac's Agricultural Finance line of business, Farmer Mac currently requires the general obligation to be over-collateralized, either by more eligible loans or any of the following types of assets:
cash;
securities issued by the U.S. Treasury or guaranteed by an agency or instrumentality of the United States;

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other highly-rated securities; or
other instruments approved by Farmer Mac.

The required collateralization level for the AgVantage securities secured by Agricultural Finance mortgage loans currently ranges from 103% to 125%. The required collateralization level is determined based on credit factors related to the issuer and the credit profile of the loans serving as collateral, is established when the AgVantage facility is entered into with the counterparty, and does not change during the life of the AgVantage securities issued under the facility unless mutually agreed by Farmer Mac and the counterparty.  

For AgVantage securities that are secured by eligible Agricultural Finance mortgage loans, Farmer Mac requires that the loans meet the minimum standards set forth in the charter for those types of loans eligiblewith a maximum limit of $75.0 million in cumulative exposure to any one borrower or related borrowers from a single AgVantage issuer.  

Guarantees and LTSPCs

Farmer Mac offers two credit enhancement alternatives to direct loan purchases for purchase under Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch loans that allow approved lenders the ability to retain the cash flow benefits of their loans and increase their liquidity and lending capacity: (1) LTSPCs and (2) Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. In LTSPCs and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, the lender effectively transfers the credit risk on their eligible loans because, through Farmer Mac's commitment to purchase the loan (in the case of LTSPCs) or Farmer Mac's guarantee (in the case of Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities), Farmer Mac assumes the ultimate credit risk of borrower defaults on the related loans.

An LTSPC permits the lender to retain loans in its portfolio until such time, if ever, as the lender elects to deliver some or all of the loans covered by the LTSPC to Farmer Mac for purchase. Loans subject to an LTSPC must meet Farmer Mac's standards for eligible loans at the commencement of the LTSPC when Farmer Mac assumes the credit risk on the loans and are serviced by the holders of those loans in accordance with those lenders' servicing procedures, which Farmer Mac reviews before entering into those transactions. As consideration for its assumption of the credit risk on loans covered by an LTSPC, Farmer Mac receives commitment fees payable monthly in arrears. Some LTSPCs contain risk sharing arrangements for pools of loans that provide for the counterparty to absorb up to a specified amount (typically between one and five percent of the original principal balance of the loan pool) of any losses incurred on the loans in the pool. At a lender's request, Farmer Mac purchases loans subject to an LTSPC at:

par if the loans become delinquent for either 90 days or 120 days (depending on the agreement) or are in material non-monetary default, with accrued and unpaid interest on the defaulted loans payable out of any future loan payments or liquidation proceeds; or
fair value or in exchange for cash or Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities (if the loans are not delinquent), in accordance with the applicable agreement.

In Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities transactions, Farmer Mac guarantees securities representing interests in eligible Farm & Ranch loans held by a trust or other entity. Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on the securities in the event of a payment shortfall due to default and either retains these securities or arranges for their sale to third parties. As consideration for its assumption of credit risk on the assets underlying the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, Farmer Mac receives

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guarantee fees based on the outstanding principal balance of the securities it guarantees. Some Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities transactions include a smaller, subordinate tranche of securities issued to third parties that are not guaranteed by Farmer Mac, which helps to offset Farmer Mac's credit risk on these transactions.

Farmer Mac is obligated under its guarantee on the securities to make timely payments to investors of interest and principal (including balloon payments), regardless of whether Farmer Mac or the related trust has actually received those scheduled payments. Farmer Mac's guarantee fees typically are collected out of installment payments made on the underlying loans until those loans have been repaid, purchased out of the trust, or otherwise liquidated (generally as a result of default). The aggregate amount of guarantee fees received on Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities depends on the amount of those securities outstanding and on the applicable guarantee fee rate, which Farmer Mac's charter caps at 50 basis points (0.50%) per year.

From time to time, Farmer Mac issues and guarantees securities backed by USDA Guarantees,Securities that it has purchased and also guarantees securities issued by Farmer Mac II LLC backed by USDA Securities that it has purchased. Farmer Mac II LLC does not guarantee any USDA Securities it holds or any Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities issued by Farmer Mac or Farmer Mac II LLC.

Rural Infrastructure Finance

Farmer Mac's charter authorizes the purchase of, and guarantee of securities backed by, loans for electric (including renewable electric energy) or telecommunications facilities by lenders organized as cooperatives to borrowers that have received or are eligible to receive loans under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 ("REA"). The REA is administered by the Rural Utilities linesService ("RUS"), an agency of business. AgVantage® is a registered trademark ofthe USDA. Farmer Mac usedrefers to designate eligible loans made to an electric distribution facility, an electric generation and transmission facility, or a telecommunications facility as "Rural Utilities loans" and refers to eligible loans made to renewable electric energy facilities as "Renewable Energy loans."

Farmer Mac's Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business encompasses purchases of Rural Utilities loans and Renewable Energy loans and guarantees of securities backed by those loans, as well as LTSPCs for pools of eligible Rural Utilities loans. The vast majority of Farmer Mac's business to date under the Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business has involved Rural Utilities loans made to electric facilities (primarily electric distribution cooperatives and electric generation and transmission cooperatives). During 2021, Farmer Mac purchased $132.2 million of loans and loan commitments to telecommunications companies that provide wireless, cable, fiber transport, and broadband services to rural America as part of its strategic initiative to provide further support for the telecommunications industry. Also during 2021, Farmer Mac purchased $31.2 million of Renewable Energy loans as part of its strategic initiative to support rural renewable energy projects.

Underwriting and Collateral Standards

Farmer Mac's charter does not specify minimum underwriting criteria for eligible Rural Utilities or Renewable Energy loans. To manage Farmer Mac's credit risk, to mitigate the risk of loss from borrower defaults, and to provide guidance for the management, administration, and conduct of underwriting to participants in the Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business, Farmer Mac has adopted credit underwriting standards that vary by loan product and by loan type. These standards are based on industry

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practices for similar Rural Utilities and Renewable Energy loans and are designed to assess the creditworthiness of the borrower, as well as the risk to Farmer Mac. 

For Rural Utilities loans, Farmer Mac reviews lenders' credit submissions and analyzes borrowers' audited financial statements and financial and operating reports to confirm that loans meet Farmer Mac's underwriting standards for Rural Utilities loans. It is customary in loans to electric distribution cooperatives and electric generation and transmission cooperatives for the lender or lender group to take a security interest in substantially all of the borrower's assets. When Farmer Mac purchases a Rural Utilities loan with a pledge of all assets and a lender also has a lien on all assets, Farmer Mac verifies that a lien accommodation will result in either a shared first lien or a first lien in favor of Farmer Mac. When debt indentures are used, Farmer Mac determines if available collateral is adequate to support the loan program and Farmer Mac's investment. Farmer Mac also purchases unsecured Rural Utilities loans (primarily electric generation and transmission loans) that meet Farmer Mac's underwriting standards for unsecured Rural Utilities loans.

For a Renewable Energy loan, Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure to the related standalone renewable energy project. These projects are typically financed on a non-recourse or limited recourse basis and underwritten on a projection basis with significant reliance placed on assumptions used in each project’s analysis. Farmer Mac has implemented methodologies and parameters to assess credit risk and has established specific underwriting criteria based on the project and transaction construct and complexity. Farmer Mac thoroughly analyzes each prospective Renewable Energy loan. Farmer Mac performs quantitative assessments typically focused on projected debt service requirements, term and amortization review, interest rate sensitivity, and collateral analysis. Farmer Mac also performs qualitative assessments typically focused on the project sponsor's credentials and experience, off-take (cash flow) considerations, and concentration and other market considerations. Farmer Mac also typically undertakes a review of the project contracts and agreements for each Renewable Energy loan. Renewable Energy loans are typically secured by a first lien on the borrower's project assets, an assignment of the project contracts and agreements, a land or leasehold interest, and in certain cases, a pledge of the equity interests in the borrower entity. Farmer Mac's enforcement rights in any collateral securing a Renewable Energy loan may be subject to tax equity interests in the borrower's renewable energy project.

Lenders and Loan Servicing

Farmer Mac's charter requires loans in Farmer Mac's Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business to have been originated by a lender organized as a cooperative. Farmer Mac does not directly service the Rural Utilities or Renewable Energy loans held in its portfolio. Typically, these general obligationsloans are serviced by the lender or other organization designated by Farmer Mac that has experience in servicing loans to utilities and renewable energy providers and in the context of project finance, as applicable.

Other Products - Rural Infrastructure Finance

AgVantage Securities

Farmer Mac's portfolio of AgVantage securities in its Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business includes securities issued by cooperative lenders that are secured by pools of eligible loans and that comprise the Institutional Credit line of business.  Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities,Rural Utilities loans. For these AgVantage securities, Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities,requires:

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the counterparty issuing the general obligation to have a credit rating from a nationally-recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO") that is at least investment grade, or be of comparable creditworthiness as determined through Farmer Mac's analysis; and AgVantage Securities are sometimes collectively referred
the collateralization (consisting of current, performing loans) to as "Farmerbe maintained at the contractually prescribed level, in an amount at least equal to the outstanding principal amount of the security.

Although Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities." For more informationhas only indirect credit exposure on the products currently offered underRural Utilities loans pledged to secure AgVantage securities, the same underwriting standards that apply to loans made to Rural Utilities borrowers on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure also apply to loans made to Rural Utilities borrowers that secure the AgVantage securities. Farmer Mac's Institutional Credit line of business, see "Business—charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a total borrower exposure for an eligible Rural Utilities loan, but Farmer Mac's Linescurrent limit for AgVantage transactions is $75.0 million for cumulative loan exposure to any one borrower or related borrowers (with the amount of Business—Institutional Credit."  As of December 31, 2018, outstanding securities held or guaranteed by Farmer Mac in its Institutional Credit line of business totaled $8.4 billion.any direct exposure to a borrower not counting towards the $75.0 million limit).


Competition

COMPETITION

Farmer Mac is the only Congressionally-charteredfederally-chartered corporation established to provide a secondary market for agricultural mortgage loans, rural utilitiesinfrastructure loans, and USDA Securities. But Farmer Mac does face indirectSecurities, but faces competition from many sources. These sources include other financial institutions and other types of financial entities that purchase, retain, securitize, or provide financing for the types of assets eligible for Farmer Mac's secondary market activities, includingactivities. These entities include commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, other FCS institutions, financial funds, and financial funds.certain government programs. Farmer Mac also competes indirectly with originators of eligible loans whothat would prefer to retain the loans they originate rather than sell them into the secondary market. Farmer Mac is able to compete to acquire eligible loans due to the variety of products it offers and its ability to offer low-costcompetitive funding structures and pricing to its customers. This enables Farmer Mac to offerprovide flexible financing options and products designed to meet the varied needs of lending institutions related to capital requirements, liquidity, credit risk, and management of sector and geographic concentrations and borrower exposure limits. However, theThe relative competitiveness of Farmer Mac's loan rates is affected by the ability of other lending institutions to subsidize their rates on the loan products that compete with Farmer Mac by price averaging with other types of loans or by accepting a lower return on equity.and Farmer Mac's ability to develop business with lending institutions is alsoare affected by changes in many factors, including:

the levelsoverall supply of capital available capitalto agricultural and liquidity of those institutions, the existence of alternative sources of funding and credit enhancement for those institutions, the rate of growth in the market for eligible loans, and demand for Farmer Mac's products.rural infrastructure borrowers;

Farmer Mac's competitive position is also affected by the willingness of originators to offer eligible loans for sale in the secondary market, as well as the types and variety of products offered by Farmer Mac's competitors to meet the needs of Farmer Mac's customer base.base;
changes in the levels of available capital and liquidity of lending institutions;
the existence of alternative sources of funding and credit enhancement for lending institutions;
the rate of growth in the market for eligible loans; and
demand for Farmer Mac's products.

Because Farmer Mac's charter limits Farmer Mac's business to secondary-market activities, Farmer Mac's competitive position is affected by the willingness of originators to offer eligible loans for sale in the secondary market or to utilize Farmer Mac for funding syndicated or participated loans. The charter's limits on borrower exposure and loan size for some Agricultural Finance mortgage loans, as well as the types of loans that are eligible for Farmer Mac's lines of business, also affect Farmer Mac's competitive position. For more information on government regulation of Farmer Mac, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac."


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Farmer Mac's ability to obtain low-costcompetitive funding in the debt markets is essential to its ability to maintain its competitiverelative position with its customers. As a result, competition for debt investors with other debt-issuing institutions, such as the FCS, Federal Home Loan Banks, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and highly-rated financial institutions, can affect the price and volume at which Farmer Mac issues debt and therefore its ability to offer savings to customers in the form of competitive products.




CAPITAL AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
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Capital and Corporate Governance


Farmer Mac's charter prescribes the company's basic capital and corporate governance structure.structure, as described below. The charter authorizes Farmer Mac to issue two classes of voting common stock, each of which elects one-third of Farmer Mac's 15-person board of directors. The charter also authorizes Farmer Mac to issue non-voting common stock. The classes

Presidential appointments.  Five members of Farmer Mac's outstanding common stock and their relationship to Farmer Mac's15-member board of directors are described below.individuals who meet the qualifications specified in the charter and are appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate (one of whom is designated as the chair of the board of directors). These appointed directors serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States with no set term.
  
Class A voting common stock.  The charter restricts ownership of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock to banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions or similar entities that are not institutions of the FCS. The charter also provides that five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors are elected by a plurality of the votes of the Class A stockholders each year. The charter limits the amount of Class A voting common stock that any one holder may own to no more than 33% of the outstanding shares of Class A voting common stock. Farmer Mac is not aware of any regulation applicable to non-FCS financial institutions that requires a minimum investment in Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock or that prescribes a maximum investment amount lower than the 33% limit set forth in the charter. Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AGM.A.


Class B voting common stock.  The charter restricts ownership of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock to FCS institutions and also provides that five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors are elected by a plurality of the votes of the Class B stockholders each year. The charter contains no restrictions on the maximum number or percentage of outstanding shares of Class B voting common stock that any one holder may own, and Farmer Mac is not aware of any regulation applicable to FCS institutions that requires a minimum investment in its Class B voting common stock or that prescribes a maximum amount. Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock, which has a limited market and trades infrequently, is not listed or quoted on any exchange or other quotation system, and Farmer Mac is not aware of any publicly available quotations or prices for this class of common stock.


Class C non-voting common stock.  The charter does not impose any ownership restrictions on Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock, and shares of this class are freely transferable. Farmer Mac uses Class C non-voting common stock for awards of equity-based compensation to officers, directors, and selected employees as part of the company's compensation programs. Holders of the Class C non-voting common stock do not vote on the election of directors or any other matter. Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AGM.

Presidential director appointments.  The remaining five members of Farmer Mac's board of directors are individuals who meet the qualifications specified in the charter and are appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.  These appointed directors serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States.


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The ownership of Farmer Mac's two classes of voting common stock is currently concentrated in a small number of institutions.  Approximately 44% of the Class A voting common stock is held by three financial institutions, with 31% held by one institution. Approximately 97% of the Class B voting common stock is held by five FCS institutions (two of which are related to each other through a parent-subsidiary relationship). We believe that the concentration in the Class A voting common stock is a by-product of trading activity in the stock over time and is not by design under the charter or any regulatory mandate. We believe that the concentration in such a small number of holders of Class B voting common stock is a


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by-product of the limited number of eligible holders of that stock and the structure of the FCS, the number of institutions of which has decreased over time as a result of mergers and consolidations.  


The dividend and liquidation rights of all three classes of Farmer Mac's common stock are the same. Dividends may be paid on Farmer Mac's common stock only when, as, and if declared by Farmer Mac's board of directors in its sole discretion, subject to compliance with applicable capital requirements and the payment of dividends on any outstanding preferred stock issued by Farmer Mac. Upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the business of Farmer Mac, after payment and provision for payment of outstanding debt of Farmer Mac, the holders of shares of Farmer Mac's currently outstanding 5.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A ("Series A Preferred Stock"), 6.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series B ("Series B Preferred Stock"), 6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C ("Series C Preferred Stock"), 5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D ("Series D Preferred Stock"), 5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E ("Series E Preferred Stock"), 5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F ("Series F Preferred Stock"), 4.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G ("Series G Preferred Stock"), and any other preferred stock then outstanding, would be paid at par value out of assets available for distribution, plus all declared and unpaid dividends, before the holders of shares of common stock received any payment. See also "Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities" for more information about Farmer Mac's common stock, and "Business—Financing—Equity Issuance" for more information about Farmer Mac's common stock and preferred stock.


Unlike some other GSEs such as other FCS institutions and the Federal Home Loan Banks, Farmer Mac is not structured as a cooperative owned exclusively by member institutions and established to provide services exclusively to its members. Rather, Farmer Mac, as a publicly-traded corporation, has a broader base of stockholders, including those who do not directly participate in the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac therefore seeks to fulfill its mission of serving the financing needs of rural America in a way that is consistent with providing a return on the investment of its stockholders.


Farmer Mac generally requires financial institutions to own a requisite amount of Farmer Mac common stock, based on the size and type of institution, to participate in the Farm & Ranch line of business.sell Agricultural Finance mortgage loans to Farmer Mac. As a result of this requirement, coupled with the ability of holders of Class A and Class B voting common stock to elect two-thirds of Farmer Mac's board of directors, Farmer Mac regularly conducts business with "related parties," including institutions affiliated with members of Farmer Mac's board of directors and institutions that own large amounts of Farmer Mac's voting common stock. Farmer Mac has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and related corporate policies that govern any conflicts of interest that may arise in these transactions. Farmer Mac also requires that any transactions with related parties be conducted in the ordinary course of business, with terms and conditions comparable to those available to any other counterparty not related to Farmer Mac. For more information about related party transactions, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Related Party Transactions" and Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.



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Capital

Farmer Mac's charter establishes three capital standards for Farmer Mac – minimum capital, critical capital, and risk-based capital.  Farmer Mac must comply with the higher of the minimum capital requirement and the risk-based capital requirement. Also, in accordance with the applicable FCA regulation on capital planning, Farmer Mac's board of directors oversees a policy that requires Farmer Mac to maintain a sufficient level of Tier 1 capital and restricts dividends and bonus payments if Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital falls below specified thresholds. For a discussion of Farmer Mac's capital requirements and its actual capital levels, as well as FCA's role in the establishment and monitoring of those requirements and levels, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Capital Standards," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Balance Sheet Review—Equity," and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Capital Requirements."

Regulatory OversightLoan Eligibility


To be eligible for the Agricultural Finance line of business, a loan must either:
be an agricultural mortgage loan (referred to as "Agricultural Finance mortgage loans") that is
secured by a fee simple mortgage or a leasehold mortgage with status as a first lien on agricultural real estate (including part-time farms and rural housing) located within the United States; and
an obligation of a citizen or national of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States, or a private corporation or partnership that is majority-owned by U.S. citizens, nationals, or legal resident aliens that, in each case, has training or farming experience that is sufficient to ensure a reasonable likelihood that the loan will be repaid according to its terms; or
be the guaranteed portion of a loan guaranteed by the USDA under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. § 1921 et seq.) (referred to as "USDA Securities").

Farmer Mac's charter assignsauthorizes a maximum loan size (adjusted annually for inflation) for an eligible Agricultural Finance mortgage loan secured by more than 2,000 acres of agricultural real estate. That maximum loan size was $14.1 million as of December 31, 2021. The charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a total borrower exposure for an eligible Agricultural Finance mortgage loan secured by 2,000 acres or less of agricultural real estate. However, an internal policy approved by Farmer Mac's board of directors limits the cumulative direct credit exposure to FCA, actingany one borrower or group of related borrowers on loans secured by 2,000 acres or less of agricultural real estate to 10% of Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ($120.1 million as of December 31, 2021). For Agricultural Finance mortgage loans, eligible agricultural real estate consists of one or more parcels of land, which may be improved by permanently affixed buildings or other structures, that (i) is used for the production of one or more agricultural commodities or products and (ii) either consists of a minimum of five acres or generates minimum annual receipts of $5,000.

As required by Farmer Mac's charter, Farmer Mac has established underwriting, security appraisal, and repayment standards for eligible loans that consider the nature, risk profile, and other differences between different categories of eligible loans. The charter prescribes that the following minimum standards must be applied to all Agricultural Finance mortgage loans:

provide that no loan with a loan-to-value ratio ("LTV") more than 80% may be eligible;
require each borrower to demonstrate sufficient cash flow to adequately service the loan;
require sufficient documentation standards;
protect the integrity of the appraisal process for any loan; and
confirm that the borrower is or will be actively engaged in agricultural production.

Underwriting and Collateral Standards - Farm & Ranch

Farmer Mac experiences direct credit exposure to borrowers on Agricultural Finance mortgage loans in its Farm & Ranch reportable operating segment (referred to as "Farm & Ranch loans") through its loan purchases, unfunded commitments, LTSPCs, and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities that represent interests in, or obligations secured by, pools of eligible Farm & Ranch loans but that are not AgVantage securities ("Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities"). Farmer Mac applies credit underwriting standards and

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methodologies to help assess exposures to Farm & Ranch loans, which may include collateral valuation, financial metrics, and other appropriate borrower financial and credit information.

Farm & Ranch loans typically are required to meet specific underwriting criteria established by Farmer Mac or demonstrate compensating strengths in one or more other underwriting criteria. Farmer Mac relies on the combined expertise of experienced internal agricultural credit underwriters and loan servicers, along with external agricultural loan servicing and collateral valuation contractors, to perform the necessary underwriting, servicing, and collateral valuation functions on Farm & Ranch loans.

USDA Securities are exempted from the credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other standards that other loans must meet to be eligible for the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac and are exempted from any diversification and internal credit enhancement that may be required of pools of other eligible loans. Farmer Mac purchases nearly all of its USDA Securities through Farmer Mac II LLC, a subsidiary of Farmer Mac that operates substantially all of the business related to Farmer Mac's USDA Securities.

Underwriting and Collateral Standards - Corporate AgFinance

Farmer Mac experiences direct credit exposure to borrowers on Agricultural Finance mortgage loans in Farmer Mac’s Corporate AgFinance reportable operating segment (referred to as “Corporate AgFinance loans”) through its loan purchases and unfunded commitments. Farmer Mac applies credit underwriting standards and methodologies to help assess exposures to Corporate AgFinance loans, which may include cash flow, leverage, and liquidity assessment, financial metrics analysis, collateral valuation, and other appropriate borrower financial and credit information.

Corporate AgFinance loans tend to be larger and more complex farming operations than Farm & Ranch loans (generally more than $10 million) and typically are loans made to agribusinesses focused on agriculture production, food and fiber processing, and other supply chain production. Thus, Corporate AgFinance loans often have a different credit risk profile than Farm & Ranch loans. Farmer Mac has implemented methodologies and parameters to help assess credit risk and has established specific underwriting criteria for Corporate AgFinance loans based on the sector, borrower construct, and transaction complexity. Due to the larger loan sizes and different credit risk profiles, Farmer Mac thoroughly analyzes each prospective Corporate AgFinance loan, including assessing the borrower's leverage, cash flows, liquidity, and revenue and margin trends, as well as evaluating the borrower's suppliers, customers, market share, and competition. Any underlying weaknesses are assessed and analyzed in conjunction with any compensating strengths. Corporate AgFinance loans also typically require ongoing monitoring of reporting requirements and financial and non-financial covenants. Farmer Mac relies on the experience of internal underwriters with the expertise to analyze large, complex farming operations and agribusiness loans, along with collateral valuation contractors, and legal counsel to perform the necessary diligence to assess the overall credit risk and loan structures of these transactions.

Lenders

Farmer Mac approves lenders into its network of Farm & Ranch loan sellers based on an assessment of the lender's credit profile, which may include factors such as the institution's credit rating, origination history, or financial profile. Most lenders that participate in Farmer Mac's secondary market for Farm & Ranch loans meet prescribed criteria that Farmer Mac establishes for loan-selling counterparties, which typically include the requirement to:

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own a requisite amount of Farmer Mac common stock according to a schedule prescribed for the size and type of institution;
have, in the judgment of Farmer Mac, the ability and experience to make or purchase and sell Farm & Ranch loans and service those loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's requirements either through the separate Officelender's own staff or through contractors and originators, as well as have appropriate internal controls, policies, and procedures;
maintain a minimum amount of Secondary Market Oversight ("OSMO") within FCA,net liquidity or appropriate credit enhancements; and
enter into a Seller/Servicer Agreement, which requires compliance with the responsibilityterms of Farmer Mac's Seller/Servicer Guide, including providing representations and warranties about the eligibility of the loans and accuracy of loan data provided to Farmer Mac.

Any lender authorized by the USDA to obtain a USDA guarantee on a loan may participate in Farmer Mac's secondary market for USDA Securities.  

Farmer Mac purchases Corporate AgFinance loans and unfunded commitments from a diverse set of lenders that support financing of the agriculture sector. Lenders may be existing Farm & Ranch lenders that have larger, more complex borrowers in their territories, as well as larger financial and non-bank institutions, such as national and regional banks, insurance companies, Farm Credit System institutions, and other non-traditional lending organizations, that structure and originate transactions for larger, more complex farming operations and agribusinesses.

Farmer Mac evaluates each lender who originates Corporate AgFinance loans to assess the experience and capabilities of the lender’s ability to originate, structure, distribute, and monitor Corporate AgFinance transactions. In many instances, Farmer Mac will purchase loans and unfunded commitments from lenders that structure and arrange large, syndicated transactions involving numerous lenders that are necessary to support the larger transaction loan size. In these cases, Farmer Mac typically assesses each arranger’s capabilities and experience in arranging syndicated loans. Because Corporate AgFinance loans are typically offered to Farmer Mac without or with few representations and warranties, Farmer Mac places a greater emphasis on underwriting and legal documentation due diligence in connection with its purchase of these loans to mitigate risks associated with the transaction, including loan documentation, borrower eligibility, and loan data.

Loan Servicing

During 2021, Farmer Mac began servicing a sizeable portion of the Agricultural Finance mortgage loan and USDA Securities portfolios through a strategic acquisition of loan servicing rights along with experienced servicing personnel and an operational servicing platform. Farmer Mac also continues to contract with other institutions to undertake most of the servicing responsibilities for the examinationremaining portion of its Agricultural Finance mortgage loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's specified servicing requirements or in accordance with the servicing standards established by the servicing institution if the institution's standards are acceptable to Farmer Mac. For these loans, the servicer may or may not be the same entity as the lender that sold the loans to Farmer Mac. For Farm & Ranch loans for which the servicer is not the originating lender, the originating lender often retains some servicing responsibility, particularly with direct borrower contact, which is referred to as "field servicing." Field servicers may enter into contracts with Farmer Mac's servicers that specify their field servicing responsibilities.


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For Farmer Mac's USDA Securities, the lender on each USDA-guaranteed loan is required by regulation to retain the unguaranteed portion of the guaranteed loan, to service the entire underlying guaranteed loan (including the USDA-guaranteed portion of that loan), and to remain mortgagee and/or secured party of record, if applicable. The USDA-guaranteed portion and the unguaranteed portion of the loan are to be secured by the same collateral with equal lien priority. The USDA-guaranteed portion of a loan cannot be paid later than, or in any way be subordinated to, the related unguaranteed portion.

Other Products - Agricultural Finance

AgVantage Securities

Under the AgVantage securities product line, Farmer Mac guarantees and purchases securities issued by lenders and other financial institutions (including financial funds and real estate investment funds) that are secured by pools of eligible loans. Typically, Farmer Mac retains AgVantage securities in its portfolio. Most of the AgVantage securities in Farmer Mac's Agricultural Finance line of business are securities issued by agricultural lenders that are secured by pools of Farm & Ranch loans. The AgVantage securities in the Agricultural Finance line of business also include securities issued by other financial institutions (including financial funds and institutional real estate investors) secured by mortgage loans that generally have different credit profiles, structural characteristics, and loan terms than typical Farm & Ranch loans. The loans serving as collateral for these AgVantage securities require a more comprehensive underwriting that more closely approximates Farmer Mac's underwriting for Corporate AgFinance loans.

Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure to the general credit of the issuers of AgVantage securities and assumes the ultimate credit risk of an issuer default on the AgVantage securities. Before approving an institution as an issuer in an AgVantage transaction, Farmer Mac assesses the issuer's creditworthiness as well as the credit quality and performance of the issuer's loan portfolio and loan underwriting standards. Farmer Mac continues to monitor the counterparty risk assessment on an ongoing basis after the AgVantage security is issued. In addition to being a general obligation of the issuer, all AgVantage securities must be secured by eligible loans or eligible securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac in an amount at least equal to the outstanding principal amount of the issuer's AgVantage securities. As a result, Farmer Mac has indirect credit exposure to the loans or guaranteed securities that are pledged to secure the AgVantage securities, which comprise collateral for Farmer Mac in the event of a default by the issuer.   

Loans pledged under AgVantage securities are serviced by the issuers of the securities (or their affiliated servicing institutions) in accordance with these institutions' servicing procedures. Farmer Mac reviews these servicing procedures before purchasing AgVantage securities from the issuer. In AgVantage transactions, the issuer is generally required to remove from the pool of pledged collateral any loan that becomes and remains delinquent in the payment of principal or interest and to replace the delinquent loan with another eligible loan that is current in payment or to pay down the AgVantage securities to maintain the minimum required collateralization level.

For AgVantage securities secured by loans eligible for Farmer Mac's Agricultural Finance line of business, Farmer Mac currently requires the general obligation to be over-collateralized, either by more eligible loans or any of the following types of assets:
cash;
securities issued by the U.S. Treasury or guaranteed by an agency or instrumentality of the United States;

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other highly-rated securities; or
other instruments approved by Farmer Mac.

The required collateralization level for the AgVantage securities secured by Agricultural Finance mortgage loans currently ranges from 103% to 125%. The required collateralization level is determined based on credit factors related to the issuer and the credit profile of the loans serving as collateral, is established when the AgVantage facility is entered into with the counterparty, and does not change during the life of the AgVantage securities issued under the facility unless mutually agreed by Farmer Mac and the general supervisioncounterparty.  

For AgVantage securities that are secured by eligible Agricultural Finance mortgage loans, Farmer Mac requires that the loans meet the minimum standards set forth in the charter for those types of loans with a maximum limit of $75.0 million in cumulative exposure to any one borrower or related borrowers from a single AgVantage issuer.  

Guarantees and LTSPCs

Farmer Mac offers two credit enhancement alternatives to direct loan purchases for Farm & Ranch loans that allow approved lenders the ability to retain the cash flow benefits of their loans and increase their liquidity and lending capacity: (1) LTSPCs and (2) Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. In LTSPCs and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, the lender effectively transfers the credit risk on their eligible loans because, through Farmer Mac's commitment to purchase the loan (in the case of LTSPCs) or Farmer Mac's guarantee (in the case of Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities), Farmer Mac assumes the ultimate credit risk of borrower defaults on the related loans.

An LTSPC permits the lender to retain loans in its portfolio until such time, if ever, as the lender elects to deliver some or all of the safe and sound performanceloans covered by the LTSPC to Farmer Mac for purchase. Loans subject to an LTSPC must meet Farmer Mac's standards for eligible loans at the commencement of the powers, functions, and duties vested inLTSPC when Farmer Mac assumes the credit risk on the loans and are serviced by the charter.holders of those loans in accordance with those lenders' servicing procedures, which Farmer Mac reviews before entering into those transactions. As consideration for its assumption of the credit risk on loans covered by an LTSPC, Farmer Mac receives commitment fees payable monthly in arrears. Some LTSPCs contain risk sharing arrangements for pools of loans that provide for the counterparty to absorb up to a specified amount (typically between one and five percent of the original principal balance of the loan pool) of any losses incurred on the loans in the pool. At a lender's request, Farmer Mac purchases loans subject to an LTSPC at:

par if the loans become delinquent for either 90 days or 120 days (depending on the agreement) or are in material non-monetary default, with accrued and unpaid interest on the defaulted loans payable out of any future loan payments or liquidation proceeds; or
fair value or in exchange for cash or Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities (if the loans are not delinquent), in accordance with the applicable agreement.

In Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities transactions, Farmer Mac guarantees securities representing interests in eligible Farm & Ranch loans held by a trust or other entity. Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on the securities in the event of a payment shortfall due to default and either retains these securities or arranges for their sale to third parties. As consideration for its assumption of credit risk on the assets underlying the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, Farmer Mac receives

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guarantee fees based on the outstanding principal balance of the securities it guarantees. Some Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities transactions include a smaller, subordinate tranche of securities issued to third parties that are not guaranteed by Farmer Mac, which helps to offset Farmer Mac's credit risk on these transactions.

Farmer Mac is obligated under its guarantee on the securities to make timely payments to investors of interest and principal (including balloon payments), regardless of whether Farmer Mac or the related trust has actually received those scheduled payments. Farmer Mac's guarantee fees typically are collected out of installment payments made on the underlying loans until those loans have been repaid, purchased out of the trust, or otherwise liquidated (generally as a result of default). The aggregate amount of guarantee fees received on Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities depends on the amount of those securities outstanding and on the applicable guarantee fee rate, which Farmer Mac's charter caps at 50 basis points (0.50%) per year.

From time to time, Farmer Mac issues and guarantees securities backed by USDA Securities that it has purchased and also guarantees securities issued by Farmer Mac II LLC backed by USDA Securities that it has purchased. Farmer Mac II LLC does not guarantee any USDA Securities it holds or any Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities issued by Farmer Mac or Farmer Mac II LLC.

Rural Infrastructure Finance

Farmer Mac's charter authorizes FCA, acting through OSMO,the purchase of, and guarantee of securities backed by, loans for electric (including renewable electric energy) or telecommunications facilities by lenders organized as cooperatives to applyborrowers that have received or are eligible to receive loans under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 ("REA"). The REA is administered by the Rural Utilities Service ("RUS"), an agency of the USDA. Farmer Mac refers to eligible loans made to an electric distribution facility, an electric generation and transmission facility, or a telecommunications facility as "Rural Utilities loans" and refers to eligible loans made to renewable electric energy facilities as "Renewable Energy loans."

Farmer Mac's Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business encompasses purchases of Rural Utilities loans and Renewable Energy loans and guarantees of securities backed by those loans, as well as LTSPCs for pools of eligible Rural Utilities loans. The vast majority of Farmer Mac's business to date under the Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business has involved Rural Utilities loans made to electric facilities (primarily electric distribution cooperatives and electric generation and transmission cooperatives). During 2021, Farmer Mac purchased $132.2 million of loans and loan commitments to telecommunications companies that provide wireless, cable, fiber transport, and broadband services to rural America as part of its general enforcement powersstrategic initiative to provide further support for the telecommunications industry. Also during 2021, Farmer Mac purchased $31.2 million of Renewable Energy loans as part of its strategic initiative to support rural renewable energy projects.

Underwriting and Collateral Standards

Farmer Mac's charter does not specify minimum underwriting criteria for eligible Rural Utilities or Renewable Energy loans. To manage Farmer Mac's credit risk, to mitigate the risk of loss from borrower defaults, and to provide guidance for the management, administration, and conduct of underwriting to participants in the Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business, Farmer Mac has adopted credit underwriting standards that vary by loan product and by loan type. These standards are based on industry

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practices for similar Rural Utilities and Renewable Energy loans and are designed to assess the creditworthiness of the borrower, as well as the risk to Farmer Mac. 

For Rural Utilities loans, Farmer Mac reviews lenders' credit submissions and analyzes borrowers' audited financial statements and financial and operating reports to confirm that loans meet Farmer Mac's underwriting standards for Rural Utilities loans. It is customary in loans to electric distribution cooperatives and electric generation and transmission cooperatives for the lender or lender group to take a security interest in substantially all of the borrower's assets. When Farmer Mac purchases a Rural Utilities loan with a pledge of all assets and a lender also has a lien on all assets, Farmer Mac verifies that a lien accommodation will result in either a shared first lien or a first lien in favor of Farmer Mac. When debt indentures are used, Farmer Mac determines if available collateral is adequate to support the loan program and Farmer Mac's investment. Farmer Mac also purchases unsecured Rural Utilities loans (primarily electric generation and transmission loans) that meet Farmer Mac's underwriting standards for unsecured Rural Utilities loans.

For a Renewable Energy loan, Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure to the related standalone renewable energy project. These projects are typically financed on a non-recourse or limited recourse basis and underwritten on a projection basis with significant reliance placed on assumptions used in each project’s analysis. Farmer Mac has implemented methodologies and parameters to assess credit risk and has established specific underwriting criteria based on the project and transaction construct and complexity. Farmer Mac thoroughly analyzes each prospective Renewable Energy loan. Farmer Mac performs quantitative assessments typically focused on projected debt service requirements, term and amortization review, interest rate sensitivity, and collateral analysis. Farmer Mac also performs qualitative assessments typically focused on the project sponsor's credentials and experience, off-take (cash flow) considerations, and concentration and other market considerations. Farmer Mac also typically undertakes a review of the project contracts and agreements for each Renewable Energy loan. Renewable Energy loans are typically secured by a first lien on the borrower's project assets, an assignment of the project contracts and agreements, a land or leasehold interest, and in certain cases, a pledge of the equity interests in the borrower entity. Farmer Mac's enforcement rights in any collateral securing a Renewable Energy loan may be subject to tax equity interests in the borrower's renewable energy project.

Lenders and Loan Servicing

Farmer Mac's charter requires loans in Farmer Mac's Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business to have been originated by a lender organized as a cooperative. Farmer Mac does not directly service the Rural Utilities or Renewable Energy loans held in its portfolio. Typically, these loans are serviced by the lender or other organization designated by Farmer Mac that has experience in servicing loans to utilities and renewable energy providers and in the context of project finance, as applicable.

Other Products - Rural Infrastructure Finance

AgVantage Securities

Farmer Mac's portfolio of AgVantage securities in its Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business includes securities issued by cooperative lenders that are secured by pools of Rural Utilities loans. For these AgVantage securities, Farmer Mac requires:

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the counterparty issuing the general obligation to have a credit rating from a nationally-recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO") that is at least investment grade, or be of comparable creditworthiness as determined through Farmer Mac's analysis; and
the collateralization (consisting of current, performing loans) to be maintained at the contractually prescribed level, in an annual examinationamount at least equal to the outstanding principal amount of the security.

Although Farmer Mac has only indirect credit exposure on the Rural Utilities loans pledged to secure AgVantage securities, the same underwriting standards that apply to loans made to Rural Utilities borrowers on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure also apply to loans made to Rural Utilities borrowers that secure the AgVantage securities. Farmer Mac's charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a total borrower exposure for an eligible Rural Utilities loan, but Farmer Mac's current limit for AgVantage transactions is $75.0 million for cumulative loan exposure to any one borrower or related borrowers (with the amount of any direct exposure to a borrower not counting towards the $75.0 million limit).


COMPETITION

Farmer Mac is the only federally-chartered corporation established to provide a secondary market for agricultural mortgage loans, rural infrastructure loans, and USDA Securities, but faces competition from other entities that purchase, retain, securitize, or provide financing for the types of assets eligible for Farmer Mac's secondary market activities. These entities include commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, other FCS institutions, financial transactionsfunds, and certain government programs. Farmer Mac also competes indirectly with originators of eligible loans that would prefer to retain the loans they originate rather than sell them into the secondary market. Farmer Mac is able to compete to acquire eligible loans due to the variety of products it offers and its ability to offer competitive funding structures and pricing to its customers. This enables Farmer Mac to provide flexible financing options and products designed to meet the varied needs of lending institutions related to capital requirements, liquidity, credit risk, and management of sector and geographic concentrations and borrower exposure limits. The relative competitiveness of Farmer MacMac's loan rates and authorizes FCAFarmer Mac's ability to assessdevelop business with lending institutions are affected by many factors, including:

the overall supply of capital available to agricultural and rural infrastructure borrowers;
the types and variety of products offered by Farmer Mac's competitors to meet the needs of Farmer Mac's customer base;
changes in the levels of available capital and liquidity of lending institutions;
the existence of alternative sources of funding and credit enhancement for lending institutions;
the rate of growth in the market for eligible loans; and
demand for Farmer Mac's products.

Because Farmer Mac's charter limits Farmer Mac's business to secondary-market activities, Farmer Mac's competitive position is affected by the willingness of originators to offer eligible loans for sale in the secondary market or to utilize Farmer Mac for funding syndicated or participated loans. The charter's limits on loan size for some Agricultural Finance mortgage loans, as well as the costtypes of FCA's regulatory activities, including the costloans that are eligible for Farmer Mac's lines of any examination.business, also affect Farmer Mac's competitive position. For more information on government regulation of Farmer Mac, is also required to file quarterly reports of condition with OSMO.  As a publicly-traded corporation, Farmer Mac also must comply with the periodic reporting


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requirements of the SEC. For a more detailed discussion of Farmer Mac's regulatory and governmental relationships, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac."



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Farmer Mac's ability to obtain competitive funding in the debt markets is essential to its ability to maintain its relative position with its customers. As a result, competition for debt investors with other debt-issuing institutions, such as the FCS, Federal Home Loan Banks, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and highly-rated financial institutions, can affect the price and volume at which Farmer Mac issues debt and therefore its ability to offer savings to customers in the form of competitive products.

CAPITAL AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Farmer Mac's charter prescribes the company's basic capital and corporate governance structure, as described below. The charter authorizes Farmer Mac to issue two classes of voting common stock, each of which elects one-third of Farmer Mac's 15-person board of directors. The charter also authorizes Farmer Mac to issue non-voting common stock.

Presidential appointments.  Five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors are individuals who meet the qualifications specified in the charter and are appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate (one of whom is designated as the chair of the board of directors). These appointed directors serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States with no set term.
Class A voting common stock.  The charter restricts ownership of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock to banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions or similar entities that are not institutions of the FCS. The charter also provides that five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors are elected by a plurality of the votes of the Class A stockholders each year. The charter limits the amount of Class A voting common stock that any one holder may own to no more than 33% of the outstanding shares of Class A voting common stock. Farmer Mac is not aware of any regulation applicable to non-FCS financial institutions that requires a minimum investment in Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock or that prescribes a maximum investment amount lower than the 33% limit set forth in the charter. Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AGM.A.

Class B voting common stock.  The charter restricts ownership of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock to FCS institutions and also provides that five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors are elected by a plurality of the votes of the Class B stockholders each year. The charter contains no restrictions on the maximum number or percentage of outstanding shares of Class B voting common stock that any one holder may own, and Farmer Mac is not aware of any regulation applicable to FCS institutions that requires a minimum investment in its Class B voting common stock or that prescribes a maximum amount. Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock, which has a limited market and trades infrequently, is not listed or quoted on any exchange or other quotation system, and Farmer Mac is not aware of any publicly available quotations or prices for this class of common stock.

Class C non-voting common stock.  The charter does not impose any ownership restrictions on Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock, and shares of this class are freely transferable. Farmer Mac uses Class C non-voting common stock for awards of equity-based compensation to officers, directors, and selected employees as part of the company's compensation programs. Holders of the Class C non-voting common stock do not vote on the election of directors or any other matter. Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AGM.

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The dividend and liquidation rights of all three classes of Farmer Mac's common stock are the same. Dividends may be paid on Farmer Mac's common stock only when, as, and if declared by Farmer Mac's board of directors in its sole discretion, subject to compliance with applicable capital requirements and the payment of dividends on any outstanding preferred stock issued by Farmer Mac. Upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the business of Farmer Mac, after payment and provision for payment of outstanding debt of Farmer Mac, the holders of shares of Farmer Mac's currently outstanding 6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C ("Series C Preferred Stock"), 5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D ("Series D Preferred Stock"), 5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E ("Series E Preferred Stock"), 5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F ("Series F Preferred Stock"), 4.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G ("Series G Preferred Stock"), and any other preferred stock then outstanding, would be paid at par value out of assets available for distribution, plus all declared and unpaid dividends, before the holders of shares of common stock received any payment. See also "Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities" for more information about Farmer Mac's common stock, and "Business—Financing—Equity Issuance" for more information about Farmer Mac's common stock and preferred stock.

Unlike some other GSEs such as other FCS institutions and the Federal Home Loan Banks, Farmer Mac is not structured as a cooperative owned exclusively by member institutions and established to provide services exclusively to its members. Rather, Farmer Mac, as a publicly-traded corporation, has a broader base of stockholders, including those who do not directly participate in the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac therefore seeks to fulfill its mission of serving the financing needs of rural America in a way that is consistent with providing a return on the investment of its stockholders.

Farmer Mac generally requires financial institutions to own a requisite amount of Farmer Mac common stock, based on the size and type of institution, to sell Agricultural Finance mortgage loans to Farmer Mac. As a result of this requirement, coupled with the ability of holders of Class A and Class B voting common stock to elect two-thirds of Farmer Mac's board of directors, Farmer Mac regularly conducts business with "related parties," including institutions affiliated with members of Farmer Mac's board of directors and institutions that own large amounts of Farmer Mac's voting common stock. Farmer Mac has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and related corporate policies that govern any conflicts of interest that may arise in these transactions. Farmer Mac also requires that any transactions with related parties be conducted in the ordinary course of business, with terms and conditions comparable to those available to any other counterparty not related to Farmer Mac. For more information about related party transactions, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Related Party Transactions" and Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.


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Capital


Farmer Mac's charter establishes three capital standards for Farmer Mac – minimum capital, critical capital, and risk-based capital.  Farmer Mac must comply with the higher of the minimum capital requirement and the risk-based capital requirement. Also, in accordance with the applicable FCA regulation on capital planning, Farmer Mac's board of directors oversees a policy that requires Farmer Mac to maintain a sufficient level of Tier 1 capital and restricts dividends and bonus payments if Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital falls below specified thresholds. For a discussion of Farmer Mac's capital requirements and its actual capital levels, as well as FCA's role in the establishment and monitoring of those requirements and levels, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Capital Standards," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Balance Sheet Review—Equity," and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Capital Requirements."


Employees and Property

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac employed 103 people, located primarily at its office at 1999 K Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006.  Farmer Mac also maintains offices at: (1) 9169 Northpark Drive, Johnston, Iowa 50322; (2) 5200 N. Palm Avenue, Suite 306, Fresno, California 93704; and (3) 1065 E. Winding Creek Drive, Suite 200, Eagle, Idaho 83616.  Farmer Mac's main telephone number is (202) 872-7700.

Available Information

Farmer Mac makes available free of charge, through the "Investors" section of its internet website at www.farmermac.com, copies of materials it files with, or furnishes to, the SEC, including its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, and any amendments to those filings, as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing those materials with, or furnishing those materials to, the SEC.  All references to www.farmermac.com in this report are inactive textual references only. The information contained on Farmer Mac's website is not incorporated by reference into this report.



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FARMER MAC'S LINES OF BUSINESS

The following tables present the outstanding balances, new business volume, and net growth or decrease after maturities, principal paydowns, and sales under Farmer Mac's four lines of business – Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, Rural Utilities, and Institutional Credit:

Lines of Business - Outstanding Business Volume
 As of December 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
 (in thousands)
On-balance sheet:   
Farm & Ranch:   
Loans$3,071,222
 $2,798,906
Loans held in trusts:   
Beneficial interests owned by third party investors1,517,101
 1,399,827
USDA Guarantees:   
USDA Securities2,120,553
 2,068,017
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities27,383
 29,980
Rural Utilities:   
Loans938,843
 1,076,291
Institutional Credit:   
AgVantage securities8,072,919
 7,593,322
Total on-balance sheet$15,748,021
 $14,966,343
Off-balance sheet:   
Farm & Ranch:   
LTSPCs(1)
$2,509,787
 $2,335,342
Guaranteed Securities(1)
135,862
 333,511
USDA Guarantees:   
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities367,684
 254,217
Rural Utilities:   
LTSPCs(2)
653,272
 806,342
Institutional Credit:   
AgVantage securities9,898
 11,556
Revolving floating rate AgVantage facility(3)
300,000
 300,000
Total off-balance sheet$3,976,503
 $4,040,968
Total$19,724,524
 $19,007,311
(1)
During fourth quarter 2018, Farmer Mac repurchased the 100% participation interests in loans underlying a pool of $134.1 million in Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at par, thereby redeeming the corresponding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from their sole security holder. Farmer Mac repurchased these participation interests at the request of the sole security holder in exchange for the termination of the participation interests and the reconveyance of all beneficial interest in the loans to the sole security holder that owned the loans in which the participation interests had been issued. The resulting pool of Farm & Ranch loans was concurrently added under LTSPCs. The commitment fee Farmer Mac receives on these loans added under LTSPCs is the same as the guarantee fee Farmer Mac had been earning on the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.
(2)
Includes $17.0 million and $20.0 million related to one-year loan purchase commitments on which Farmer Mac receives a nominal unused commitment fee as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
(3)
During both 2018 and 2017, $100.0 million of this facility was drawn and later repaid. Farmer Mac receives a fixed fee based on the full dollar amount of the facility. If the counterparty draws on the facility, the amounts drawn will be in the form of AgVantage securities, and Farmer Mac will earn interest income on those securities.



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New Business Volume – Farmer Mac Loan Purchases, Guarantees, LTSPCs, and AgVantage Securities

 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross Volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross Volume Net growth/(decrease)
 (in thousands)
Farm & Ranch:           
Loans$960,848
 $389,589
 $1,129,545
 $684,279
 $966,023
 $556,479
LTSPCs430,071
 (23,204) 554,743
 44,003
 399,095
 (142,474)
USDA Guarantees:           
USDA Securities332,270
 52,537
 369,759
 113,217
 375,203
 78,349
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities127,851
 110,870
 161,925
 144,622
 106,054
 97,749
Rural Utilities:           
Loans11,645
 (137,448) 137,341
 76,779
 50,491
 (8,614)
LTSPCs
 (153,069) 
 (72,256) 441,404
 355,734
Institutional Credit:           
AgVantage securities3,010,307
 477,939
 2,383,912
 617,192
 2,098,852
 563,432
AgVantage revolving line of credit facility300,000
 
 
 
 
 
Total purchases, guarantees, LTSPCs, and AgVantage securities$5,172,992
 $717,214
 $4,737,225
 $1,607,836
 $4,437,122
 $1,500,655


Farm & Ranch

Under the Farm & Ranch line of business, Farmer Mac provides a secondary market for mortgage loans (and related participation interests) secured by first liens on agricultural real estate (including part-time farms and rural housing) by (1) purchasing and retaining eligible mortgage loans, (2) securitizing eligible mortgage loans and guaranteeing the timely payment of principal and interest on the resulting securities that represent interests in, or obligations secured by, pools of those loans, or (3) issuing LTSPCs for designated eligible mortgage loans, subject to the applicable LTSPC agreement.  Farmer Mac is compensated for these activities through net effective spread on loans and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities held on balance sheet, guarantee fees earned on Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and commitment fees earned on loans in LTSPCs.

Loan Eligibility


To be eligible for the Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance line of business, a loan must:must either:
 
be an agricultural mortgage loan (referred to as "Agricultural Finance mortgage loans") that is
secured by a fee simple mortgage or a long-term leasehold mortgage with status as a first lien on agricultural real estate (including part-time farms and rural housing) located within the United States; and
be an obligation of a citizen or national of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States, or a private corporation or partnership that is majority-owned by U.S. citizens, nationals, or legal resident aliens;
be an obligation of a person, corporation, or partnership havingaliens that, in each case, has training or farming experience that is sufficient to ensure a reasonable likelihood that the loan will be repaid according to its terms; andor


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meetbe the credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other specified standards for the Farm & Ranch line of business.  See "—Underwriting and Collateral Valuation (Appraisal) Standards" and "—Approved Lenders" for a description of these standards.

Eligible agricultural real estate consists of one or more parcels of land, which may be improved by permanently affixed buildings or other structures, that:
is used for the production of one or more agricultural commodities or products; and
either consistsguaranteed portion of a minimum of five acres or generates minimum annual receipts of $5,000.loan guaranteed by the USDA under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. § 1921 et seq.) (referred to as "USDA Securities").


Pending the effectiveness of new legislation described below, Farmer Mac's charter authorizes a maximum loan size (adjusted annually for inflation) for an eligible Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loan secured by more than 1,0002,000 acres of agricultural real estate. That maximum loan size was $13.1$14.1 million as of December 31, 2018.

2021. The charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a total borrower exposure for an eligible Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loan secured by 1,0002,000 acres or less of agricultural real estate, but Farmer Mac does limit the size of those loans. For these loans, Farmer Mac generally does not assume more than $50.0 million in cumulative direct credit exposure (e.g., loan purchases, LTSPCs, and non-AgVantage Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, which are not backed by a general obligation of a lender) to any one borrower or group of related borrowers. Anestate. However, an internal policy approved by Farmer Mac's board of directors limits the cumulative direct credit exposure to any one borrower or group of related borrowers on these loans to 10% of Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ($72.8 million as of December 31, 2018). That internal policy also sets a limit of $75.0 million in cumulative exposure through a single lender to any one borrower or related borrowers for AgVantage transactions, with the amount of any direct borrower exposure described above not counting toward the $75.0 million limit. AgVantage transactions involve the general obligation of a lender that is in turn secured by eligible loans, resulting in indirect exposure to credit risk on those loans. See "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Institutional Credit.

In December 2018, Congress amended Farmer Mac's charter under the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 to increase the acreage limitation referred to above from 1,000 acres to 2,000 acres of agricultural real estate, subject to FCA's assessment about the feasibility of such a change. FCA is required to submit a report on its assessment of this change to Congress by no later than June 18, 2019. If FCA's assessment indicates that it is feasible to increase the acreage limitation to 2,000 acres or more of agricultural real estate, the change to Farmer Mac's charter will become effective one year after the date that FCA submits its report to Congress. If this amendment becomes effective, the maximum loan size of $13.1 million (adjusted annually for inflation) will apply to eligible Farm & Ranch loans secured by more than 2,000 acres of agricultural real estate. Farmer Mac may change the exposure limitations set forth above for eligible Farm & Ranch loans secured by 2,000 acres or less of agricultural real estate ifto 10% of Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ($120.1 million as of December 31, 2021). For Agricultural Finance mortgage loans, eligible agricultural real estate consists of one or more parcels of land, which may be improved by permanently affixed buildings or other structures, that (i) is used for the amendment becomes effective. If FCA's assessment determinesproduction of one or more agricultural commodities or products and (ii) either consists of a minimum of five acres or generates minimum annual receipts of $5,000.

As required by Farmer Mac's charter, Farmer Mac has established underwriting, security appraisal, and repayment standards for eligible loans that itconsider the nature, risk profile, and other differences between different categories of eligible loans. The charter prescribes that the following minimum standards must be applied to all Agricultural Finance mortgage loans:

provide that no loan with a loan-to-value ratio ("LTV") more than 80% may be eligible;
require each borrower to demonstrate sufficient cash flow to adequately service the loan;
require sufficient documentation standards;
protect the integrity of the appraisal process for any loan; and
confirm that the borrower is not feasible to increase the acreage limitation, then the current limitationor will remainbe actively engaged in place.agricultural production.


Underwriting and Collateral Standards - Farm & Ranch

Farmer Mac includes its part-time farm loans and rural housingexperiences direct credit exposure to borrowers on Agricultural Finance mortgage loans in theits Farm & Ranch line of business.reportable operating segment (referred to as "Farm & Ranch loans") through its loan purchases, unfunded commitments, LTSPCs, and Farmer Mac definesGuaranteed Securities that represent interests in, or obligations secured by, pools of eligible Farm & Ranch loans but that are not AgVantage securities ("Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities"). Farmer Mac applies credit underwriting standards and

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methodologies to help assess exposures to Farm & Ranch loans, which may include collateral valuation, financial metrics, and other appropriate borrower financial and credit information.

Farm & Ranch loans typically are required to meet specific underwriting criteria established by Farmer Mac or demonstrate compensating strengths in one or more other underwriting criteria. Farmer Mac relies on the combined expertise of experienced internal agricultural credit underwriters and loan servicers, along with external agricultural loan servicing and collateral valuation contractors, to perform the necessary underwriting, servicing, and collateral valuation functions on Farm & Ranch loans.

USDA Securities are exempted from the credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other standards that other loans must meet to be eligible for the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac and are exempted from any diversification and internal credit enhancement that may be required of pools of other eligible loans. Farmer Mac purchases nearly all of its USDA Securities through Farmer Mac II LLC, a "part-time farm" as agricultural real estate meeting the eligibility requirements described abovesubsidiary of Farmer Mac that includes a primary residence whose value is at least 30%operates substantially all of the property's aggregate value at origination. When analyzing borrower repayment capacity for part-time farm loans, business related to Farmer Mac's USDA Securities.

Underwriting and Collateral Standards - Corporate AgFinance

Farmer Mac experiences direct credit exposure to borrowers on Agricultural Finance mortgage loans in Farmer Mac’s Corporate AgFinance reportable operating segment (referred to as “Corporate AgFinance loans”) through its loan purchases and unfunded commitments. Farmer Mac applies credit underwriting standards and methodologies to help assess exposures to Corporate AgFinance loans, which may include cash flow, leverage, and liquidity assessment, financial metrics analysis, collateral valuation, and other appropriate borrower financial and credit information.

Corporate AgFinance loans tend to be larger and more complex farming operations than Farm & Ranch loans (generally more than $10 million) and typically considers off-farm incomeare loans made to agribusinesses focused on agriculture production, food and fiber processing, and other supply chain production. Thus, Corporate AgFinance loans often have a different credit risk profile than Farm & Ranch loans. Farmer Mac has implemented methodologies and parameters to help assess credit risk and has established specific underwriting criteria for Corporate AgFinance loans based on the sector, borrower construct, and transaction complexity. Due to the larger loan sizes and different credit risk profiles, Farmer Mac thoroughly analyzes each prospective Corporate AgFinance loan, including assessing the borrower's leverage, cash flows, liquidity, and revenue and margin trends, as a more important factor thanwell as evaluating the borrower's suppliers, customers, market share, and competition. Any underlying weaknesses are assessed and analyzed in conjunction with any compensating strengths. Corporate AgFinance loans also typically require ongoing monitoring of reporting requirements and financial and non-financial covenants. Farmer Mac relies on the experience of internal underwriters with the expertise to analyze large, complex farming operations and agribusiness loans, along with collateral valuation contractors, and legal counsel to perform the necessary diligence to assess the overall credit risk and loan structures of these transactions.

Lenders

Farmer Mac approves lenders into its network of Farm & Ranch loan sellers based on an assessment of the lender's credit profile, which may include factors such as the institution's credit rating, origination history, or financial profile. Most lenders that participate in Farmer Mac's secondary market for Farm & Ranch loans meet prescribed criteria that are not part-time farm loans. Farmer Mac had $504.1 million of part-time farm loans in its portfolio as of December 31, 2018.

establishes for loan-selling counterparties, which typically include the requirement to:


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own a requisite amount of Farmer Mac common stock according to a schedule prescribed for the size and type of institution;
have, in the judgment of Farmer Mac, the ability and experience to make or purchase and sell Farm & Ranch loans and service those loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's requirements either through the lender's own staff or through contractors and originators, as well as have appropriate internal controls, policies, and procedures;
maintain a minimum amount of net liquidity or appropriate credit enhancements; and
enter into a Seller/Servicer Agreement, which requires compliance with the terms of Farmer Mac's Seller/Servicer Guide, including providing representations and warranties about the eligibility of the loans and accuracy of loan data provided to Farmer Mac.

Any lender authorized by the USDA to obtain a USDA guarantee on a loan may participate in Farmer Mac's secondary market for USDA Securities.  

Farmer Mac purchases Corporate AgFinance loans and unfunded commitments from a diverse set of lenders that support financing of the agriculture sector. Lenders may be existing Farm & Ranch lenders that have larger, more complex borrowers in their territories, as well as larger financial and non-bank institutions, such as national and regional banks, insurance companies, Farm Credit System institutions, and other non-traditional lending organizations, that structure and originate transactions for larger, more complex farming operations and agribusinesses.

Farmer Mac evaluates each lender who originates Corporate AgFinance loans to assess the experience and capabilities of the lender’s ability to originate, structure, distribute, and monitor Corporate AgFinance transactions. In many instances, Farmer Mac will purchase loans and unfunded commitments from lenders that structure and arrange large, syndicated transactions involving numerous lenders that are necessary to support the larger transaction loan size. In these cases, Farmer Mac typically assesses each arranger’s capabilities and experience in arranging syndicated loans. Because Corporate AgFinance loans are typically offered to Farmer Mac without or with few representations and warranties, Farmer Mac places a greater emphasis on underwriting and legal documentation due diligence in connection with its purchase of these loans to mitigate risks associated with the transaction, including loan documentation, borrower eligibility, and loan data.

Loan Servicing

During 2021, Farmer Mac began servicing a sizeable portion of the Agricultural Finance mortgage loan and USDA Securities portfolios through a strategic acquisition of loan servicing rights along with experienced servicing personnel and an operational servicing platform. Farmer Mac also continues to contract with other institutions to undertake most of the servicing responsibilities for the remaining portion of its Agricultural Finance mortgage loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's specified servicing requirements or in accordance with the servicing standards established by the servicing institution if the institution's standards are acceptable to Farmer Mac. For these loans, the servicer may or may not be the same entity as the lender that sold the loans to Farmer Mac. For Farm & Ranch loans for which the servicer is not the originating lender, the originating lender often retains some servicing responsibility, particularly with direct borrower contact, which is referred to as "field servicing." Field servicers may enter into contracts with Farmer Mac's servicers that specify their field servicing responsibilities.


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For Farmer Mac's USDA Securities, the rural housinglender on each USDA-guaranteed loan is required by regulation to retain the unguaranteed portion of thisthe guaranteed loan, to service the entire underlying guaranteed loan (including the USDA-guaranteed portion of that loan), and to remain mortgagee and/or secured party of record, if applicable. The USDA-guaranteed portion and the unguaranteed portion of the loan are to be secured by the same collateral with equal lien priority. The USDA-guaranteed portion of a loan cannot be paid later than, or in any way be subordinated to, the related unguaranteed portion.

Other Products - Agricultural Finance

AgVantage Securities

Under the AgVantage securities product line, Farmer Mac guarantees and purchases securities issued by lenders and other financial institutions (including financial funds and real estate investment funds) that are secured by pools of eligible loans. Typically, Farmer Mac retains AgVantage securities in its portfolio. Most of the AgVantage securities in Farmer Mac's Agricultural Finance line of business are securities issued by agricultural lenders that are secured by pools of Farm & Ranch loans. The AgVantage securities in the Agricultural Finance line of business also include securities issued by other financial institutions (including financial funds and institutional real estate investors) secured by mortgage loans that generally have different credit profiles, structural characteristics, and loan terms than typical Farm & Ranch loans. The loans serving as collateral for these AgVantage securities require a more comprehensive underwriting that more closely approximates Farmer Mac's underwriting for Corporate AgFinance loans.

Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure to the general credit of the issuers of AgVantage securities and assumes the ultimate credit risk of an eligibleissuer default on the AgVantage securities. Before approving an institution as an issuer in an AgVantage transaction, Farmer Mac assesses the issuer's creditworthiness as well as the credit quality and performance of the issuer's loan portfolio and loan underwriting standards. Farmer Mac continues to monitor the counterparty risk assessment on an ongoing basis after the AgVantage security is issued. In addition to being a general obligation of the issuer, all AgVantage securities must be secured by a mortgage on a one- to four-family, owner-occupied, moderately priced principal residence located in a community with a population of 2,500eligible loans or fewer.eligible securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac usesin an amount at least equal to the All-Transaction Housing Price Index ("HPI"), as publishedoutstanding principal amount of the issuer's AgVantage securities. As a result, Farmer Mac has indirect credit exposure to the loans or guaranteed securities that are pledged to secure the AgVantage securities, which comprise collateral for Farmer Mac in the event of a default by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to indexissuer.   

Loans pledged under AgVantage securities are serviced by the value of a moderately priced rural housing dwelling. Based on the most recent publicationissuers of the HPI,securities (or their affiliated servicing institutions) in accordance with these institutions' servicing procedures. Farmer Mac increasedreviews these servicing procedures before purchasing AgVantage securities from the maximum purchase priceissuer. In AgVantage transactions, the issuer is generally required to remove from the pool of pledged collateral any loan that becomes and remains delinquent in the payment of principal or interest and to replace the delinquent loan with another eligible loan that is current appraised value for a dwelling that secures a rural housing loan (excludingin payment or to pay down the landAgVantage securities to whichmaintain the dwelling is affixed) to $320,000 effective December 14, 2018. The prior limit was $300,000.  Besides the dwelling itself, an eligible rural housing loan can beminimum required collateralization level.

For AgVantage securities secured by land associated with the dwelling having an appraised value of no more than 50% of the total appraised value of the combined property.  Rural housing loans do not represent a significant part ofeligible for Farmer Mac's business, with $5.1 million of those loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio as of December 31, 2018.

Summary of Farm & Ranch Transactions

During the year ended December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac added $1.4 billionof gross new business volume under the Farm & Ranch line of business. That gross new business volume was partially offset by repayments on existing assets (principal paydowns, maturities, and sales) during the year, resulting in $7.2 billion of total outstanding business volume in thisAgricultural Finance line of business, as of December 31, 2018, compared to $6.9 billion as of December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had direct credit exposure on 12,518 loans incurrently requires the Farm & Ranch line of business across 48 states.

During 2018, Farmer Mac purchasedgeneral obligation to be over-collateralized, either by more eligible loans from 149 entities (the top ten institutions generated 67%or any of the purchase volume) and placed loans under LTSPCs with 19 entities infollowing types of assets:
cash;
securities issued by the Farm & Ranch line of business. During 2017, Farmer Mac purchased eligible loans from 174 entities (the top ten institutions generated 59%U.S. Treasury or guaranteed by an agency or instrumentality of the purchase volume) and placed loans under LTSPCs with 25 entities. During 2016, Farmer Mac purchased eligible loans from 169 entities (the top ten institutions generated 59% of the purchase volume) and placed loans under LTSPCs with 25 entities.


United States;


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other highly-rated securities; or
other instruments approved by Farmer Mac.

The following table summarizesrequired collateralization level for the AgVantage securities secured by Agricultural Finance mortgage loans purchased or placed under LTSPCscurrently ranges from 103% to 125%. The required collateralization level is determined based on credit factors related to the issuer and the credit profile of the loans serving as collateral, is established when the AgVantage facility is entered into with the counterparty, and does not change during the life of the AgVantage securities issued under the Farm & Ranch line of business for each of the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016. The table also sets forth the amount of net growth or decrease in Farm & Ranch loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs, after maturities, principal paydowns, and sales:

 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease)
 (in thousands)
Loans$960,848
 $389,589
 $1,129,545
 $684,279
 $966,023
 $556,479
LTSPCs430,071
 (23,204) 554,743
 44,003
 399,095
 (142,474)
Total$1,390,919
 $366,385
 $1,684,288
 $728,282
 $1,365,118
 $414,005

The following table presents the outstanding balances of Farm & Ranch loans held and loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs as of the dates indicated:

 As of December 31,
 2018 2017
 (in thousands)
On-balance sheet:   
Loans$3,071,222
 $2,798,906
Loans held in trusts:   
Beneficial interests owned by third party investors1,517,101
 1,399,827
Total on-balance sheet$4,588,323
 $4,198,733
Off-balance sheet: 
  
LTSPCs(1)
2,509,787
 2,335,342
Guaranteed Securities(1)
135,862
 333,511
Total off-balance sheet$2,645,649
 $2,668,853
Total$7,233,972
 $6,867,586
(1)
During fourth quarter 2018, Farmer Mac repurchased the 100% participation interests in loans underlying a pool of $134.1 million in Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at par, thereby redeeming the corresponding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from their sole security holder. Farmer Mac repurchased these participation interests at the request of the sole security holder in exchange for the termination of the participation interests and the reconveyance of all beneficial interest in the loans to the sole security holder that owned the loans in which the participation interests had been issued. The resulting pool of Farm & Ranch loans was concurrently added under LTSPCs. The commitment fee Farmer Mac receives on these loans added under LTSPCs is the same as the guarantee fee Farmer Mac had been earning on the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.

Loan Purchases

facility unless mutually agreed by Farmer Mac offers loan products designed to increaseand the secondary market liquidity of agricultural real estatecounterparty.  

For AgVantage securities that are secured by eligible Agricultural Finance mortgage loans, and the lending capacity of financial institutions that originate those loans.  Farmer Mac enters into mandatory delivery commitments to purchaserequires that the loans and offers ratesmeet the minimum standards set forth in the charter for those commitments daily.  Farmer Mac also purchases portfolios of non-delinquent loans on a negotiated basis.  Farmer Mac purchases both fixed and adjustable rate loans that have a variety of maturities and often include balloon payments.  Of the $1.0 billiontypes of loans purchasedwith a maximum limit of $75.0 million in the Farm & Ranch line of business during 2018, 64%included balloon payments.  By comparison, of the $1.1 billion of loans purchased in the Farm & Ranch line of business during 2017, 70% included balloon payments.cumulative exposure to any one borrower or related borrowers from a single AgVantage issuer.  

During 2018, Farmer Mac purchased 2,171 Farm & Ranch term loans and revolving line of credit draws. These purchases consisted of 910 term loans with an average unpaid principal balance of $910,000 and


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1,261 revolving line of credit draws with an average unpaid principal balance of $127,000. In 2017 Farmer Mac purchased 2,129 Farm & Ranch term loans and revolving line of credit draws. These purchases consisted of 1,037 term loans with an average unpaid principal balance of $979,000 and 1,092 revolving line of credit draws with an average unpaid principal balance of $107,000.


Guarantees and CommitmentsLTSPCs


Farmer Mac offers two credit enhancement alternatives to direct loan purchases through thefor Farm & Ranch line of businessloans that allow approved lenders the ability to retain the cash flow benefits of their loans and increase their liquidity and lending capacity: (1) LTSPCs;LTSPCs and (2) Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. LTSPCs and securitization trusts where Farmer Mac is not the primary beneficiary create off-balance sheet obligations for Farmer Mac. Historically, the only securitization trusts where Farmer Mac was not the primary beneficiary have been trusts containing 100% participation interests in loans that comprised an LTSPC pool before securitization, and in which the participating institution is not a related party to Farmer Mac. In performing Farmer Mac's purchase and guarantee obligations related to LTSPCs and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, payments made on the underlying loans or participation interests and liquidation of the related collateral (in the event of default under the terms of those assets) are intended to protect Farmer Mac against losses.

Both LTSPC and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities transactions permit a lender to nominate from its portfolio an identified pool of loans, subject to review by Farmer Mac for conformity with its eligibility standards for Farm & Ranch loans.  In Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPC transactions, the lender effectively transfers the credit risk on thosetheir eligible loans because, through Farmer Mac's guarantee or commitment to purchase the loan (in the case of LTSPCs) or Farmer Mac's guarantee (in the case of Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities), Farmer Mac assumes the ultimate credit risk of borrower defaults on the underlyingrelated loans. This type of risk transfer reduces a lender's credit and concentration risk exposures and therefore its regulatory capital requirements and loss reserve requirements.  The loans and participation interests underlying LTSPCs and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities may include those with payment, maturity, and interest rate characteristics that differ from the loan products that Farmer Mac offers for purchase each day, but all are subject to the applicable standards described in "—Underwriting and Collateral Valuation (Appraisal) Standards."  See also "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees."


LTSPCs.  An LTSPC commits Farmer Mac, subject to the applicable LTSPC agreement, to a future purchase of one or more loans from an identified pool of eligible loans that met Farmer Mac's standards when the transaction was entered into and Farmer Mac assumed the credit risk on the loans.  The LTSPC structure, which is not a guarantee of loans or securities, permits the lender to retain the loan poolloans in its portfolio until such time, if ever, as the lender elects to deliver some or all of the loans incovered by the poolLTSPC to Farmer Mac for purchase underpurchase. Loans subject to an LTSPC must meet Farmer Mac's standards for eligible loans at the commencement of the LTSPC agreement.when Farmer Mac assumes the credit risk on the loans and are serviced by the holders of those loans in accordance with those lenders' servicing procedures, which Farmer Mac reviews before entering into those transactions. As consideration for its assumption of the credit risk on loans underlyingcovered by an LTSPC, Farmer Mac receives commitment fees payable monthly in arrears. Farmer Mac offers different options under LTSPC arrangements to meet the credit and liquidity needs of its counterparties. Some LTSPCs provide that the underlying loans can be converted into Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at the option of the counterparty with no conversion fee paid to Farmer Mac. Some LTSPCs contain risk sharing arrangements for pools of loans that provide for the counterparty to absorb up to a specified amount (typically between one and five percent of the original principal balance of the loan pool) of any losses incurred on the loans in the pool. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, approximately 6.8% and 7.2%, respectively, of total LTSPCs and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, including those consolidated as loans on Farmer Mac's balance sheet, contained risk sharing arrangements.


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At a lender's request, Farmer Mac purchases loans subject to an LTSPC at:

par if the loans become delinquent for either 90 days or 120 days (depending on the agreement) or are in material non-monetary default, with accrued and unpaid interest on the defaulted loans payable out of any future loan payments or liquidation proceeds; or

fair value or in exchange for cash or Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities (if the loans are not delinquent), in accordance with the applicable agreement.


In 2018, Farmer Mac entered into $430.1 million of LTSPCs, compared to $554.7 million in 2017, in the Farm & Ranch line of business.  In 2018, LTSPCs were the preferred credit enhancement alternative for new credit protection transactions, and they continue to be a significant portion of the Farm & Ranch line of business.  During 2018 and 2017, there were no conversions of LTSPCs into Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.  As of December 31, 2018, the aggregate principal balance of the loans underlying LTSPCs in Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch line of business was $2.5 billion.  See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Business Volume."

Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.  In Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities transactions, Farmer Mac guarantees securities representing interests in eligible Farm & Ranch loans or participation interests in those loans held by a trust or other entity. Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on the securities in the event of a payment shortfall due to default and principal oneither retains these securities which are either retained by Farmer Mac or soldarranges for their sale to third parties.  For those securities sold to third parties, the eligible loans or participation interests are often acquired by Farmer Mac from lenders in exchange for the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities backed by those assets. As consideration for its assumption of the credit risk on the assets underlying the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, Farmer Mac receives

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guarantee fees based on the outstanding principal balance of the related securities.  securities it guarantees. Some Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities transactions include a smaller, subordinate tranche of securities issued to third parties that are not guaranteed by Farmer Mac, which helps to offset Farmer Mac's credit risk on these transactions.


Farmer Mac is obligated under its guarantee on the securities to make timely payments to investors of interest and principal (including balloon payments) and interest based on the scheduled payments on the underlying loans,, regardless of whether Farmer Mac or the related trust has actually received those scheduled payments. Farmer Mac's guarantee fees typically are collected out of installment payments made on the underlying loans until those loans have been repaid, purchased out of the trust, or otherwise liquidated (generally as a result of default). The aggregate amount of guarantee fees received on Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities depends on the amount of those securities outstanding and on the applicable guarantee fee rate, which Farmer Mac's charter caps at 50 basis points (0.50%) per year.  The amount of Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities outstanding is influenced by the repayment rates on the underlying loans and by the rate at which

From time to time, Farmer Mac issues new Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, including as a result of conversions from LTSPCs.  In general, when the level of interest rates declines significantly below the interest rates on loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, the rate of prepayments is likely to increase. Conversely, when interest rates rise above the interest rates on the loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, the rate of prepayments is likely to decrease.  In addition to changes in interest rates, the timing of principal payments on Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities also is influenced by a variety of economic, demographic, and other considerations.

Of the $19.7 billion outstanding principal balance of assets in Farmer Mac's four lines of business as of December 31, 2018, $1.7 billion were in the form of Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities created from the deposit of eligible loan assets into securitization trusts that issue "pass-through" certificates


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representing interests in the underlying assets. This type of securitization structure may involve the deposit of either whole loans or loan participation interests into the trusts.

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had outstanding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities of $1.5 billion that represent interests in whole loans and $135.9 million that represent interests in loan participations as a result of conversions from LTSPCs. Both types of transactions involve the deposit of eligible assets into securitization trusts along with all of the rights under related agreements that provide for, among other things, remedies for any breaches of representations and warranties made by the lender and the servicing of the underlying assets. In each of these transactions, the related trust has issued securities that represent interests in the assets of the trust and that Farmer Mac guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest.

For Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities that result from the conversion of LTSPCs, a 100% participation in the cash flows associated with each loan formerly subject to the LTSPC, rather than the whole loan, is deposited into the securitization trust. These transactions involve loan participations for reasons unique to the counterparties that have elected these conversions, all of whom are members of the FCS. Loans made by FCS institutions to farmers and ranchers have, by statute, specified loan and collateral actions to which borrowers are entitled, known as "borrower rights." Farmer Mac does not have the ability to offer all of the prescribed borrower rights without the involvement of another FCS counterparty. In recognition of this and Farmer Mac's desire not to disrupt the borrower's relationship with the originating FCS lender and expectations about how the loan will be serviced, Farmer Mac developed the participation interest securitization structure for FCS loans with borrower rights. The deposit of participation interests into securitization trusts permits the legal ownership of the related loan to remain with the FCS counterparty, together with the servicing and borrower rights related to the loan. Farmer Mac, in its role as trustee, generally has the right to give or withhold consent to the exercise of remedies as to each related loan. The FCS servicers in these transactions are also the holders of the related Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, which have the same economic benefit to the holder from a cash flow perspective as a securitization of whole loans. See "—Servicing" for more information about the servicing of loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.

For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, Farmer Mac sold Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities in the amounts of $255.1 million and $363.5 million, respectively.  No gains or losses resulted from these sales in either 2018 or 2017.  During 2018 and 2017, there were no conversions of LTSPCs into Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.  During fourth quarter 2018, Farmer Mac repurchased the 100% participation interests in loans underlying a pool of $134.1 million in Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at par, thereby redeeming the corresponding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from their sole security holder. Farmer Mac repurchased these participation interests at the request of the sole security holder in exchange for the termination of the participation interests and the reconveyance of all beneficial interest in the loans to the sole security holder that owned the loans in which the participation interests had been issued. The resulting pool of Farm & Ranch loans was concurrently added under LTSPCs. The commitment fee Farmer Mac receives on these loans added under LTSPCs is the same as the guarantee fee Farmer Mac had been earning on the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.

As of December 31, 2018, the aggregate principal balance of the loans that backed Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, which may or may not be consolidated on-balance sheet depending on the primary beneficiary determination described above, was $1.7 billion.  See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Business Volume." 



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Underwriting and Collateral Valuation (Appraisal) Standards

As required by Farmer Mac's charter, Farmer Mac has established underwriting, security appraisal, and repayment standards for eligible loans considering the nature, risk profile, and other differences between different categories of eligible loans.  The charter prescribes that the following minimum standards must be applied to agricultural real estate mortgage loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business:

provide that no loan with a loan-to-value ratio ("LTV") more than 80% may be eligible;
require each borrower to demonstrate sufficient cash flow to adequately service the loan;
require sufficient documentation standards;
protect the integrity of the appraisal process for any loan; and
confirm that the borrower is or will be actively engaged in agricultural production.

In addition to these minimum standards, agricultural mortgage loans on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure (such as loans purchased or underlying LTSPCs or Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities) are also typically required to meet more specific underwriting standards established by Farmer Mac, as described below.

Farmer Mac relies on the combined expertise of experienced internal agricultural credit underwriters and loan servicers, along with external agricultural loan servicing and collateral valuation contractors, to perform the necessary underwriting, servicing, and collateral valuation functions on Farm & Ranch loans.

Underwriting.  To manage Farmer Mac's credit risk and to provide guidance for the management, administration, and conduct of underwriting to all participating and potential Farm & Ranch lenders, Farmer Mac has adopted credit underwriting standards that vary by loan type and loan product.  Farmer Mac developed these standards based on industry practices for similar mortgage loans and designed them to assess the creditworthiness of the borrower, as well as the risk to Farmer Mac for having assumed the credit risk on those loans.  Farmer Mac also requires Farm & Ranch lenders to make representations and warranties about the conformity of eligible mortgage loans to these standards and any other requirements that Farmer Mac may impose from time to time.  Farmer Mac has the ability to require repurchase of the loan upon a material breach of these representations and warranties. The underwriting standards described in this section apply to Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch loans other than part-time farm and rural housing loans, whose underwriting standards more closely resemble generally accepted industry standards for residential lending, including fully verified repayment capacity and use of credit scores.

Farmer Mac's credit underwriting standards for Farm & Ranch loans generally require that the original LTV of any loan not exceed 70%. Farmer Mac may require lower original LTV thresholds for some categories of loans, such as loans secured by property located in certain geographic regions, unseasoned loans, single purpose facility loans, and loans exceeding certain dollar thresholds. Farmer Mac, from time to time, allows higher LTV thresholds for loans secured by swine and poultry facilities that are supported by a strong production contract with a reputable processor (up to 75% original LTV) and rural housing and part-time farm loans secured primarily by owner-occupied residences (up to 80% original LTV).  The original LTV of a loan is calculated by dividing the loan's principal balance at the time of guarantee, purchase, or commitment by the lower of the appraised value or the purchase price at the date of loan origination or, when available, updated appraised value at the time of guarantee, purchase, or commitment.



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For newly originated Farm & Ranch loans, Farmer Mac's credit underwriting standards include:
pro forma total debt service coverage ratio supported by historical profitability, including farm and non-farm income, of 1.25 or higher;
pro forma debt-to-asset ratio of 50% or less; and
pro forma ratio of current assets to current liabilities of 1.25 or higher.

Farmer Mac evaluates these standards on an ongoing basis based on current and anticipated market conditions, and adjusts these standards as Farmer Mac determines is necessary. Farmer Mac also uses an interest rate shock test for adjustable rate Farm & Ranch loans with initial reset periods of less than five years.

Farmer Mac includes its facility loans, such as dairy and processing facilities, in its Farm & Ranch line of business. Farmer Mac defines a facility loan as a loan secured by agricultural real estate with building improvements (other than a residence) that contribute more than 60% of the appraised value of the property. The credit underwriting standards for facility loans are the same as for other Farm & Ranch loans except that certain facility loans are required to have a more stringent total debt service coverage ratio, including farm and non-farm income, of 1.35 or higher.

Loans not exceeding $1.5 million that are secured by eligible collateral with original LTVs not greater than 55% made to borrowers with high consumer credit scores and adequate financial resources may be accepted without further underwriting tests being applied.  

Loans not exceeding $750,000 that are secured by eligible collateral with original LTVs not greater than 55% made to borrowers that meet certain criteria under a scoring model referencing consumer and commercial financial data used by Farmer Mac may be accepted without further underwriting tests being applied.

Farmer Mac's underwriting standards provide for the acceptance of a loan that, in the judgment of the Farmer Mac underwriter, is a sound loan with a high probability of repayment in accordance with its terms even though the loan does not meet one or more of the underwriting ratios usually required for loans of that type.  In those cases, Farmer Mac permits approval of a loan if it:
has compensating strengths, which means it exceeds minimum requirements for one or more of the underwriting standards to a degree that compensates for noncompliance with one or more other standards; and
is made to a producer of particular agricultural commodities or products in a segment of agriculture in which the compensating strengths are typical of the financial condition of sound borrowers in that segment.

Although underwriting approvals may be made based on compensating strengths, no loan will be approved if it does not at least meet all of the minimum standards prescribed by Farmer Mac's charter.

Farmer Mac's use of compensating strengths is not intended to provide a basis for waiving or lessening the requirement that eligible mortgage loans under the Farm & Ranch line of business be of consistently high quality.  Loans approved based on compensating strengths are fully underwritten and have experienced cumulative rates of loss following default no different than loans approved based on conformity with all applicable underwriting ratios. 


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For a seasoned loan, Farmer Mac considers sustained historical performance to be a reliable alternative indicator of a borrower's ability to pay the loan according to its terms.  In the Farm & Ranch line of business, a seasoned loan generally will be eligible if:
it has been outstanding for at least five years and has an LTV of 60% or less;
there have been no payments more than 30 days past due during the three-year period before the date the loan is either purchased by Farmer Mac or made subject to an LTSPC; and
there have been no material restructurings or modifications for credit reasons during the previous five years.

A seasoned loan that has been outstanding for more than one year but less than five years must substantially comply with the applicable underwriting standards for newly originated loans as of the date the loan was originated by the lender.  

Farmer Mac performs due diligence before purchasing, guaranteeing securities backed by or committing to purchase seasoned loans, including:
evaluating loan database information to determine conformity to the criteria set forth in the preceding paragraphs;
confirming that loan file data conform to database information;
validating supporting credit information in the loan files; and
reviewing loan documentation and collateral valuations.

Farmer Mac performs these and other due diligence procedures using methods that consider the size, age, leverage, industry sector, and nature of the collateral for the loans.

Required documentation for all loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business includes a first lien mortgage or deed of trust, a written promissory note, and assurance of Farmer Mac's lien position through either a title insurance policy or title opinion from an experienced real estate attorney in any geographic area where title insurance is not the industry practice.

As Farmer Mac develops new credit products, it establishes underwriting guidelines for them.  Those guidelines result in industry-specific measures that meet or exceed the minimum underwriting standards contained in Farmer Mac's charter and provide Farmer Mac with the flexibility to deliver the benefits of a secondary market to farmers, ranchers, and rural homeowners in diverse sectors of the rural economy. Farmer Mac does not require that each loan's compliance with the applicable underwriting standards be re-evaluated after Farmer Mac purchases the loan or approves it for inclusion in a pool that backs Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities or an LTSPC pool.

Collateral Valuation Standards.  Farmer Mac has adopted collateral valuation standards for newly originated loans purchased or underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities or LTSPCs.  Those standards require, among other things, that a current valuation be performed, or have been performed within the preceding 12 months, independently of the credit decision-making process.  Farmer Mac generally requires appraisals to conform to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice ("USPAP") promulgated by the Appraisal Standards Board.



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Farmer Mac's collateral valuation standards require that the valuation function be conducted or administered by an individual who meets specific qualification and competence criteria and who:
is not associated, except by the engagement for the collateral valuation, with the credit underwriters making the loan decision, though the appraiser or evaluator and the credit underwriter may be directly or indirectly employed by a common employer;
receives no financial or professional benefit of any kind by virtue of the report content, valuation, or credit decision made, or based on the valuation report; and
has no present or contemplated future direct or indirect interest in the property serving or to serve as collateral.

Farmer Mac's collateral valuation standards require uniform reporting of reliable and credible opinions of the market value based on analyses of comparable property sales, including consideration of the property's income-producing capacity and, if relevant, the market's response to the cost of improvements, as well as information about market trends.  For seasoned loans, Farmer Mac obtains collateral valuation updates as considered necessary in its assessment of collateral risk determined in the due diligence process.  If a current or updated collateral valuation is required for a seasoned loan, the collateral valuation standards described above would apply.

Portfolio Diversification

It is Farmer Mac's policy to diversify its portfolio of loans held and loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs, both geographically and by agricultural commodity or product.  Farmer Mac directs its marketing efforts toward agricultural lenders throughout the nation to achieve commodity or product and geographic diversification in its exposure to credit risk.  Farmer Mac evaluates its credit exposure in particular geographic regions and commodities or products relative to the total principal amount of all outstanding loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.

Farmer Mac is not obligated to assume credit risk on every loan that meets its underwriting and collateral valuation standards submitted by an eligible participant.  Farmer Mac may consider other factors, such as its overall portfolio diversification, commodity and farming forecasts, and risk management objectives, in deciding whether to accept a loan as part of the Farm & Ranch line of business.  For example, if industry forecasts indicate possible weakness in a geographic area or agricultural commodity or product, Farmer Mac may decide not to purchase or commit to purchase an affected loan as part of managing Farmer Mac's overall portfolio exposure to areas of possible heightened risk exposure.  Because Farmer Mac effectively assumes the credit risk on all loans underlying an LTSPC, Farmer Mac's commodity or product and geographic diversification disclosures reflect all loans underlying LTSPCs and any loans purchased out of LTSPC pools.  For information about the diversification of Farmer Mac's existing portfolio, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees" and Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements.

Approved Lenders

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had 705 approved lenders eligible to participate in Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch line of business, ranging from single-office to multi-branch institutions, spanning community banks, FCS institutions, mortgage companies, mortgage funds, commercial banks, and insurance companies, compared to 680 eligible approved lenders as of December 31, 2017.  Besides participating directly in the Farm & Ranch line of business, some approved lenders facilitate indirect


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participation by other lenders by managing correspondent networks of lenders from which the approved lenders purchase loans to sell to Farmer Mac.  As of December 31, 2018, of the 705 approved lenders eligible to participate, 165 lenders had been active participants in the Farm & Ranch line of business during the previous 12 months by either selling at least one loan to Farmer Mac or entering into an LTSPC transaction with Farmer Mac, compared to 196 out of 680 approved lenders as of December 31, 2017.

To be considered for approval as a participant in the Farm & Ranch line of business, a lender must meet criteria that Farmer Mac establishes.  Those criteria include these requirements:
own a requisite amount of Farmer Mac common stock according to a schedule prescribed for the size and type of institution;
have, in the judgment of Farmer Mac, the ability and experience to make or purchase and sell loans eligible for Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch line of business and service those loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's requirements either through the lender's own staff or through contractors and originators;
maintain a minimum adjusted net worth; and
enter into a Seller/Servicer Agreement, which requires compliance with the terms of Farmer Mac's Seller/Servicer Guide, including providing representations and warranties about the eligibility of the loans and accuracy of loan data provided to Farmer Mac.

Servicing

Farmer Mac generally does not directly service the loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business, although in some cases Farmer Mac may assume direct servicing for defaulted loans.  Farmer Mac serves in the role of master servicer for Farm & Ranch loans held by Farmer Mac and for whole loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. In that capacity, Farmer Mac contracts with other institutions, known as central servicers, to undertake most of the servicing responsibilities for the loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's specified servicing requirements. For these loans, the central servicer may or may not be the same entity as the lender that sold the loans to Farmer Mac, and the originating lenders may retain some direct borrower contacts, referred to as "field servicing" functions. Field servicers may enter into contracts with Farmer Mac's central servicers that specify the retained servicing functions.  

Loans related to the participation interests underlying Farm & Ranch GuaranteedUSDA Securities that result from the conversion of LTSPCs are serviced for the benefit of Farmer Mac, as trusteeit has purchased and guarantor, by the FCS institution that participated the loans to Farmer Mac. The servicer of those loans is usually also the holder of the related Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. In those transactions, the FCS servicer is required to service the loans related to the securitized participation interests in a commercially reasonable manner and in substantial compliance with Farmer Mac's servicing requirements for Farm & Ranch loans. Those servicers are also required to give effect to all statutory borrower rights applicable to the loans and have shared power with Farmer Mac for some servicing actions to ensure this. The loans related to the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities that result from the conversion of loans formerly subject to an LTSPC are the only loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business that are subject to a shared power servicing provision.

Loans underlying LTSPCs are serviced by the holders of those loans in accordance with those lenders' servicing procedures, which Farmer Mac reviews before entering into those transactions.



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In summary, the substance of all servicing for loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business is performed in a manner consistent with Farmer Mac's servicing requirements, with some special servicing for the assets underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities resulting from LTSPC conversions to accommodate the borrower rights regime unique to loans originated by FCS institutions.

USDA Guarantees

General

Farmer Mac started its USDA Guarantees line of business in 1991 after Congress revised Farmer Mac's charter to provide that:
USDA-guaranteed portions of loans (which Farmer Mac refers to as "USDA Securities") guaranteed under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. § 1921 et seq.) are statutorily included in the definition of loans eligible for the secondary market programs provided by Farmer Mac;
USDA Securities are exempted from the credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other standards that other loans must meet to be eligible for the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac, and are exempted from any diversification and internal credit enhancement that may be required of pools of other eligible loans; and
Farmer Mac is authorized to pool and issue Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities backed by USDA Securities.

Since January 2010, nearly all purchases of USDA Securities have been madeguarantees securities issued by Farmer Mac II LLC a subsidiary of Farmer Mac that operates substantially all of the business related to the USDA Guarantees line of business.  Farmer Mac operates only that part of the business that involves issuing Farmer Mac Guaranteedbacked by USDA Securities to investors other than Farmer Mac or Farmer Mac II LLC. Although Farmer Mac II LLC may issue securities in these transactions,that it has purchased. Farmer Mac II LLC does not guarantee any USDA Securities it holds or any Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities issued by Farmer Mac or Farmer Mac II LLC.

Summary of USDA Guarantees Transactions

Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities backed by USDA Securities.  Farmer Mac does not guarantee the repayment of the USDA Securities themselves. During 2018, 2017, and 2016, Farmer Mac and Farmer Mac II LLC conducted USDA Guarantees transactions with 224, 222, and 222 entities, respectively.

The following table presents purchase activity in the USDA Guarantees line of business for each of the years indicated, including the amounts retained by Farmer Mac and securitized and sold to lenders or other investors in the form of Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities. The table also sets forth the amount of net growth or decrease in each of these categories, after maturities, principal paydowns, and sales:



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   For the Year Ended December 31,
   2018 2017 2016
 Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease)
   (in thousands)
Purchased and retained$332,270
 $52,537
 $375,715
 $113,217
 $383,303
 $78,349
Purchased and sold127,851
 110,870
 155,969
 144,622
 97,954
 97,749
Total$460,121
 $163,407
 $531,684
 $257,839
 $481,257
 $176,098

In addition to the purchases of USDA Securities made by Farmer Mac II LLC in 2017, Farmer Mac purchased for its liquidity investment portfolio $45.0 million of USDA Securities that were not eligible for Farmer Mac's USDA Guarantees line of business because the related USDA guarantees were issued under authority other than the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. Farmer Mac did not make a similar purchase in 2018 or 2016.

The following table presents the outstanding balance of USDA Securities and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities as of the dates indicated:

 As of December 31,
 2018 2017
 (in thousands)
On-balance sheet:   
USDA Securities$2,120,553
 $2,068,017
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities27,383
 29,980
Off-balance sheet:   
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities367,684
 254,217
Total$2,515,620
 $2,352,214


United States Department of Agriculture Guaranteed Loan Programs

The USDA, acting through its agencies, currently administers the federal rural credit programs first developed in the mid-1930s.  The USDA makes direct loans and guarantees portions of loans made and serviced by USDA-qualified lenders for various purposes.  The USDA's guarantee is supported by the full faith and credit of the United States.  The USDA guarantees up to 95% of the principal amount of guaranteed loans.  Through its USDA Guarantees line of business, Farmer Mac is one of several competing purchasers of USDA Securities representing the USDA-guaranteed portions of farm ownership loans, farm operating loans, business and industry loans, community facilities loans, and other loans. The guaranteed portions of these loans are fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the USDA.

USDA Guarantees.  Each USDA guarantee is a full faith and credit obligation of the United States and becomes enforceable if a lender fails to repurchase the portion of the loan that is guaranteed by the USDA from its holder within 30 days after written demand from the holder when:
the borrower under the guaranteed loan is in default at least 60 days in the payment of any principal or interest due on the USDA-guaranteed portion of the loan; or


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the lender has failed to remit to the holder the payment made by the borrower on the USDA-guaranteed portion of the loan or any related loan subsidy within 30 days after the lender's receipt of the payment.

If the lender does not repurchase the USDA-guaranteed portion as provided above, the USDA is required to purchase the unpaid principal balance of the USDA-guaranteed portion together with accrued interest (including any loan subsidy) to the date of purchase, less the lender's servicing fee, within 60 days after written demand upon the USDA by the holder.  While the USDA guarantee will not cover the note interest to the holder on USDA-guaranteed portions accruing after 90 days from the date of the original demand letter of the holder to the lender requesting repurchase, Farmer Mac has established procedures to require prompt demand on the USDA to purchase USDA-guaranteed portions that have not been repurchased by the lender.

If, in the opinion of the lender (with the concurrence of the USDA) or in the opinion of the USDA, repurchase of the USDA-guaranteed portion is necessary to service the related guaranteed loan adequately, the holder is required to sell the USDA-guaranteed portion to the lender or USDA for an amount equal to the unpaid principal balance and accrued interest on such USDA-guaranteed portion less the lender's servicing fee.  Federal regulations prohibit the lender from repurchasing USDA-guaranteed portions for arbitrage purposes.

Lenders.  Any lender authorized by the USDA to obtain a USDA guarantee on a loan may participate in Farmer Mac's USDA Guarantees line of business.  During the years ended 2018 and 2017, 224 and 222 lenders, respectively, consisting mostly of community and regional banks, sold USDA Securities to Farmer Mac.

Loan Servicing.  The lender on each USDA guaranteed loan is required by regulation to retain the unguaranteed portion of the guaranteed loan, to service the entire underlying guaranteed loan, including the USDA-guaranteed portion, and to remain mortgagee and/or secured party of record.  The USDA-guaranteed portion and the unguaranteed portion of the loan are to be secured by the same collateral with equal lien priority.  The USDA-guaranteed portion of a loan cannot be paid later than, or in any way be subordinated to, the related unguaranteed portion.


Rural UtilitiesInfrastructure Finance

General


Farmer Mac's charter authorizes the purchase of, and guarantee of securities backed by, loans (including participation interests in loans) for electric (including renewable electric energy) or telephonetelecommunications facilities by lenders organized as cooperatives to borrowers that have received or are eligible to receive loans under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 ("REA"). The REA is administered by the Rural Utilities Service ("RUS"), an agency of the USDA. All of Farmer Mac's businessMac refers to date under the Rural Utilities line of business has involvedeligible loans made to an electric distribution cooperatives orfacility, an electric generation and transmission ("G&T") cooperativesfacility, or a telecommunications facility as "Rural Utilities loans" and none of itrefers to date has involved telecommunicationseligible loans made to renewable electric energy facilities as "Renewable Energy loans."

Farmer Mac's Rural UtilitiesInfrastructure Finance line of business encompasses purchases of eligible rural utilitiesRural Utilities loans and Renewable Energy loans and guarantees of securities backed by those loans, as well as LTSPCs for pools of eligible rural utilities loans.



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Summary of Rural Utilities Transactions

loans. The following table summarizesvast majority of Farmer Mac's business activity into date under the Rural UtilitiesInfrastructure Finance line of business for each of the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016. The table also sets forth the amount of net growth or decrease inhas involved Rural Utilities loans heldmade to electric facilities (primarily electric distribution cooperatives and electric generation and transmission cooperatives). During 2021, Farmer Mac purchased $132.2 million of loans underlying LTSPCs, after maturities, principal paydowns, and draws:loan commitments to telecommunications companies that provide wireless, cable, fiber transport, and broadband services to rural America as part of its strategic initiative to provide further support for the telecommunications industry. Also during 2021, Farmer Mac purchased $31.2 million of Renewable Energy loans as part of its strategic initiative to support rural renewable energy projects.

 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease)
 (in thousands)
Loans$11,645
 $(137,448) $137,341
 $76,779
 $50,491
 $(8,614)
LTSPCs
 (153,069) 
 (72,256) 441,404
 355,734
Total$11,645
 $(290,517) $137,341
 $4,523
 $491,895
 $347,120

The following table presents the outstanding balances of Rural Utilities loans held as of the dates indicated:

 As of December 31,
 2018 2017
 (in thousands)
On-balance sheet:   
Loans$938,843
 $1,076,291
Off-balance sheet:   
LTSPCs(1)
653,272
 806,342
Total$1,592,115
 $1,882,633
(1)
Includes $17.0 million and $20.0 million related to one-year loan purchase commitments on which Farmer Mac receives a nominal unused commitment fee as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Loan Eligibility

To be eligible for Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business, a Rural Utilities loan (or a participation interest in a loan) must:
be for an electric or telephone facility by a lender organized as a cooperative to a borrower that has received or is eligible to receive a loan under the REA;
be performing and not more than 30 days delinquent; and
meet Farmer Mac's underwriting standards described in more detail below.


Underwriting and Collateral Standards


Farmer Mac's charter does not specify minimum underwriting criteria for eligible Rural Utilities loans under the Rural Utilities line of business.or Renewable Energy loans. To manage Farmer Mac's credit risk, to mitigate the risk of loss from borrower defaults, and to provide guidance for the management, administration, and conduct of underwriting to participants in the Rural UtilitiesInfrastructure Finance line of business, Farmer Mac has adopted credit underwriting standards that vary by loan product and by loan type, based on whether loans are made to electric distribution cooperatives or G&T cooperatives.type. These standards are based on industry

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practices for similar Rural Utilities and Renewable Energy loans and are designed to assess the creditworthiness of the borrower, as well as


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the risk to Farmer Mac.

For Rural Utilities loans, Farmer Mac reviews lenders' credit submissions and analyzes borrowers' audited financial statements and financial and operating reports typically filed with RUS and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to confirm that loans meet Farmer Mac's underwriting standards for Rural Utilities loans. In most cases, Farmer Mac also requires sellers of rural utilities loans to make representations and warranties about the conformity of eligible loans to these standards and any other requirements that Farmer Mac may impose from time to time.  Farmer Mac has the ability to require repurchase of the loan upon a material breach of these representations and warranties.

In addition to the loan eligibility criteria described above for Rural Utilities loans, Farmer Mac has developed different underwriting standards for loans that depend on whether the borrower is an electric distribution cooperative or a G&T cooperative. Farmer Mac's credit underwriting standards for all rural utilities loans on which it assumes direct credit exposure (i.e., with no general obligation of a lender involved in the transaction) require:
each borrower to demonstrate sufficient cash flow to adequately service the loan; and
each borrower's leverage position to be adequate based on industry standards.

For a newly originated loan to a distribution cooperative on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure, the borrower typically must, among other criteria set forth in Farmer Mac's credit underwriting standards, meet the following ratios (based on the average of the most recent three years):
the ratio of long-term debt to "net utility plant" does not exceed 90%;
the modified debt service coverage ratio (the cooperative's available cash plus patronage capital credits allocated to the cooperative, relative to debt expense) equals or exceeds 1.35; and
the ratio of equity to total assets equals or exceeds 20%.

The "net utility plant" means the real and tangible personal property of a rural utilities borrower constituting the long-term assets of property, plant, and equipment (PPE), less depreciation, computed in accordance with applicable accounting requirements.

For a newly originated loan to a G&T cooperative on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure, the borrower typically must, among other criteria set forth in Farmer Mac's credit underwriting standards, meet the following ratios (based on the average of the most recent three years):

the equity to total assets ratio equals or exceeds 10%;
the modified debt service coverage ratio equals or exceeds 1.10;
the debt to EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) ratio does not exceed 12; and
the aggregate members' equity to total capitalization ratio equals or exceeds 25%.

The due diligence Farmer Mac performs before purchasing, or guaranteeing securities backed by, Rural Utilities loans includes:
evaluating loan database information to determine conformity to Farmer Mac's underwriting standards;
confirming that loan file data conforms to database information;
validating supporting credit information in the loan files; and
reviewing loan documentation.


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Farmer Mac is not obligated to assume credit risk on every rural utilities loan submitted to Farmer Mac that meets its underwriting and collateral valuation standards.  Farmer Mac may consider other factors, such as portfolio diversification, in deciding whether to accept the loans. Farmer Mac may also accept loans that do not meet all underwriting standards if the loan has compensating strengths.

Collateral

It is customary in loans to electric distribution cooperatives and G&Telectric generation and transmission cooperatives for the lender or lender group to take a security interest in substantially all of the borrower's assets. When Farmer Mac purchases a Rural Utilities loan with a pledge of all assets and a lender also has a lien on all assets, Farmer Mac verifies that a lien accommodation resultswill result in either a shared first lien or a first lien in favor of Farmer Mac. When debt indentures are used, Farmer Mac determines if available collateral is adequate to support the loan program and Farmer Mac's investment. As of December 31, 2018, substantially all of the Rural Utilities loans held by Farmer Mac consisted of loans with a pledge of all assets. Farmer Mac sometimesalso purchases unsecured Rural Utilities loans (primarily electric generation and transmission loans) that meet stricterFarmer Mac's underwriting standards than those described above under "—Underwriting." In accordance with Farmer Mac's internal policies, the total outstanding balance of unsecured Rural Utilities loans may not exceed $100 million. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac held $3.2 million offor unsecured Rural Utilities loans.


Servicing

Farmer Mac generally does not directly service the Rural Utilities loans held in its portfolio.  Those loans are serviced byFor a servicer designated by Farmer Mac. As of December 31, 2018, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation ("CFC") serviced all of the Rural Utilities loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio. CFC is a related party to Farmer Mac because of its stock ownership in Farmer Mac. As of December 31, 2018, CFC held approximately 8% of Farmer Mac's outstanding Class A voting common stock (or approximately 5% of total voting shares). See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Related Party Transactions."

Approved Lenders

Farmer Mac's charter requires eligible rural utilities loans to be by a lender organized as a cooperative.  Currently, the primary rural utilities lenders that are cooperatives are CFC and CoBank, ACB and its affiliate CoBank, FCB (collectively, "CoBank"), institutions of the FCS.  As of December 31, 2018, CFC was the only lender to have participated in Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business. On February 19, 2019, we purchased a $546 million portfolio of participations in seasoned Rural Utilities loans from CoBank under a masterRenewable Energy loan, participation agreement entered into on February 13, 2019. CoBank is a related party to Farmer Mac because of its stock ownership in Farmer Mac. For more information, please refer to the Current Report on Form 8-K that we filed with the SEC on February 20, 2019.

Portfolio Diversification

Rural utilities loans are made throughout the entire United States.  Farmer Mac analyzes the geographic distribution of loans to cooperatives and considers regional concentration levels as part of its business activities under the Rural Utilities line of business.  As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had direct credit exposure on 1,135 loans to electric cooperatives constituting $1.6 billion across 39 states.



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Farmer Mac's charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size for an eligible rural utilities loan. For these loans, Farmer Mac generally does not assume more than $50.0 million in cumulative direct credit exposure (e.g., loan purchases, LTSPCs, and non-AgVantage Rural Utilities Guaranteed Securities) to any one borrower or group of related borrowers. An internal policy approved by Farmer Mac's board of directors limits the cumulative direct credit exposure to any one borrower or group of related borrowers on rural utilities loans to 10% of Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ($72.8 million as of December 31, 2018). That internal policy also sets a limit of$75.0 million for cumulative loan exposure to any one borrower or related borrowers for indirect credit exposures on rural utilities loans (e.g., AgVantage transactions), with the amount of any direct exposure to a borrower not counting toward the $75.0 million limit.  See "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Institutional Credit." As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's direct credit exposure to rural utilities loans consisted of $1.2 billion in loans to distribution cooperatives and $0.4 billion in loans to G&T cooperatives.

Institutional Credit

Under the Institutional Credit line of business, Farmer Mac provides advances against eligible loans by guaranteeing and purchasing general obligations of institutions, including financial funds, approved by Farmer Mac, which obligations are also secured by the types of loans eligible for one of Farmer Mac's other lines of business.  Farmer Mac refers to these obligations as AgVantage® securities. Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on AgVantage securities and may retain AgVantage securities in its portfolio or sell them to third parties in the capital markets as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.  

Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure to the general credit of the issuers of AgVantage securitiesrelated standalone renewable energy project. These projects are typically financed on a non-recourse or limited recourse basis and assumes the ultimate credit risk of an issuer defaultunderwritten on the AgVantage securities.  Before approving an institution as an issuera projection basis with significant reliance placed on assumptions used in an AgVantage transaction, Farmer Mac assesses the issuer's creditworthiness as well as the credit quality and performance of the issuer's loan portfolio.  Farmer Mac continues to monitor the counterparty risk assessment on an ongoing basis after the AgVantage security is issued. In addition to being a general obligation of the issuer, AgVantage securities must be secured by eligible loans or guaranteed securities in an amount at least equal to the outstanding principal amount of the security. As a result,each project’s analysis. Farmer Mac has indirectimplemented methodologies and parameters to assess credit exposure torisk and has established specific underwriting criteria based on the loans or guaranteed securities that are pledged to secure the AgVantage securities, which would be available toproject and transaction construct and complexity. Farmer Mac thoroughly analyzes each prospective Renewable Energy loan. Farmer Mac performs quantitative assessments typically focused on projected debt service requirements, term and amortization review, interest rate sensitivity, and collateral analysis. Farmer Mac also performs qualitative assessments typically focused on the project sponsor's credentials and experience, off-take (cash flow) considerations, and concentration and other market considerations. Farmer Mac also typically undertakes a review of the project contracts and agreements for each Renewable Energy loan. Renewable Energy loans are typically secured by a first lien on the borrower's project assets, an assignment of the project contracts and agreements, a land or leasehold interest, and in certain cases, a pledge of the equity interests in the eventborrower entity. Farmer Mac's enforcement rights in any collateral securing a Renewable Energy loan may be subject to tax equity interests in the borrower's renewable energy project.

Lenders and Loan Servicing

Farmer Mac's charter requires loans in Farmer Mac's Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business to have been originated by a default bylender organized as a cooperative. Farmer Mac does not directly service the issuer.   

Loans pledged under AgVantage securitiesRural Utilities or Renewable Energy loans held in its portfolio. Typically, these loans are serviced by the issuers of the securities (or their affiliated servicing institutions) in accordance with that institution's servicing procedures.lender or other organization designated by Farmer Mac reviews thesethat has experience in servicing procedures before entering into those transactions. In AgVantage transactions, the issuer is requiredloans to remove from the pool of pledged collateral any loan that becomes more than 30 days delinquentutilities and renewable energy providers and in the paymentcontext of principal or interest and to replace the delinquent loan with another eligible loan that is current in payment to maintain the minimum required collateralization level.project finance, as applicable.


ForOther Products - Rural Infrastructure Finance

AgVantage Securities

Farmer Mac's portfolio of AgVantage securities secured by loans eligible for Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranchin its Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business Farmer Mac currently requires the general obligation to be over-collateralized, either by more eligible loans or any of the following types of assets:
cash;
includes securities issued by the U.S. Treasury or guaranteed by an agency or instrumentality of the United States;
other highly-rated securities; or


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other instruments approved by Farmer Mac.

The required collateralization level for the AgVantage securities secured by Farm & Ranch loans currently ranges from 103% to 125%. Within this range, Farmer Mac generally requires higher collateralization levels for securities issued by institutions without long-term debt ratings from a nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO").  The required collateralization level is established when the AgVantage facility is entered into with the counterparty and does not change during the life of the AgVantage securities issued under the facility unless mutually agreed by Farmer Mac and the counterparty.  

For AgVantage securitiescooperative lenders that are secured by Farm & Ranch loans, Farmer Mac requires that the loans meet the minimum standards set forth in the charter for those typespools of loans and that the value is supported by either appraisals that conform to USPAP or similar collateral valuation methods based on Farmer Mac's evaluation of the issuer's collateral valuation protocols and history. Although the charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a total borrower exposure for an eligible Farm & Ranch loan secured by 1,000 acres or less of agricultural real estate, for AgVantage transactions Farmer Mac currently limits the size of those loans to $75.0 million in cumulative exposure through a single lender to any one borrower or related borrowers (with the amount of any direct borrower exposure not counting toward the $75.0 million limit).  

Farmer Mac has tailored a version of its AgVantage product to focus on institutional investors in agricultural assets that qualify as collateral for the types of loans eligible for the Farm & Ranch line of business. Farmer Mac refers to this product variation as the Farm Equity AgVantage® product. This product has similar requirements for AgVantage securities secured by Farm & Ranch loans described above, but Farmer Mac also requires that Farm Equity AgVantage transactions and AgVantage transactions with smaller financial funds or entities (1) generally maintain a higher collateralization level, through lower loan-to-value ratio thresholds and higher overcollateralization requirements, and (2) generally contain specified financial covenants for the life of the related AgVantage security to avoid default. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had $279.8 million of outstanding Farm Equity AgVantage securities.

For AgVantage securities secured by loans eligible for Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business,loans. For these AgVantage securities, Farmer Mac requires:
 

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the counterparty issuing the general obligation to have a credit rating from an NRSROa nationally-recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO") that is at least investment grade, or be of comparable creditworthiness as determined through Farmer Mac's analysis; and
the collateral to be comprised of loans, or interests in loans, for electric or telephone facilities by a lender organized as a cooperative to a borrower that has received or is eligible to receive a loan under the REA;
the collateral to be classified as performing and not in payment default beyond the applicable cure period; and
the collateralization (consisting of current, performing loans) to be maintained at the contractually prescribed level, in an amount at least equal to the outstanding principal amount of the security.


Although Farmer Mac has only indirect credit exposure on the Rural Utilities loans pledged to secure AgVantage securities, the same underwriting standards that apply to loans made to distribution cooperativesRural Utilities borrowers on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure also apply to loans made to distribution cooperativesRural Utilities borrowers that secure the general obligation of the lender in AgVantage transactions. See "Business—


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Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities—Underwriting." For loans made to G&T cooperatives that secure the general obligation of the issuer in AgVantage transactions, the G&T cooperative must either (1) have a rating from an NRSRO of BBB- (or equivalent rating) or better or (2) meet the following underwriting standards (based on the average of the most recent three years):
the aggregate members' equity to total capitalization ratio equals or exceeds 25%;
the modified debt service coverage ratio equals or exceeds 1.10; and
the equity to total assets ratio equals or exceeds 10%.

securities. Farmer Mac's charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a total borrower exposure for an eligible Rural Utilities loan, but Farmer Mac's current limit for AgVantage transactions is $75.0 million for cumulative loan exposure to any one borrower or related borrowers (with the amount of any direct exposure to a borrower not counting towards the $75.0 million limit).


COMPETITION

Farmer Mac is the only federally-chartered corporation established to provide a secondary market for agricultural mortgage loans, rural infrastructure loans, and USDA Securities, but faces competition from other entities that purchase, retain, securitize, or provide financing for the types of assets eligible for Farmer Mac's secondary market activities. These entities include commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, other FCS institutions, financial funds, and certain government programs. Farmer Mac also permits upcompetes indirectly with originators of eligible loans that would prefer to 20%retain the loans they originate rather than sell them into the secondary market. Farmer Mac is able to compete to acquire eligible loans due to the variety of Rural Utilitiesproducts it offers and its ability to offer competitive funding structures and pricing to its customers. This enables Farmer Mac to provide flexible financing options and products designed to meet the varied needs of lending institutions related to capital requirements, liquidity, credit risk, and management of sector and geographic concentrations and borrower exposure limits. The relative competitiveness of Farmer Mac's loan rates and Farmer Mac's ability to develop business with lending institutions are affected by many factors, including:

the overall supply of capital available to agricultural and rural infrastructure borrowers;
the types and variety of products offered by Farmer Mac's competitors to meet the needs of Farmer Mac's customer base;
changes in the levels of available capital and liquidity of lending institutions;
the existence of alternative sources of funding and credit enhancement for lending institutions;
the rate of growth in the market for eligible loans; and
demand for Farmer Mac's products.

Because Farmer Mac's charter limits Farmer Mac's business to secondary-market activities, Farmer Mac's competitive position is affected by the willingness of originators to offer eligible loans pledgedfor sale in the secondary market or to secure AgVantage securitiesutilize Farmer Mac for funding syndicated or participated loans. The charter's limits on loan size for some Agricultural Finance mortgage loans, as well as the types of loans that are eligible for Farmer Mac's lines of business, also affect Farmer Mac's competitive position. For more information on government regulation of Farmer Mac, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac."


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Farmer Mac's ability to be unsecured or securedobtain competitive funding in the debt markets is essential to its ability to maintain its relative position with its customers. As a result, competition for debt investors with other debt-issuing institutions, such as the FCS, Federal Home Loan Banks, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and highly-rated financial institutions, can affect the price and volume at which Farmer Mac issues debt and therefore its ability to offer savings to customers in the form of competitive products.

CAPITAL AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Farmer Mac's charter prescribes the company's basic capital and corporate governance structure, as described below. The charter authorizes Farmer Mac to issue two classes of voting common stock, each of which elects one-third of Farmer Mac's 15-person board of directors. The charter also authorizes Farmer Mac to issue non-voting common stock.

Presidential appointments.  Five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors are individuals who meet the qualifications specified in the charter and are appointed by less than allthe President of the borrower's assets. AsUnited States with the advice and consent of December 31, 2018,the United States Senate (one of whom is designated as the chair of the board of directors). These appointed directors serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States with no set term.
Class A voting common stock.  The charter restricts ownership of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock to banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions or similar entities that are not institutions of the FCS. The charter also provides that five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors are elected by a plurality of the votes of the Class A stockholders each year. The charter limits the amount of Class A voting common stock that any one holder may own to no more than 33% of the outstanding shares of Class A voting common stock. Farmer Mac is not aware of any regulation applicable to non-FCS financial institutions that requires a minimum investment in Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock or that prescribes a maximum investment amount lower than the 33% limit set forth in the charter. Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AGM.A.

Class B voting common stock.  The charter restricts ownership of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock to FCS institutions and also provides that five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors are elected by a plurality of the votes of the Class B stockholders each year. The charter contains no restrictions on the maximum number or percentage of outstanding shares of Class B voting common stock that any one holder may own, and Farmer Mac is not aware of any regulation applicable to FCS institutions that requires a minimum investment in its Class B voting common stock or that prescribes a maximum amount. Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock, which has a limited market and trades infrequently, is not listed or quoted on any exchange or other quotation system, and Farmer Mac is not aware of any publicly available quotations or prices for this class of common stock.

Class C non-voting common stock.  The charter does not impose any ownership restrictions on Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock, and shares of this class are freely transferable. Farmer Mac uses Class C non-voting common stock for awards of equity-based compensation to officers, directors, and selected employees as part of the company's compensation programs. Holders of the Class C non-voting common stock do not vote on the election of directors or any other matter. Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AGM.

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The dividend and liquidation rights of all AgVantage securities securedthree classes of Farmer Mac's common stock are the same. Dividends may be paid on Farmer Mac's common stock only when, as, and if declared by eligible Rural Utilities loans wereFarmer Mac's board of directors in its sole discretion, subject to compliance with applicable capital requirements and the payment of dividends on any outstanding preferred stock issued by CFC, whichFarmer Mac. Upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the business of Farmer Mac, after payment and provision for payment of outstanding debt of Farmer Mac, the holders of shares of Farmer Mac's currently outstanding 6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C ("Series C Preferred Stock"), 5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D ("Series D Preferred Stock"), 5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E ("Series E Preferred Stock"), 5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F ("Series F Preferred Stock"), 4.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G ("Series G Preferred Stock"), and any other preferred stock then outstanding, would be paid at par value out of assets available for distribution, plus all declared and unpaid dividends, before the holders of shares of common stock received any payment. See also "Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities" for more information about Farmer Mac's common stock, and "Business—Financing—Equity Issuance" for more information about Farmer Mac's common stock and preferred stock.

Unlike some other GSEs such as other FCS institutions and the Federal Home Loan Banks, Farmer Mac is not structured as a cooperative owned exclusively by member institutions and established to provide services exclusively to its members. Rather, Farmer Mac, as a publicly-traded corporation, has a broader base of stockholders, including those who do not directly participate in the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac therefore seeks to fulfill its mission of serving the financing needs of rural America in a way that is consistent with providing a return on the investment of its stockholders.

Farmer Mac generally requires financial institutions to own a requisite amount of Farmer Mac common stock, based on the size and type of institution, to sell Agricultural Finance mortgage loans to Farmer Mac. As a result of this requirement, coupled with the ability of holders of Class A and Class B voting common stock to elect two-thirds of Farmer Mac's board of directors, Farmer Mac regularly conducts business with "related parties," including institutions affiliated with members of Farmer Mac's board of directors and institutions that own large amounts of Farmer Mac's voting common stock. Farmer Mac has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and related corporate policies that govern any conflicts of interest that may arise in these transactions. Farmer Mac also requires that any transactions with related parties be conducted in the ordinary course of business, with terms and conditions comparable to those available to any other counterparty not related to Farmer Mac. For more information about related party to Farmer Mac because of CFC's stock ownership in Farmer Mac. Seetransactions, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Related Party Transactions."Transactions" and Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.


As of December 31, 2018,

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Capital

Farmer Mac's charter establishes three capital standards for Farmer Mac had not experienced any credit losses, nor had it been called upon to make a guarantee payment to third parties,– minimum capital, critical capital, and risk-based capital.  Farmer Mac must comply with the higher of the minimum capital requirement and the risk-based capital requirement. Also, in accordance with the applicable FCA regulation on any of its AgVantage securities. For more information oncapital planning, Farmer Mac's AgVantage securities,board of directors oversees a policy that requires Farmer Mac to maintain a sufficient level of Tier 1 capital and restricts dividends and bonus payments if Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital falls below specified thresholds. For a discussion of Farmer Mac's capital requirements and its actual capital levels, as well as FCA's role in the establishment and monitoring of those requirements and levels, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Capital Standards," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Institutional.Balance Sheet Review—Equity,"

Summary of Institutional Credit Transactions

During the year ended December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac added $3.3 billion of gross new business volume under the Institutional Credit line of business. That gross new business volume was partially offset by repayments on existing assets (principal paydowns and maturities) during the year, resulting in $8.4 billion of total outstanding business volume in this line of business as of December 31, 2018, compared to $7.9 billion as of December 31, 2017. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Business Volume" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Institutional.Liquidity and Capital Resources—Capital Requirements." The following table summarizes activity in

Regulatory Oversight

Farmer Mac's charter assigns to FCA, acting through the Institutional Credit lineseparate Office of businessSecondary Market Oversight ("OSMO") within FCA, the responsibility for eachthe examination of the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016. The table also sets forth the amount of net growth in the purchases of AgVantage securities, after maturities, principal paydowns, and draws:

 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 Gross volume Net growth Gross volume Net growth Gross volume Net growth
 (in thousands)
AgVantage Securities$3,010,307
 $477,939
 $2,383,912
 $617,192
 $2,098,852
 $563,432
Revolving floating rate AgVantage facility300,000
 
 
 
 
 
 $3,310,307
 $477,939
 $2,383,912
 $617,192
 $2,098,852
 $563,432



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The following table presents the outstanding principal amount of AgVantage securities held by Farmer Mac and off-balance sheet AgVantage securities asthe general supervision of the dates indicated:safe and sound performance of the powers, functions, and duties vested in Farmer Mac by the charter. The charter also authorizes FCA, acting through OSMO, to apply its general enforcement powers to Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac's charter requires an annual examination of the financial transactions of Farmer Mac and authorizes FCA to assess Farmer Mac for the cost of FCA's regulatory activities, including the cost of any examination. Farmer Mac is also required to file quarterly reports of condition with OSMO. As a publicly-traded corporation, Farmer Mac also must comply with the periodic reporting requirements of the SEC. For a more detailed discussion of Farmer Mac's regulatory and governmental relationships, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac."


HUMAN CAPITAL

As of December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac employed 153 people, with 42 new employees hired during the year resulting in a net increase of 32 employees (26%) compared to year-end 2020. Farmer Mac primarily employs full-time employees to meet its business needs as it grows and evolves while supplementing human capital needs with part-time employees (including interns) and independent contractors and consultants as needed.

Farmer Mac's employees are located throughout the United States, often near many of its primary customers. As of December 31, 2021, 94 full-time employees were located in the Washington, D.C. area, 27 full-time employees were located in the Johnston, Iowa area, and 32 full-time employees worked on a fully remote basis (without regard to the COVID-19 pandemic) in other parts of the United States.

As a financial services organization, Farmer Mac must attract and retain a highly skilled workforce in an often competitive employment environment. We use traditional methods to attract and retain talent, such as competitive salaries and benefits, including: a generous group health plan with all premiums paid by Farmer Mac; an employer-funded 401(k) plan; group term life insurance and long-term disability insurance; and other voluntary benefits of interest to employees, such as pre-tax dependent care reimbursement, partially-funded health savings accounts, and access to group rates for legal services insurance, additional life insurance, and pet insurance. We also believe that our mission to serve agricultural and rural communities, as well as philanthropic activities we undertake in support of our mission, provide Farmer Mac an advantage in our efforts to attract and retain talent. During 2021, Farmer

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 As of December 31,
 2018 2017
 (in thousands)
On-balance sheet:   
AgVantage Securities$8,072,919
 $7,593,322
Off-balance sheet: 
  
AgVantage Securities$9,898
 $11,556
Revolving floating rate AgVantage facility(1)
300,000
 300,000
Total off-balance sheet$309,898
 $311,556
Total$8,382,817
 $7,904,878
(1)
During both 2018 and 2017, $100.0 million of this facility was drawn and later repaid. Farmer Mac receives a fixed fee based on the full dollar amount of the facility. If the counterparty draws on the facility, the amounts drawn will be in the form of AgVantage Securities, and Farmer Mac will earn interest income on those securities.

Mac contributed to Feeding America, Foodbank of Iowa, Common Good City Farm, DC and the Tribal Agriculture Fellowship (TAF) established by the Native American Agriculture Fund’s (NAAF). We also recognize that employee engagement is a key component in Farmer Mac's human capital retention strategy. Therefore, we seek to create an inclusive work culture that is diverse and collaborative, with a focus on long-term succession planning and professional development. Farmer Mac approaches learning through three primary pillars: compliance, cybersecurity, and professional development. We have largely relied on eLearning platforms, self-paced study, and some externally facilitated training to support all three pillars. Farmer Mac also offers an education assistance plan for employees with at least one year of full-time employment in an amount up to $50,000.00. We also use flexible work structures and technology to create incentives to join and remain with Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac experienced a 7.3% turnover rate in 2021, which was down from 9.6% in 2020.

COVID-19 Pandemic

We continued to execute our business in a mostly remote capacity during 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has compelled many companies, including Farmer Mac, to focus on how people work, as evidenced by our regular engagement with two “Future of Work” committees – one targeted at the employee level and the second including executive leaders. The committees are grounded in three fundamental principles: community, collaboration, and communication. In 2021, these committees contemplated the company’s vaccine policy, phased approach to resuming in-person work interactions, employee surveys, and general sentiments about the future of work. To ensure continuity in regular communications, we have continued to reinforce our employees' access to secure digital meeting platforms, and our senior executive team has continued to lead regular meetings of all employees to share pertinent information on Farmer Mac's business and operations, and to provide a forum for discussing current events. We also used this engagement opportunity to gauge the health and well-being of employees and to solicit their feedback, to which we responded with initiatives to address work/life balance, including added flexibility in working hours and paid time off.

We do not currently have an established timeline for a full-scale return of our employees to Farmer Mac's offices. We have adopted a phased approach to resuming in-person work interactions, with the current phase involving the ability for employees to work in one of Farmer Mac’s office locations on a voluntary basis in accordance with published health safety protocols. In the meantime, we remain confident in our employees' capacity to remain engaged and productive on a remote basis and are impressed with the resilience of our teams as we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

Farmer Mac's onboarding program includes a mandatory compliance session for every new hire and contract consultant within their first week. All employees also take annual training on and recertification of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which encompasses the following four core principles: (1) promoting a safe workplace and a respectful and inclusive culture, (2) conducting business lawfully, fairly, and objectively, (3) communicating responsibly and protecting information, and (4) conducting business diligently and being a good corporate citizen. Farmer Mac's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics was refreshed in May 2021 while maintaining this principles-based approach. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available at www.farmermac.com and is not incorporated by reference into this report.


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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

During 2021, we continued to strengthen our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion ("DEI") efforts within Farmer Mac's workforce. Farmer Mac's DEI council was formed in late 2020 at the direction of Farmer Mac's board of directors and senior executives. The DEI council consists of 12 rotating Farmer Mac employees with the assistance of outside DEI consultants. During 2021, the DEI council established a three-year DEI strategic plan and identified five key strategic priorities for Farmer Mac during the plan period: (1) establish a strong DEI foundation across the organization; (2) strengthen talent acquisition, selection, and retention processes; (3) enhance a culture of inclusion; (4) provide services to Farmer Mac's rural customers in a fair and equitable manner; and (5) ensure accountability by tracking, monitoring, and communicating progress with transparency. The council also identified several specific action items for execution under the strategic plan, including: development of a comprehensive DEI communication and education program for employees; identification of data and development of metrics to enhance diverse and inclusive hiring, retention, and promotion practices at Farmer Mac; analysis of diversity within Farmer Mac's loan portfolio and vendors; and establishment of key performance indicators to align Farmer Mac's DEI priorities with Farmer Mac's business plan objectives. The DEI council continues to work closely with members of Farmer Mac’s senior management to execute the DEI strategic plan and reports its progress regularly to Farmer Mac's board of directors.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

Farmer Mac makes available free of charge, through the "Investors" section of its internet website at www.farmermac.com, copies of materials it files with, or furnishes to, the SEC, including its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, and any amendments to those filings, as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing those materials with, or furnishing those materials to, the SEC. All references to www.farmermac.com in this report are inactive textual references only. The information contained on Farmer Mac's website is not incorporated by reference into this report.

FUNDING OF GUARANTEE AND LTSPC OBLIGATIONS


The main sources of funding for the payment of Farmer Mac's obligations under its guarantees and LTSPCs are the fees Farmer Mac receives for its guarantees and commitments, net effective spread, proceeds of debt issuances, loan repayments, and maturities of AgVantage securities. Farmer Mac satisfieshas traditionally satisfied its obligations under LTSPCs and its guarantees by purchasing defaulted loans out of the LTSPCs andor from related securitization trusts under the related trusts for Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.terms of the respective agreements governing the LTSPC or guaranteed securities. Farmer Mac typically recovers a significant portion of the value of defaulted loans purchased either through borrower payments, loan payoffs, payments by third parties, or foreclosure and sale of the property securing the loans. Net credit losses/(gains) arising from Farmer Mac's guarantees and commitments include charge-offs/(recoveries) against its allowance for losses, gains and losses on the sale of real estate owned ("REO"), which consists of real estate acquired through foreclosure (known as "real estate owned" or "REO"), and fair value adjustments of REOs held.  During 2018, Farmer Mac had net credit losses of $40,000, compared to net credit gains of $1.4 million during 2017. The net credit losses during 2018 included $7,000 of net losses on the sale of REO compared to $1.7 million of net gains during 2017.


Farmer Mac's charter requires Farmer Mac to maintain in its accounts a portion of the guarantee fees it receives from its guarantee activities as a reserve against losses. As of December 31, 2018,2021, this reserve against losses arising from Farmer Mac's guarantee activities was $80.8$110.5 million. Farmer Mac calculates the amount of this statutorily required reserve against losses arising from its guarantee activities based on the credit risk component of guarantee fees received on all Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities,securities it guarantees, including AgVantage

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securities. This amount does not represent either anticipated credit losses or estimated probableexpected credit losses and does not directly relate to either the allowance for loan losses or the reserve for losses in Farmer Mac's consolidated balance sheets. Rather, this is the amount of capital that must be exhausted before Farmer Mac may issue obligations to the U.S. Treasury against the $1.5 billion that Farmer Mac is statutorily authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to fulfill its guarantee obligations. That borrowing authority is not intended to be a routine funding source and has never been used. For a more detailed discussion of Farmer Mac's borrowing authority from the U.S. Treasury, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Authority to Borrow from the U.S. Treasury."


Farmer Mac's total outstanding guarantees and LTSPCs exceed the total of: (1) the amount held as an allowance for losses, (2) the amount maintained as a reserve against losses arising from guarantee


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activities, and (3) the amount Farmer Mac may borrow from the U.S. Treasury. However, Farmer Mac does not expect its future payment obligations under its guarantees and LTSPCs to exceed amounts available to satisfy those obligations, includingwhich includes access to the underlying collateral in the event of default. For information about Farmer Mac's allowance for losses, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees" and Note 2(j)2(h), Note 8, and Note 812 to the consolidated financial statements.  


FINANCING


Debt Issuance


Farmer Mac's charter authorizes Farmer Mac to issue debt obligations to purchase eligible loans USDA Securities, and Farmer Mac Guaranteedsecurities, USDA Securities, and to maintain reasonable amounts for business operations, includingof liquid investments to maintain an adequate supply of liquidity. Farmer Mac funds its purchases of eligible loanprogram assets and liquidity investment assets primarily by issuing debt obligations of various maturities in the public capital markets. Farmer Mac also issues debt obligations to obtain funds to finance its transaction costs and its obligations under guarantees and LTSPCs. Farmer Mac's debt obligations include discount notes and fixed and floating rate medium-term notes, including callable medium-term notes, all of which are unsecured general obligations of Farmer Mac. Discount notes have original maturities of 1 year or less. Medium-term notes generally have maturities of 6 months0.5 years to 1525.0 years.


The interest and principal on Farmer Mac's debt obligations are not guaranteed by, and do not constitute debts or obligations of, FCA, the United States, or any agency or instrumentality of the United States other than Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac is an institution of the FCS but is not liable for any debt or obligation of any other institution of the FCS. Likewise, neither the FCS nor any other individual institution of the FCS is liable for any debt or obligation of Farmer Mac. Income to the purchaser of a Farmer Mac discount note or medium-term note is not exempt under federal law from federal, state, or local taxation. Farmer Mac's discount notes and medium-term notes are not currently rated by an NRSRO.


Farmer Mac's board of directors has authorized the issuance of up to $20.0 billion of discount notes and medium-term notes (of which $16.2 billion was outstanding as of December 31, 2018), subject to periodic review of the adequacy of that level relative to Farmer Mac's borrowing needs.  Farmer Mac invests the proceeds of its debt issuances in loaneligible program asset purchases, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and liquidity investment assets in accordance with policies established by its board of directors that comply with FCA's Liquidity and Investment Regulations, which establish limitations on asset class, dollar amount, issuer concentration, and credit quality. Farmer Mac's regular debt issuance supports its access to the capital markets, and Farmer Mac's liquidity investment assets provide an alternative source of funds should market conditions be unfavorable.  Farmer Mac's current policies authorize liquidity investments in:
obligations of or fully guaranteed by the United States or a U.S. government agency;
obligations of or fully guaranteed by GSEs;
municipal securities;
international and multilateral development bank obligations;
money market instruments;
diversified investment funds;
asset-backed securities;
corporate debt securities; and
mortgage-backed securities.





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For more information about the Liquidity and Investment Regulations, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Other Investments.Liquidity and Capital Resources." For more information about Farmer Mac's outstanding investments and indebtedness, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Balance Sheet Review" and Note 4 and Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.


Equity Issuance


Farmer Mac's charter authorizes Farmer Mac to issue voting common stock, non-voting common stock, and non-voting preferred stock. Farmer Mac may obtain additional capital from future issuances of voting and non-voting common stock and non-voting preferred stock.


Common Stock


Only banks, other financial entities, insurance companies, and institutions of the FCS may hold voting common stock. No holder of Class A voting common stock may directly or indirectly be a beneficial owner of more than 33% of the outstanding shares of Class A voting common stock. There are no restrictions on the maximum number or percentage of outstanding shares of Class B voting common stock that may be held by an eligible stockholder. No ownership restrictions apply to Class C non-voting common stock, and those securities are freely transferable.


The dividend rights of all three classes of Farmer Mac's common stock are the same, and dividends may be paid on common stock only when, as, and if declared by Farmer Mac's board of directors in its sole discretion, subject to compliance with applicable capital requirements and the payment of dividends on outstanding preferred stock. Upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the business of Farmer Mac, after payment and provision for payment of outstanding debt of Farmer Mac, the holders of shares of preferred stock would be paid at par value out of assets available for distribution, plus all declared and unpaid dividends, before the holders of shares of common stock received any payment.


As of December 31, 2018,2021, the following shares of Farmer Mac common stock were outstanding:
 
1,030,780 shares of Class A voting common stock;
500,301 shares of Class B voting common stock; and
9,137,5509,235,205 shares of Class C non-voting common stock.


Farmer Mac's board of directors approved a share repurchase program during thirdDuring first quarter 2015 authorizing2020, Farmer Mac to repurchase up to $25.0 million of its outstanding Class C non-voting common stock for two years. In August 2017, Farmer Mac's board of directors approved the continuation of the share repurchase program on its existing terms through August 2019 for the repurchase of up to $5.4 million of Farmer Mac's outstanding Class C non-voting common stock. This is the amount that was remaining under the share repurchase program that Farmer Mac's board of directors originally authorized in third quarter 2015 for the repurchase of up to $25 million of outstanding Class C non-voting common stock. Farmer Mac did not repurchase any shares during 2018 or 2017 under this program. As of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, Farmer Mac had repurchased approximately 668,0004,000 shares of Class C non-voting common stock at a cost of approximately $19.6$0.2 million under a share repurchase program that Farmer Mac's board of directors approved in 2015 and modified in 2019. Shortly after these repurchases were completed, Farmer Mac indefinitely suspended its share repurchase program in an effort to preserve capital and liquidity in view of market volatility and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2021, Farmer Mac's board of directors reinstated the share repurchase program on its previous terms (with a remaining authorization of up to $9.8 million in stock repurchases) and extended the expiration date of the program to March 2023. As of December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac had repurchased approximately 673,000 shares of Class C non-voting common stock at a cost of approximately $19.8 millionunder the share repurchase program.program since 2015.





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The following table presents the dividends declared on Farmer Mac's common stock during and after 2018:

2021:
Date

Dividend

Declared
Per

Share

Amount
For

Holders Of

Record As Of
 Date

Paid
February 28, 201823, 2021$0.580.88March 19, 201816, 2021March 30, 201831, 2021
May 2, 2018June 1, 2021$0.580.88June 15, 20182021June 29, 201830, 2021
August 2, 201811, 2021$0.580.88September 14, 201815, 2021September 28, 201830, 2021
October 31, 2018November 10, 2021$0.580.88December 14, 201815, 2021December 31, 20182021
February 19, 201924, 2022$0.700.95March 15, 201916, 2022*
*  The dividend declared on February 19, 201924, 2022 is scheduled to be paid on March 29, 2019.31, 2022.


Farmer Mac's ability to declare and pay common stock dividends could be restricted if it were to fail to comply with applicable capital requirements. See Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements and "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Capital Standards."


Preferred Stock


No ownership restrictions apply to any preferred stock issued by Farmer Mac, and those securities are freely transferable. As of December 31, 2018,2021, the following shares of Farmer Mac preferred stock were outstanding:


2,400,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, all of which were issued on January 17, 2013;
3,000,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, all of which were issued on March 25, 2014; and
3,000,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock, all of which were issued onin June 20, 2014.2014;

4,000,000 shares of Series D Preferred Stock, all of which were issued in May 2019;
3,180,000 shares of Series E Preferred Stock, all of which were issued in May 2020;
4,800,000 shares of Series F Preferred Stock, all of which were issued in August 2020; and
5,000,000 shares of Series G Preferred Stock, all of which were issued in May 2021.

The Series AC Preferred Stock, Series BD Preferred Stock, Series E Preferred Stock, Series F Preferred Stock, and Series CG Preferred Stock, (collectively, referred to as the "Outstanding Preferred Stock") each has a par value of $25.00 per share and an initial liquidation preference of $25.00 per share. Farmer Mac incurred direct costs of $1.7 million related to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, direct costs of $1.9 million related to the issuance of the Series B Preferred Stock, and direct costs of $1.6 million related to the issuance of the Series C Preferred Stock. Since each of their respective issuances, Farmer Mac has not issued any additionalmore shares of any series of Outstanding Preferred Stock. Each series of Outstanding Preferred Stock ranks senior to Farmer Mac's outstanding Class A voting common stock, Class B voting common stock, Class C non-voting common stock, and any other common stock of Farmer Mac issues in the future.


The Series AD Preferred Stock, Series E Preferred Stock, Series F Preferred Stock, and the Series BG Preferred Stock pay an annual dividend rate fixed at 5.875%5.700%, 5.750%, 5.250%, and 6.875%4.875%, respectively, for the life of the securities. The Series C Preferred Stock pays an annual dividend rate of 6.000% from the date of issuance to and including the quarterly payment date on July 17, 2024 and thereafter at a floating rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus 3.260%. Dividends on all series of Outstanding Preferred Stock are non-cumulative, so if the board of directors has not declared a dividend before the applicable dividend payment date for any dividend period, the dividend will not be paid or cumulate,accumulate, and Farmer Mac will not be obligated to pay dividends for that dividend period, whether or not dividends on any series of Outstanding Preferred Stock are declared for any future dividend period. Farmer Mac may pay dividends on the Outstanding Preferred Stock without paying dividends on any class or series of stock Farmer Mac may issue in the future that ranks junior to the Outstanding Preferred Stock.





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The Series AC Preferred Stock, Series BD Preferred Stock, Series E Preferred Stock, Series F Preferred Stock, and Series CG Preferred Stock rank equally with each other and will rank equally with any other class or series of stock Farmer Mac may issue in the future of equal priority as to dividends and upon liquidation. Farmer Mac has the right, but not the obligation, to redeem some or all of the issued and outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock on and any time after January 17, 2018, the Series B Preferred Stock on and any time after April 17, 2019, and the Series C Preferred Stock on and any time after July 18, 2024, the Series D Preferred Stock on and after July 17, 2024, the Series E Preferred Stock on and after July 17, 2025, the Series F Preferred Stock on and after October 17, 2025, and the Series G Preferred Stock on and any time after July 17, 2026, all at a price equal to the then-applicable liquidation preference. Any redemption date for the Series D, Series E, Series F, or Series G Preferred Stock must be a scheduled quarterly dividend payment date. The Outstanding Preferred Stock is considered Tier 1 capital for Farmer Mac. For more information on Farmer Mac's capital requirements, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Capital Standards." 

The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series A Preferred Stock during and after 2018:

Date
Dividend
Declared
Per
Share
Amount
For
Period
Beginning
For
Period
Ending
Date
Paid
February 28, 2018$0.3672January 18, 2018April 17, 2018April 17, 2018
May 2, 2018$0.3672April 18, 2018July 17, 2018July 17, 2018
August 2, 2018$0.3672July 18, 2018October 17, 2018October 17, 2018
October 31, 2018$0.3672October 18, 2018January 17, 2019January 17, 2019
February 19, 2019$0.3672January 18, 2019April 17, 2019                   *
* The dividend declared on February 19, 2019 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2019.

The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series B Preferred Stock during and after 2018:

Date
Dividend
Declared
Per
Share
Amount
For
Period
Beginning
For
Period
Ending
Date
Paid
February 28, 2018$0.4297January 18, 2018April 17, 2018April 17, 2018
May 2, 2018$0.4297April 18, 2018July 17, 2018July 17, 2018
August 2, 2018$0.4297July 18, 2018October 17, 2018October 17, 2018
October 31, 2018$0.4297October 18, 2018January 17, 2019January 17, 2019
February 19, 2019$0.4297January 18, 2019April 17, 2019                   *
* The dividend declared on February 19, 2019 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2019.


The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series C Preferred Stock during and after 2018:

2021:
Date

Dividend

Declared
Per

Share

Amount
For

Period

Beginning
For

Period

Ending
Date

Paid
February 28, 201823, 2021$0.3750January 18, 20182021April 17, 20182021April 17, 20182021
May 2, 2018June 1, 2021$0.3750April 18, 20182021July 17, 20182021July 17, 20182021
August 2, 201811, 2021$0.3750July 18, 20182021October 17, 20182021October 17, 20182021
October 31, 2018November 10, 2021$0.3750October 18, 20182021January 17, 20192022January 17, 20192022
February 19, 201924, 2022$0.3750January 18, 20192022April 17, 20192022*
* The dividend declared on February 19, 201924, 2022 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2019.2022.



The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series D Preferred Stock during and after 2021:
Date
Dividend
Declared
Per
Share
Amount
For
Period
Beginning
For
Period
Ending
Date
Paid
February 23, 2021$0.35625January 18, 2021April 17, 2021April 17, 2021
June 1, 2021$0.35625April 18, 2021July 17, 2021July 17, 2021
August 11, 2021$0.35625July 18, 2021October 17, 2021October 17, 2021
November 10, 2021$0.35625October 18, 2021January 17, 2022January 17, 2022
February 24, 2022$0.35625January 18, 2022April 17, 2022*
* The dividend declared on February 24, 2022 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2022.

The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series E Preferred Stock during and after 2021:
Date
Dividend
Declared
Per
Share
Amount
For
Period
Beginning
For
Period
Ending
Date
Paid
February 23, 2021$0.359375January 18, 2021April 17, 2021April 17, 2021
June 1, 2021$0.359375April 18, 2021July 17, 2021July 17, 2021
August 11, 2021$0.359375July 18, 2021October 17, 2021October 17, 2021
November 10, 2021$0.359375October 18, 2021January 17, 2022January 17, 2022
February 24, 2022$0.359375January 18, 2022April 17, 2022*
* The dividend declared on February 24, 2022 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2022.



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The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series F Preferred Stock during and after 2021:
Date
Dividend
Declared
Per
Share
Amount
For
Period
Beginning
For
Period
Ending
Date
Paid
February 23, 2021$0.3281250January 18, 2021April 17, 2021April 17, 2021
June 1, 2021$0.3281250April 18, 2021July 17, 2021July 17, 2021
August 11, 2021$0.3281250July 18, 2021October 17, 2021October 17, 2021
November 10, 2021$0.3281250October 18, 2021January 17, 2022January 17, 2022
February 24, 2022$0.3281250January 18, 2022April 17, 2022*
* The dividend declared on February 24, 2022 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2022.

The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series G Preferred Stock during and after 2021:
Date
Dividend
Declared
Per
Share
Amount
For
Period
Beginning
For
Period
Ending
Date
Paid
June 1, 2021$0.1692708May 28, 2021July 17, 2021July 17, 2021
August 11, 2021$0.3046875July 18, 2021October 17, 2021October 17, 2021
November 10, 2021$0.3046875October 18, 2021January 17, 2022January 17, 2022
February 24, 2022$0.3046875January 18, 2022April 17, 2022*
* The dividend declared on February 24, 2022 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2022.

FARMER MAC'S AUTHORITY TO BORROW FROM THE U.S. TREASURY


Farmer Mac is authorized to borrow up to $1.5 billion from the U.S. Treasury through the issuance of debt obligations to the U.S. Treasury. Any funds borrowed from the U.S. Treasury may be used solely for the purpose of fulfillingto fulfill Farmer Mac's guarantee obligations. Farmer Mac's charter provides that the U.S. Treasury is required to purchase Farmer Mac's debt obligations up to the authorized limit if Farmer Mac certifies that:
 
a portion of the guarantee fees assessed by Farmer Mac has been set aside as a reserve against losses arising out of Farmer Mac's guarantee activities in an amount determined by Farmer Mac's board of directors to be necessary and such reserve has been exhausted (that amount was
$80.8110.5 million as of December 31, 2018)2021); and
the proceeds of such obligations are needed to fulfill Farmer Mac's guarantee obligations.


Any debt obligations issued by Farmer Mac under this authority would bear interest at a rate determined by the U.S. Treasury, taking into consideration the average rate on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States as of the last day of the last calendar month ending before the date of the purchase of the obligations from Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac would be required to repurchase any of its debt obligations held by the U.S. Treasury within a "reasonable time." As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac had not used this borrowing authority and does not expect to use this borrowing authority in the future.


The United States government does not guarantee payments due on securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac, Guaranteed Securities, funds invested in the equity or debt securities of Farmer Mac, any dividend payments on shares of Farmer Mac stock, or the profitability of Farmer Mac.



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GOVERNMENT REGULATION OF FARMER MAC


General


Farmer Mac was created by federal statute in 1988 in the aftermath of the collapse of the agricultural credit delivery system. Farmer Mac's primary committees of jurisdiction in Congress – the Committee on Agriculture of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry – added requirements for Farmer Mac that had not been included in any of the other statutes establishing other GSEs. Unlike the other existing GSEs at the time, Farmer Mac was required to be regulated by an independent regulator, FCA, which has the authority to regulate Farmer Mac's safety and soundness. The statute creating Farmer Mac expressly requires that eligible Farm & Ranch loans meet minimum credit and appraisal standards that represent sound loans to profitable businesses. The enabling legislation also did not contain a specific federal securities law exemption, as had been given to the housing GSEs, which had the effect of requiring Farmer Mac to comply with the periodic reporting requirements of the SEC, including filing annual and quarterly reports on the financial status of Farmer Mac and current reports when there are significant developments. Farmer Mac's charter also requires offerings of securities backed by eligible loans and guaranteed by Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and related regulations (collectively, the "Securities Act"), unless an exemption for an offering is available that is not based on Farmer Mac's status as an instrumentality of the United States.



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Since Farmer Mac's creation, Congress has amended Farmer Mac's charter five times:
 
in 1990 to create theauthorize Farmer Mac to purchase, and guarantee securities backed by, USDA Guarantees line of business;Securities;
in 1991 to clarify Farmer Mac's authority to purchase its guaranteed securities, establish OSMO as Farmer Mac's financial regulator, and set minimum regulatory capital requirements for Farmer Mac;
in 1996 to remove certain barriers to and restrictions on Farmer Mac's operations to be more competitive (e.g., allowing Farmer Mac to buy loans directly from lenders and issue guaranteed securities representing 100% of the principal of the purchased loans and modifying capital requirements);
in 2008 to authorize Farmer Mac to purchase, and guarantee securities backed by, loans or interests in loans by lenders organized as cooperatives to borrowers to finance electrification and telecommunications systems in rural areas; and
in 2018 to expand the acreage exception to the Farm & Ranch loan amount limitation from 1,000 acres to 2,000 acres, subject to FCA's feasibility assessment (which was completed in June 2019), and to repeal obsolete provisions and make technical corrections.


Farmer Mac's authorities and regulatory structure were not revised by legislation adopted in 2008 to regulate other GSEs.


Office of Secondary Market Oversight (OSMO)


As an institution of the FCS, Farmer Mac (including its subsidiaries) is subject to the regulatory authority of FCA. Farmer Mac's charter assigns to FCA, acting through OSMO within FCA, the responsibility for the examination of Farmer Mac and the general supervision of the safe and sound performance of the powers, functions, and duties vested in Farmer Mac by its charter. The charter also authorizes FCA, acting through OSMO, to apply its general enforcement powers to Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac (including its

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subsidiaries) is the only entity regulated by OSMO, which was created as a separate office in recognition of the different role that Farmer Mac plays in providing a secondary market, as compared to the roles of other FCS institutions as primary lenders. The Director of OSMO is selected by and reports to the FCA board.


Farmer Mac's charter requires an annual examination of the financial transactions of Farmer Mac and authorizes FCA to assess Farmer Mac for the cost of its regulatory activities, including the cost of any examination. Each year, OSMO conducts an examination of Farmer Mac to evaluate its safety and soundness, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and mission achievement. The examination includes a review of Farmer Mac's capital adequacy, asset quality, management performance, earnings, liquidity, and sensitivity to interest rate risk. OSMO may also conduct additional oversight and examination activities unrelated to its annual examination of Farmer Mac at any other time it determines necessary. Farmer Mac is also required to file quarterly reports of condition with FCA.




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Capital Standards


General Requirements.  Farmer Mac's charter establishes three capital standards for Farmer Mac:
 
Statutory minimum capital requirement. Farmer Mac's minimum capital level is an amount of core capital (stockholders' equity less accumulated other comprehensive income) equal to the sum of 2.75% of Farmer Mac's aggregate on-balance sheet assets, as calculated for regulatory purposes, plus 0.75% of Farmer Mac's aggregate off-balance sheet obligations, specifically including:

the unpaid principal balance of outstanding Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities;
instruments issued or guaranteed by Farmer Mac that are substantially equivalent to Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, including LTSPCs; and
other off-balance sheet obligations of Farmer Mac.


the unpaid principal balance of outstanding loan-backed securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac;
instruments issued or guaranteed by Farmer Mac that are substantially equivalent to securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac, including LTSPCs; and
other off-balance sheet obligations of Farmer Mac.

Statutory critical capital requirement. Farmer Mac's critical capital level is an amount of core capital equal to 50% of the total minimum capital requirement at that time.


Risk-based capital. The charter directs FCA to establish a risk-based capital stress test for Farmer Mac, using specified stress-test parameters.


Farmer Mac must comply with the higher of the minimum capital requirement and the risk-based capital requirement.


The risk-based capital stress test promulgated by FCA is intended to determine the amount of regulatory capital (core capital plus the allowance for losses) that Farmer Mac would need to maintain positive capital during a ten-year period in which:
 
annual losses occur at a rate of default and severity "reasonably related" to the rates of the highest sequential two years in a limited U.S. geographic area; and
interest rates are shocked by the lesser of 600 basis points or 50% of the ten-year U.S. Treasury rate, and interest rates remain at such level for the remainder of the period.



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The risk-based capital stress test then adds an additional 30% to the resulting capital requirement for management and operational risk.

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's statutory minimum and critical capital requirements were $545.0 million and $272.5 million, respectively, and its actual core capital level was $727.6 million, which is $182.6 million above the statutory minimum capital requirement and $455.1 millionabove the statutory critical capital requirement.  Based on the risk-based capital stress test, Farmer Mac's risk-based capital requirement as of December 31, 20182021 was $119.0$218.7 million, and Farmer Mac's regulatory capital of $736.8 million$1.2 billion exceeded that amount by approximately $617.8 million.$1.0 billion. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Capital Requirements" for a presentation of Farmer Mac's current regulatory capital position.


Enforcement Levels.  Farmer Mac's charter directs FCA to classify Farmer Mac within one of four enforcement levels to determine compliance with the capital standards established by Farmer Mac's charter. As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac was classified as within level I – the highest compliance level.


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Failure to comply with the applicable required capital level in the charter would result in Farmer Mac being classified as within level II (below the applicable risk-based capital level, but above the minimum capital level), level III (below the minimum capital level, but above the critical capital level) or level IV (below the critical capital level). If Farmer Mac were classified as within level II, III or IV, the charter requires the Director of OSMO to take specified mandatory supervisory measures and provides the Director with discretionary authority to take various optional supervisory measures depending on the level in which Farmer Mac is classified. The mandatory measures applicable to level II and level III include:
 
requiring Farmer Mac to submit and comply with a capital restoration plan;
prohibiting the payment of dividends if the payment would result in Farmer Mac being reclassified as within a lower level and requiring the pre-approval of any dividend payment even if the payment would not result in reclassification as within level IV; and
reclassifying Farmer Mac as within one level lower if it does not submit a capital restoration plan that is approved by the Director, or the Director determines that Farmer Mac has failed to make, in good faith, reasonable efforts to comply with such a plan and fulfill the schedule for the plan approved by the Director.


If Farmer Mac were classified as within level III, then, in addition to the mandatory supervisory measures described above, the Director of OSMO could take any of the following discretionary supervisory measures:
 
imposing limits on any increase in, or ordering the reduction of, any obligations of Farmer Mac, including off-balance sheet obligations;
limiting or prohibiting asset growth or requiring the reduction of assets;
requiring the acquisition of new capital in an amount sufficient to provide for reclassification as within a higher level;
terminating, reducing, or modifying any activity the Director determines creates excessive risk to Farmer Mac; or
appointing a conservator or a receiver for Farmer Mac.


Farmer Mac's charter does not specify any supervisory measures, either mandatory or discretionary, to be taken by the Director if Farmer Mac were classified as within level IV.


The Director of OSMO has the discretionary authority to reclassify Farmer Mac to a level that is one level below its then current level (for example, from level I to level II) if the Director determines that Farmer Mac is engaging in any action not approved by the Director that could result in a rapid depletion of core

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capital or if the value of property subject to mortgages backing securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities has decreased significantly.


Capital Adequacy Requirements. Under FCA's rule on capital planning, Farmer Mac must develop and submit to OSMO for approval annually a plan for capital that considers the sources and uses of Farmer Mac's capital, addresses capital projections under stress scenarios, assesses Farmer Mac's overall capital adequacy, and incorporates a Farmer Mac board-approved policy on capital adequacy. In accordance with this regulation, Farmer Mac's board of directors oversees a policy that requires Farmer Mac to maintain an adequate level of "Tier 1" capital, consisting of retained earnings, paid-in-capital, common stock, qualifying preferred stock, and accumulated other comprehensive income allocable to "non-program" investments that are not included in the Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees,Agricultural Finance and Rural Utilities, and


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Institutional CreditInfrastructure Finance lines of business. Under this policy, Farmer Mac must maintain at all times a Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 7.0% of risk-weighted assets, calculated using an advanced internal ratings based ("AIRB") asset risk weighting regime that is consistent with current Basel-based principles.


The policy also requires Farmer Mac to maintain a "capital conservation buffer" of additional Tier 1 capital of more than 2.5% of risk-weighted assets. If the capital conservation buffer drops to various levels at or below 2.5%, as shown in the table below, the policy requires Farmer Mac to restrict distributions of current quarter Tier 1-eligible dividends and any discretionary bonus payments to an amount not to exceed the corresponding payout percentage specified in the table below, which represents the percentage of the cumulative core earnings for the four quarters immediately preceding the distribution date:


Capital Conservation BufferPayout Percentage
(percentage of risk-weighted assets)(percentage of four quarters' accumulated core earnings)
greater than 2.5%No limitation
greater than 1.875% to and including 2.5%60%
greater than 1.25% to and including 1.875%40%
greater than 0.625% to and including 1.25%20%
equal to or less than 0.625%0% (no payout permitted)


These distribution restrictions willwould remain for so long as the Tier 1 capital conservation buffer remains at or below the minimum level of 2.5%, and Farmer Mac's board of directors may consider other factors, such as earnings presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") and other regulatory requirements, in determining whether to restrict capital distributions, including dividends and bonus payments. As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ratio was 13.4%14.7%. The calculation of Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ratio does not include certain interest rate risk components of the risk weighting of assets, which reflects the fact that Farmer Mac pursues a match-fundingan approach to funding its assets with liabilities of similar duration and convexity characteristics and therefore does not bear material interest rate risk in its portfolio. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Capital Requirements" for more information on Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ratio.

Liquidity Requirements

Liquidity Reserve Requirement and Supplemental Liquidity.  Farmer Mac's Liquidity and Investment Regulations require that Farmer Mac does not expectmaintain at all times a liquidity reserve sufficient to fund at least

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90 days of the principal portion of maturing obligations and other borrowings. Farmer Mac may also maintain supplemental liquidity to fund obligations and borrowings maturing after 90 days. The investments that Farmer Mac holds as its complianceliquidity reserve and as supplemental liquidity must consist of unencumbered and readily marketable assets that are diversified in accordance with categories prescribed by FCA, including limitations on an ongoing basis with FCA's rule on capital planning, includingasset class, dollar amount, issuer concentration, and credit quality. Farmer Mac must report, in writing, to OSMO no later than the next business day following the discovery of any breach of Farmer Mac's minimum liquidity reserve requirement.

Liquidity Management. Under the Liquidity and Investment Regulations, Farmer Mac must develop and approve annually a liquidity policy on Tier 1 capital, to materially affectthat outlines Farmer Mac's operations or financial condition.purpose and objectives for liquidity reserves, diversification requirements for liquidity reserves, target liquidity levels, maximum investment amounts as a percentage of Farmer Mac's program assets, exception parameters (and approval requirements), delegations of investment authority, and reporting requirements to Farmer Mac's board of directors and to OSMO. The regulations also require Farmer Mac to develop a liability maturity management plan and a contingency funding plan, each of which must be reviewed and approved annually by Farmer Mac's board of directors.


See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources" for more information about Farmer Mac's liquidity and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk—Other Investments" for more information about Farmer Mac's eligible investments.




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Item 1A.Risk Factors


Farmer Mac's business activities, financial performance, and results of operations are, by their nature, subject to risks and uncertainties, including those related to the agricultural industry, the rural utilities industry, access to the capital markets, the regulatory environment, and the level of prevailing interest rates and overall market conditions. The following risk factors should be considered in conjunctionalong with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K,report, including the risks and uncertainties described in the "Forward-Looking Statements" section. Because new risk factors likely will emerge from time to time, management can neither predict all potential risk factors nor assess the effects of those factors on Farmer Mac's business, operating results, and financial condition or how much any factor, or combination of factors,


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may affect Farmer Mac's actual results and financial condition. If any of the following risks materialize, Farmer Mac's business, financial condition, and/or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Farmer Mac undertakes no obligation to update or revise this risk factor discussion, except asunless required by applicable law.


CreditCOVID-19 Pandemic Risk


ManyThe continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are uncertain and may heighten the risk factors that are outside of Farmer Mac'sdescribed in this report or borrowers' control affecting the agricultural industry or the rural utilities industry may negatively affect borrowers' profitability and, as a result, their ability to repay their loans on which Farmer Mac has assumed credit risk, and any widespread repayment shortfalls on these eligible loan assets could otherwise have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's business, operations, operating results, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital levels.


ExternalThe COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the global economy and the lives of individuals throughout the world. How much the pandemic affects Farmer Mac’s business, results of operations, and financial condition will depend on many factors beyond Farmer Mac’s control, including:

the duration and severity of the pandemic and the effectiveness of government and public health responses, including to the prevalence of any new strains of the novel coronavirus;
how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume, including whether any future COVID-19 outbreaks interrupt economic recovery; and
whether the COVID-19 pandemic causes any residual negative effects to Farmer Mac's business once the pandemic has subsided.

The full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Farmer Mac’s business, results of operations, and financial condition may not be fully known for some time and may heighten the risk factors described below or variables beyondmay otherwise materially and adversely affect Farmer Mac’s business, operations, operating results, financial condition, liquidity, or capital levels.

Credit and Counterparty Risk

Factors outside of Farmer Mac's or borrowers' control that could negatively affectmay impair borrowers' profitability and thereforeability to repay their repayment capacity, could cause Farmer Mac to experience increased delinquency rates, default rates, and credit losses within its loan portfolio, including, but not limited to:

severe protracted or sudden adverse weather conditions, natural or environmental disasters or similar or other catastrophic events, wildfires, animal and plant disease outbreaks, restrictions on water supply or changes to sustainable groundwater management practices, limited access to transportation to move agricultural products to markets, or other conditions affecting particular geographic regions or industries;
volatilityloans in revenues or production expenses as a result of changes in commodity or fuel prices or labor costs or availability within any particular industry;
fluctuations in currency exchange markets, modifications to U.S. or global trade policies, the imposition of trade sanctions or protectionist measures, customs duties, or tariffs, or changes in the global economy that would reduce export demand for U.S. agricultural products;
slow or negative domestic or international economic growth, which could reduce demand for U.S. agricultural products;
adverse changes in interest rates, agricultural land values, or other factors that may affect delinquency levels and credit losses on agricultural real estate mortgage loans;
legislative or regulatory developments or actions adversely affecting the agricultural industry or the rural utilities industry;
changes in the general economy that could affect the availability of off-farm sources of income and prices of real estate for borrowers; and
economic conditions or technological advances that may negatively affect the market for electricity in rural areas and therefore limit the ability of rural electric cooperatives to provide electricity or raise rates to achieve profitable levels.

Farmer Mac's earnings depend significantly on the performance of its loan assets and the spread between the interest, guarantee fees, and commitment fees earned on those assets and interest paid on Farmer Mac's obligations and liabilities. The repayment of loans typically depends on the success of the related farming or rural utilities operation, which, in turn, depends on many variables and factors over which borrowers may have little or no control, including those described above. Farmer Mac assumes the ultimate credit risk of borrower defaults on the agricultural mortgage and rural utilities loans it holds, as well as the loans underlying LTSPCs and non-AgVantage Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities. Widespread repayment shortfalls on loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business or Rural Utilities line of business could result in


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losses on loans held or require Farmer Mac to pay under its guarantees and LTSPCs,portfolio, which could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital levels.


ConcentrationExternal factors beyond Farmer Mac's or borrowers' control could impair borrowers' profitability, such as severe or protracted adverse weather and related effects; volatility in demand for agricultural products or exposureelectricity in rural areas; variability in borrowers' input costs; supply-chain disruptions that negatively impact borrowers' production or distribution capabilities, protracted regional, domestic, or global

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economic stress (whether due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise); legislative or regulatory actions affecting rural borrowers; U.S. trade policy affecting the demand for agricultural exports or the price of imports required for borrowers' operations; increased competition among producers due to oversupply or available alternatives; and adverse changes in interest rates and land values. Any of these factors could put downward pressure on the profitability of a particular commodity type, geographic region, collateral type, business counterparty,farming, agribusiness or rural utilities operation, which could then inhibit the related borrower's repayment capacity on one or more loans that Farmer Mac may have from that borrower orin its portfolio.

Farmer Mac assumes the ultimate credit risk of borrower defaults on its agricultural mortgage and rural utilities loan typeassets, and Farmer Mac's earnings, which come from net interest income, guarantee fees, and commitment fees on those assets, depend significantly on their performance. Widespread and sustained repayment shortfalls on loans in Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch line of business may expose Farmer Mac to credit risk thatportfolio could materially and adversely affect its business, operating results, and financial condition.

In its Farm & Ranch line of business, Farmer Mac may be subject to credit risk due to concentrationresult in or exposure to a particular commodity type, geographic region, collateral type, business counterparty, borrower, or loan type. Widespread weakening inlosses, particularly if the financial conditions of borrowers within a particular geographic region or commodity type could negatively impact Farmer Mac’s financial condition, and Farmer Mac’s policies on geographic and commodity concentration may not be sufficient. Loans to borrowers in certain commodity groups or geographic regions that have had historically higher delinquency rates or credit losses relative to Farmer Mac's overall portfolio may present a higher risk of delinquency or credit losses in future periods. Also, if Farmer Mac's portfolio is not sufficiently diversified by geographic region or commodity type, then a tightening in trade policies or a prolonged trade dispute adversely affecting the demand and pricing for certain U.S. agricultural exports could negatively impact Farmer Mac's financial condition to the extent that affected borrowers do not receive offsetting relief, cannot access other sources of liquidity for loan repayment, or are unable to adapt operations or switch to commodity groups that are not affected. Farmer Mac's credit risk may also increase as a result of its exposure to loans that are adversely affected by a decline in the sale value of the underlyingavailable collateral which can vary based on several factors, including commodity type, geographic region,does not cover Farmer Mac's exposure, and the degree to which the collateral is single-use or highly improved. Specifically, the degree to which the collateral for a commodity group is single-use or highly improved, such as for permanent plantings, agricultural storage or processing facilities, or certain livestock facilities, may be a significant determinant of the probability of ultimate losses on a given loan because producers requiring such highly improved collateral are less able to adapt their operations or switch commodity groups when faced with adverse conditions. For example, as of December 31, 2018, loans to borrowers in the Agricultural Storage and Processing category comprised 1.2% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio, but cumulative net credit losses for this category comprised 47.2% of the cumulative net credit losses for all categories. Widespread deterioration in collateral values, resulting in the undercollateralization of the related loans, could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital levels.


Climate change and the occurrence of weather-related events, or other natural or environmental disasters could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac’s business, operating results, or financial condition.

In addition to the general risks posed by adverse weather conditions, Farmer Mac’s exposure to credit risk and the market value of loan collateral is potentially subject to risks associated with the long-term effects of climate change, as farmers and ranchers may face increasing, as well as increasingly-severe, weather incidents. The defaultU.S. experienced 20 separate billion-dollar weather disasters in 2021, the second-highest level in the 40 years tracked by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration behind 2020. Many of anythose events affected agriculture, including a midwestern derecho, western wildfires and western drought. Many climatologists predict increases in average temperatures, more extreme temperatures and increases in volatile weather over time. These physical changes may prompt changes in regulations or consumer preferences, which in turn could have negative consequences for the business models of borrowers, such as increasing costs, reducing the value of assets and increasing operating expenses. For example, in 2021, “exceptional drought” conditions, the most severe drought classification, covered significant areas of the western states, and approximately half of the continental United States experienced abnormally dry conditions or worse. Although drought conditions improved in fourth quarter 2021 and early weeks of 2022, 12% of the continental United States remained in exceptional or extreme drought as of February 1, 2022, according to data from the National Drought Mitigation Center. The effects of climate change may be more significant along coastlines, such as in the California coastal areas, due to rising sea levels resulting from the melting of polar ice caps, which could result in an increased risk of coastal erosion, flooding, degradation in the quality of groundwater aquifers and an expansion of agricultural weed and pest populations. As a result, the effects of climate change could make some agricultural properties less suitable for farming or for other alternative uses. For example, extended periods of drought and dryness can reduce agricultural productivity, cause lasting damage to permanent crops like fruit and tree nuts, and result in producers leaving some fields fallow due to lack of water. These and other effects of climate change could have an adverse impact on farming operations and the value of loan collateral, which could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac’s business, operating results, or financial condition.


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Concentrations in Farmer Mac's loan or investments portfolios, or to one or more borrowers or counterparties, may increase Farmer Mac's exposure to credit risk, which could materially and adversely affect its business, operating results, and financial condition.

Farmer Mac's exposure to credit risk may increase due to concentrations in its loan portfolio, which can include concentrated exposure to particular business counterpartycommodities, geographic regions, or collateral types, as well as concentrations in processing and manufacturing segments of agricultural supply chains. Widespread weakening in the financial condition of borrowers within a particular geographic region, that produce particular commodities or rely on particular collateral, or that engage in processes or production that is dependent on a fluid supply chain could negatively impactaffect Farmer Mac’s financial condition and if sufficient diversity in these areas does not successfully mitigate concentration risk.

Farmer Mac's processescredit risk may also increase due to monitor counterpartydecline in the collateral values securing the loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio. Single-use or highly improved collateral, such as storage and processing facilities or permanent plantings, increase the risk of undercollateralization in a default scenario, because producers requiring single-use or highly improved collateral are generally less able to adapt their operations or switch functional production when faced with adverse conditions. Highly improved properties also face higher risk of loss in a default scenario, as the pool of potential purchasers in a sale or foreclosure action may be smaller for a highly improved property than for a property that is adaptable to multiple uses. The farming of permanent plantings generally involves more risk than farming of annual row crops because permanent plantings generally require more time and capital to plant and permanent plantings are more expensive to replace in the event of disease, drought, mismanagement, catastrophic condition (such as wildfire), or adverse weather conditions.

Farmer Mac's exposure to credit risk may also increase due to concentrated exposure may not be sufficient. Also, whileto a particular borrower or counterparty. Farmer Mac’s Farm & Ranch portfolio consists of loans varying in size and by borrower, the average size of loans purchased by Farmer Mac has increased and includes severalincluding large exposures with large($25 million or more) to individual borrowers. The default of any one of these borrowers could also negatively impactaffect Farmer Mac's financial condition. Farmer Mac may also be subjecthas concentrated exposures to credit risk as a result of its exposure to loans with balloon payments at maturity if the borrower seeks to refinance but is unable to do so. As of December 31, 2018, 65.8% of the loans in the Farm & Ranch line ofindividual business included balloon payments. Too much concentration in or exposure to a particular commodity type, geographic region, collateral type, business counterparty, borrower, or loan type could materially and adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, and financial condition.



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The profitability of and repayment by rural utilities operations on loans on which Farmer Mac has assumed credit risk in its Rural Utilities line of business may be adversely affected by a variety of factors, which could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital levels.

In the Rural Utilities line of business, eligible utilities operations include the distribution of electricity, the generation and transmission of electricity, and telecommunications.  Repayment of eligible loans in this line of business could be affected by several factors. Although each type of utilities operation has different inherent risks associated with it, all of them could be potentially affected by changes in public and regulatory policies.  Electrical distribution and generation cooperatives can also be adversely affected by changes in fuel costs and prices received from consumers, contractual power obligations that do not match up with supply or demand, and technological advances and innovation in the power industry, including a shift towards renewable energy, that negatively alters the supply and demand dynamics for power. Business cash flows can also be disrupted as a result of storms, although distribution cooperatives have in place cost-sharing arrangements with providers in other regions that mitigate this exposure.  Historically, natural disasters have often resulted in disaster area declarations and financial aid to utilities providers through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other conduits, although there can be no assurance that any such aid would be available in the event of any future natural disaster.  If Farmer Mac purchases telecommunications loans in the future, the depth and pace of technological change in the telecommunications industry can also provide significant challenges, as the industry requires heavy capital investment and correct judgments about the sustainability of new technologies in an area with many competitors. If any of the factors described above negatively impacts the cash flows or financial condition of utilities operations that are borrowers on loans in Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities portfolio, Farmer Mac's financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital levels could be adversely affected.

Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs expose Farmer Mac to significant contingent liabilities, and Farmer Mac's ability to fulfill its obligations under its guarantees and LTSPCs may be limited.

Farmer Mac's guarantee and purchase commitment obligations to third parties, including Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs, are obligations of Farmer Mac only and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, FCA, or any other agency or instrumentality of the United States other than Farmer Mac. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had $4.0 billion of contingent liabilities related to Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs issued to third parties, which represents Farmer Mac's exposure if all loans underlying these guarantees and LTSPCs defaulted and Farmer Mac recovered no value from the related collateral. Farmer Mac's principal sources of funds for payments on all of its liabilities, including claims that may arise under its guarantees and LTSPCs, are the liquid assets held by Farmer Mac (including cash and cash equivalents), guarantee and commitment fees, interest payments on assets held by Farmer Mac, loan repayments, repayment of principal amounts due upon maturity of AgVantage securities, and proceeds from the issuance of debt securities.  If all of the loans underlying Farmer Mac's guarantees and LTSPCs defaulted and Farmer Mac recovered no value from the related collateral, the funds for payment on these guarantees and LTSPCs could be substantially less than the aggregate amount of the corresponding liabilities. It is difficult to quantify at any particular time the funds that would be available from interest payments, loan repayments, and maturing AgVantage securities for payment on Farmer Mac's guarantees and LTSPCs, and Farmer Mac's ability to issue debt as a source of repayment would be subject to its ability to access the debt markets and market conditions at that time. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac held cash, cash equivalents, and other investment securities with a fair


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value of $2.7 billion that could be used as a source of funds for payment on its obligations. Although Farmer Mac believes that it remains well-collateralized on the assets underlying its guarantee and purchase commitment obligations to third parties and that the estimated probable losses for these obligations remain low relative to the amount available for payment of claims on these obligations, Farmer Mac's total contingent liabilities for these obligations exceed the amount it may have available for payment of claims on these obligations. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees" for more information on Farmer Mac's management of credit risk.

Farmer Mac is exposed to counterparty credit riskcounterparties on AgVantage securities, that could materially and adversely affect its business, operating results, and financial condition.

Farmer Mac is exposed to credit risk from issuerswhich are general obligations of AgVantage securities. Each AgVantage security is a general obligation of an issuing institutioninstitutional counterparties secured by eligible loans held by the issuing institution. Although AgVantage securities are collateralized by eligible loans in ana principal amount at least equal to or greater than the outstanding principal amount of the securitysecurities outstanding, Farmer Mac could suffer losses if the market value of the loan collateral declines and guaranteedthe counterparty defaults. Taking possession of the loan collateral upon a default by the AgVantage counterparty could also result in higher current expected credit losses for Farmer Mac.Mac's loans held on balance sheet, as well as increased capital requirements. Most of Farmer Mac's AgVantage exposure is concentrated in a small number offew issuers. As of December 31, 2018, $7.72021, $7.6 billion of the $8.4$8.1 billion of AgVantage securities outstanding had been issued by three counterparties. A default by any of these counterparties could have a significant adverse effect on Farmer Mac's business, operating results, and financial condition. Farmer Mac seeks to manage its risk to AgVantage counterparties by reviewing each institution for which Farmer Mac has AgVantage exposure and requiring those institutions to meet

Farmer Mac's standards for creditworthiness. For AgVantage securities secured by Farm & Ranch loans, Farmer Mac also requires some level of overcollateralization (currently between 103% and 125% of the principal amount of the securities issued) and, in some cases, compliance by the counterparty with specified financial covenants for the life of the related AgVantage securities. Specifically, some issuing institutions and smaller financial counterparties that use Farmer Mac's AgVantage or Farm Equity AgVantage products may not be considered as creditworthy as Farmer Mac's other counterparties issuing AgVantage securities. Therefore, these issuing institutions and smaller financial counterparties are subjectexposure to significantly higher overcollateralization requirements (currently between 120% and 125% of the principal amount of the securities issued) and must comply with specified financial covenants for the life of the related AgVantage securities.

Farmer Mac is exposed to counterparty credit risk on itsmay also increase due to concentrated exposure to one or more investment securities that could materially and adversely affect its business, operating results, and financial condition.

types or counterparties in the investment portfolio Farmer Mac maintains anfor liquidity. This investment portfolio that can be drawn upon for liquidity needs. In addition toconsists primarily of cash and cash equivalents, (such as U.S. Treasury securities, and short-term money market instruments), this portfolio consists of investment securities, including securities guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and GSEs, and asset-backed securities principally backed primarily by U.S. Government-guaranteed student loans, including auction rate certificates. Although some of Farmer Mac's investment securities do not qualify for liquidity purposes under FCA's regulatory requirements, they still may be drawn upon for Farmer Mac's liquidity needs.loans. Farmer Mac regularly reviews concentration limits to ensure that its investments are appropriately diversified and comply with policies approved by Farmer Mac's board of directors and with applicable FCA regulations, but Farmer Mac is still exposed to credit risk from issuers of the investment securities it holds.holds, particularly to issuers to whom Farmer Mac may

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have a higher concentration of exposure relative to the rest of Farmer Mac's investment portfolio. For example, as of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac held at fair value as part of its liquidity investment portfolio, $32.7 million of asset-backed securities principally backed by U.S. Government-guaranteed student loans (including $18.7 million of auction-rate certificates) and $1.0$2.3 billion of investment securities guaranteed by GSEs. A default by multiple issuers of investment securities held by Farmer Mac or by a single issuer of investment securities in which Farmer Mac is more


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heavily concentrated could have an adverse effect on Farmer Mac's business, operating results, and financial condition.


Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs expose Farmer Mac to significant contingent liabilities, and Farmer Mac's ability to fulfill its obligations under its guarantees and LTSPCs may be limited.

Farmer Mac's guarantee and purchase commitment obligations to third parties, including LTSPCs and securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac, are obligations of Farmer Mac only and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, FCA, or any other agency or instrumentality of the United States other than Farmer Mac. As of December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac had $3.8 billion of contingent liabilities related to LTSPCs and securities issued to third parties and guaranteed by Farmer Mac, which represents Farmer Mac's exposure if all loans underlying these LTSPCs and guarantees defaulted and Farmer Mac recovered no value from the related collateral. If this were to occur, the funds available for payment on these guarantees and LTSPCs could be substantially less than the aggregate amount of the corresponding liabilities. As of December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac held cash, cash equivalents, and other investment securities with a fair value of $4.8 billion that could be used as a source of funds for payment on its obligations, including its guarantee and LTSPC obligations. Although Farmer Mac believes that it remains well-collateralized on the assets underlying its guarantee and LTSPC obligations to third parties and that the estimated probable losses for these obligations remain low relative to the amount available for payment of claims on these obligations, Farmer Mac's total contingent liabilities for these obligations could exceed the amount it may have available for payment of Farmer Mac's obligations, including claims on Farmer Mac's contingent obligations. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees" for more information on Farmer Mac's management of credit risk.

Farmer Mac is exposed to swap counterparty credit risk on both its cleared and non-cleared swaps transactions that could materially and adversely affect its business, operating results, and financial condition.


Farmer Mac relies onuses interest rate swap contracts and hedging arrangements to effectively manage its interest rate risk. Farmer Mac clears a significant portion of its interest rate swaps through a swap clearinghouse through which centrally-cleared derivatives and uses the services of a futures commission merchant to post and receive mark-to-market margin amounts. Farmer Mac also transacts non-cleared (bilateral) derivative contracts are traded,directly with swap counterparties and posts initial and variationreceives collateral to secure the market value of those contracts. A failure of any of these counterparties could cause intra-day disruption for Farmer Mac's swap operations if the failure were to prompt a termination of all or part of Farmer Mac's swap positions or if Farmer Mac were unable to quickly access margin or collateral amounts. These conditions could be exacerbated in volatile market conditions, in which the market could move against Farmer Mac's position before Farmer Mac had time to this clearinghouse. Thesereposition its swaps. Farmer Mac's derivative contracts executed before March 2017 have market value thresholds ranging from $15 to $25 million that must be exceeded before Farmer Mac must post collateral. Repositioning these swaps under current margin rules if the related counterparty were to fail could require Farmer Mac to post significant collateral postingswithin a short time frame. Any of these factors resulting from a failure of the swap clearinghouse, futures commission merchant, or any of Farmer Mac's bilateral swap counterparties could have a negative effect on Farmer Mac's operations and liquidity and could expose Farmer Mac to institutional creditmore interest rate risk, if either the clearinghouse or the futures commission merchant that Farmer Mac uses to post collateral to the clearinghouse fails to meet its obligations. Conversely, the use of centrally-cleared derivatives mitigates Farmer Mac's credit risk to individual counterparties because clearinghouses assume the credit risk among counterparties in centrally-cleared derivatives transactions. However, if either the clearinghouse or the futures commission merchant that Farmer Mac uses to post collateral to the clearinghouse fails to meet its obligations, Farmer Mac could face challenges in accessing its posted collateral, which could materially and adversely affect its business, operating

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results, and financial condition.

A portion of Farmer Mac's interest rate swap contracts are not cleared through swap clearinghouses, which creates swap counterparty credit risk on those non-cleared swaps transactions. In managing this risk, Farmer Mac contracts only with counterparties that have investment grade credit ratings, establishes and maintains minimum threshold collateral requirements that are scaled based on credit ratings (for non-cleared swaps transactions entered into before March 2017), and enters into netting agreements. Also, new rules that became effective in March 2017 establish zero threshold requirements for the exchange of variation margin between Farmer Mac and its swap dealer counterparties in non-cleared swaps transactions entered into following the effective date. However, failure to perform under a non-cleared derivatives contract by one or more of Farmer Mac's counterparties could disrupt Farmer Mac's hedging operations, particularly if Farmer Mac were entitled to a termination payment under the contract that it did not receive, or if Farmer Mac were unable to reposition the swap with a new counterparty. Of the $9.9 billion combined notional amount of Farmer Mac's interest rate swaps as of December 31, 2018, $1.4 billion were not cleared through swap clearinghouses. As of December 31, 2018,2021, the aggregate notional balance of Farmer Mac's credit exposure to interest rate swap counterpartiescleared swaps was $51.3 million excluding netting arrangements$14.9 billion, and $3.1 million including netting arrangements.the aggregate notional balance of Farmer Mac's non-cleared swaps was $2.6 billion (including $0.1 billion notional amount of non-cleared swaps executed before March 2017).


Strategic/Business Risk


Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, and capital levels may be materially and adversely affected by external factors that may affect the demand for Farmer Mac's secondary market, the price or marketability of Farmer Mac's products, or Farmer Mac's ability to offer its products and services.
 
Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, and capital levels may be materially and adversely affected by external factors that may affect the price or marketability of Farmer Mac's products and services or Farmer Mac's ability to offer its products and services, including, but not limited to:
 


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disruptions in the capital markets, which could adversely affect the value and performance of Farmer Mac's eligible loan assets and investment securities, liquidity position, and ability to access funding at favorable levels or to raise capital;markets;
competitive pressures in the purchase of loans eligible for Farmer Mac's lines of businessloan purchase and guarantee activities or in the saleissuance of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities andits debt securities;
changes in interest rates that may increase the basis riskFarmer Mac's funding costs;
market or customer perception of Farmer Mac's hedging instruments and thus increase its funding costs;reputation;
the perception of existing or prospective investors or customers of Farmer Mac's reputation in the marketplace; and
legislative or regulatory developments or interpretations ofadversely affecting Farmer Mac's statutory charter that could adversely affect Farmer Mac or its ability to offer new products, adversely affect the ability or motivation of certain lenders to participate in Farmer Mac's lines of business, or the terms of any such participation, or increase the cost of related corporate activities.activities;

reduced demand for agricultural real estate loans or Rural Utilities loans due to regional, domestic, or global economic conditions; and
expanded funding alternatives available to agricultural and rural utilities borrowers.

An inability to access the equity and debt capital markets could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, liquidity, and capital levels.
 
Farmer Mac's ability to operate its business, meet its obligations, generate asset volume growth, and fulfill its statutory mission depends on Farmer Mac's capacitycontinued access to the U.S. financial markets at favorable rates and terms to remain adequately capitalized through the issuance of equity securities and with adequate access to issue substantial amountsliquidity through the issuance of debt frequently and at favorable rates.securities. The issuance of equity and debt securities in the U.S. financial markets are the primary sources ofis Farmer Mac's capitalization and funding for Farmer Mac's purchases of eligible loan assets and liquidity investment assets andprimary source for repaying or refinancing existing debt.  Moreover, one of the primary sources of Farmer Mac's revenue is the net interest income earned from the difference, or "spread," between the return received on assets helddebt and the related borrowing costs.to fund contingent liabilities, as needed. Farmer Mac's ability to obtain funds throughaccess the issuancedebt and equity markets to raise capital, fund its assets, repay debt, and earn net interest income depends on market perception of Farmer Mac. If Farmer Mac were unable to access the U.S. financial markets to issue equity andor debt securities at favorable rates and terms, depends on many factors, including:
Farmer Mac's corporate structure established by its charter, including its status as a government-sponsored enterprise, or GSE, and perceptions about the viability of stockholder-owned GSEs in general;
compliance with applicable statutory, regulatory, and board-approved capital requirements and any measures imposed by Farmer Mac's regulator or board of directors if Farmer Mac failed to comply with those requirements;
Farmer Mac's financial results and changes in its financial condition;
public perception of the risks to, and stability and financial prospects of, Farmer Mac's business;
prevailing conditions in the capital markets;
lack of a public debt rating may reduce demand for Farmer Mac's debt securities;
competition from other issuers of GSE equity or debt; and
legislative or regulatory actions relating to Farmer Mac's business, including any actions that would affect Farmer Mac's GSE status.


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Farmer Mac's business development, profitability, and capital depend on the continued growth of the secondary market for agricultural real estate mortgage loans and for rural utilities loans, which may be constrained by many factors.
Continued growth in Farmer Mac's business and future profitability may be constrained by conditions that limit the needoperating results, liquidity, or ability for lenders to obtain the benefits of the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac, including, but not limited to:
reduced growth rates in the eligible agricultural mortgage market caused by prevailing conditions in the overall and agricultural economy;
an increase in capital levels or the availability of other sources of capital for customers of Farmer Mac;
a slowdown in the issuance of new guarantees by the USDA under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act;
increased acceptance by Federal Home Loan Banks of agricultural real estate mortgage loans as collateral;
the extent to which agricultural lending institutions retain loans in their portfolios rather than sell them into the secondary market;
the small number of business partners that currently provide a significant portion of Farmer Mac's business volume, resulting in vulnerability as existing business volume pays down or matures and the status of these business partners evolves; and
expanded funding alternatives available to rural utilities cooperatives.

For example, during the federal government fiscal year 2018, the USDA processed 8,375 guaranteed loans compared to 9,604 loans during the federal government fiscal year 2017, which reflects a year-over-year decrease of 13% in the issuance of new guarantees by the USDA under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. If this slowdown continues, or if it is further exacerbated by the U.S. federal government shutdown that lasted for several weeks in early 2019 or any future shutdowns, then Farmer Mac could experience a decrease in new business volume in its USDA Guarantees line of business in the future.

The failure of an issuer to pay the outstanding principal amount or to issue new AgVantage securities upon the maturity of outstanding AgVantage securities could negatively affect Farmer Mac's liquidity position and income.

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had $8.4 billion of AgVantage securities outstanding, of which $1.4 billion and $1.3 billion will be maturing in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on AgVantage securities and may retain AgVantage securities in its portfolio or sell them to third parties in the capital markets as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities. The terms of most AgVantage securities do not require the periodic payment of principal based on amortization schedules and instead have fixed maturity dates when the secured general obligation is due. If the issuer of a maturing AgVantage security defaults and does not pay the outstanding principal amount due upon maturity, Farmer Mac's liquidity positionfinancial condition could be negatively affected because Farmer Mac will be required to obtain funds in a significant amount to pay the holder of the AgVantage security or, for AgVantage securities owned by Farmer Mac, to pay off the debt securities used to fund the purchase of the AgVantage securities. Farmer Mac's income could also be adversely affected if the issuer of a maturing AgVantage security does not issue new AgVantage securities to replace the maturing securities and Farmeraffected.


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Mac does not find alternate sources of business, or if the net interest margin earned by Farmer Mac on new AgVantage securities that replace maturing AgVantage securities is lower than the margin earned on the maturing AgVantage securities.


The loss of business from key business counterparties or customers, including AgVantage counterparties, could adversely affectweaken Farmer Mac's business and result in a decrease in its revenues and profits.


Farmer Mac's business and ability to generate revenues and profits largely depends on its ability to purchase eligible loans or place eligible loans under guarantees or LTSPCs.LTSPCs and to purchase or guarantee AgVantage securities. Farmer Mac conducts a significant portion of its business with a small number offew business counterparties. This resultsconcentration of business could potentially result in vulnerabilityincreased variability in Farmer

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Mac's business as existing assets pay down or mature and the status and needs of Farmer Mac's business partnerscustomers evolve. In 2018,2021, ten institutions generated approximately 67%62% of loan purchase volume in the Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance line of business. As of December 31, 2018,2021, approximately 91.8%93.9% of the $8.4$8.1 billion outstanding principal amount of AgVantage securities under Farmer Mac's Institutional Credit line of business(of which $2.6 billion and $0.9 billion will be maturing in 2022 and 2023, respectively) were issued by three institutions. As of December 31, 2018,2021, transactions with CFCtwo institutions represented 100%nearly all of the business volume under Farmer Mac's Rural UtilitiesInfrastructure Finance line of business since its inception in 2008.business. Farmer Mac's ability to maintain the current relationships with its business counterparties or customers and the business generated by those business counterparties or customers is significant to Farmer Mac's business. As a result, the loss of business from any one of Farmer Mac's key business counterparties could negatively impactdecrease Farmer Mac's revenues and profitability. Furthermore, Farmer Mac may not be ableunable to replace the loss of business of a key business counterparty or customer with alternate sources of business due to limitations on the types of assets eligible for theFarmer Mac's secondary market, provided by Farmer Mac under its charter, which could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business and result in a decrease in its revenues and profits.


Farmer Mac's efforts to balance fulfilling its Congressional mission with providing a return to its stockholders may result in business transactions that involve lower returns or higher risk, which could adversely affect its business, operating results, or financial condition.


Congress created Farmer Mac to provide for a secondary market for agricultural mortgage loans, Rural Utilities loans, to rural utilities cooperatives, and the guaranteed portions of USDA-guaranteed loans. In pursuing this mission, Farmer Mac's secondary market activities are designed to:


increase the availability of credit to rural borrowers at stable interest rates;
provide greater liquidity and lending capacity in extending credit to rural borrowers; and
provide an arrangement for new lending by facilitating capital market investments in funding for rural borrowers, including funds at fixed rates of interest.


Farmer Mac's charter provides that its standards for Farm & Ranch loans shall not discriminate against small originators or small agricultural mortgage loans of at least $50,000. The charter also requires Farmer Mac's board of directors to promote and encourage the inclusion of qualified loans for small farms and family farmers in the agricultural mortgage secondary market.

Although Farmer Mac strives to undertake its mission-related activities in a manner consistent with providing an accretive return to Farmer Mac's stockholders, it is possible that these activities maycould contribute to a lower return to stockholders than if Farmer Mac's sole purpose were to maximize stockholder value. Also, the entities that regulateIf Farmer Mac could seek to alter or limit Farmer Mac's mission-related activities in the future or limit the investments that provide liquidity for Farmer Mac's mission-related activities. If this were to happen, and Farmer Mac were required to undertake activities involving greater risk or lower returns to satisfy its Congressional mission, or that generate lower returns or limited in the activities it was allowed to undertake, Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition could be adversely affected.



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A few stockholders who own large amounts of Farmer Mac voting common stock may seek to influence Farmer Mac's business, strategy, or board composition, and the interests of these stockholders may differ from the interests of Farmer Mac or other holders of Farmer Mac's common stock.


The ownership of Farmer Mac's two classes of voting common stock is concentrated in a small number offew institutions.  Approximately 44%Four financial institutions hold approximately 53% of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock, is held by three financial institutions, with 31% held by one institution.  ApproximatelyFive FCS institutions hold approximately 97% of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock is held by five FCS institutions (two of which are related to each other through a parent-subsidiary relationship).

Many holders of Farmer Mac's voting common stock are rural lenders that may compete directly with each other. At times, some of these voting stockholders may also view Farmer Mac as an indirect competitor because Farmer Mac's secondary market activities often provide attractive funding and effective risk management tools that help many lenders compete in the origination of eligible rural loans. As long as Farmer Mac's Class A and Class B voting common stock is highly concentrated in a small number of institutions, there is the potential that these institutions will seek to influence Farmer Mac's business, strategy, or board composition in a way that may not be in the best interests of either Farmer Mac or all other stockholders. Furthermore, the interests of the holders of Farmer Mac's Class A and Class B voting common stock may not be fully aligned with each other or the interests of Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stockholders, and this could lead to a strategy that is not in the best interests of Farmer Mac or all of its stockholders. The holders of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock and the holders of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock each have the right to elect one-third of the membership of Farmer

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Mac's board of directors. As a result, eachMany of these stockholder classesholders are rural lenders that may compete directly with each other. As long as Farmer Mac's Class A and Class B voting common stock is highly concentrated in a few institutions, these institutions could significantlyseek to influence (and may succeed in influencing), Farmer Mac's business, strategy, andor board composition in a way that may not be in the best interests of alleither Farmer Mac or other stockholders.


Changes in Farmer Mac's board of directors could adversely affect its business, operations, and strategy.

Farmer Mac's charter prescribes that its board of directors consist of fifteen members. Five members are elected by holders of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock, five members are elected by holders of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock, and five members are appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. The holders of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock and of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock each elect one-third of the membership of Farmer Mac's board of directors annually. Farmer Mac's Presidentially-appointed members serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States and therefore could be replaced at any time. If, as a result of annual elections or new Presidential appointments to the board, Farmer Mac were to experience a significant turnover in the membership of its board of directors within a short time, Farmer Mac's business, operations, and strategy could be negatively affected. If several newly elected or appointed directors are not able to become proficient quickly in Farmer Mac's business, operations, and strategies, this could adversely affect the effectiveness of Farmer Mac's board of directors in overseeing and managing the business, affairs, strategies, and operations of Farmer Mac.



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Operational Risk


The inadequacy or failure of Farmer Mac's operational systems, cybersecurity plan,program, internal controls or processes, or infrastructure, or those of third parties, or the inability of Farmer Mac to successfully implement enhancements to any of these or migrate to new systems or infrastructure could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's business, liquidity, operating results, reputation, or financial condition.


Farmer Mac is exposed to operational risk due to the complex nature of its business operations and the processes and systems used to fulfillundertake its Congressional mission, maintain operational efficiency and technological relevance,business activities and comply with regulatory requirements. Operational risk refers toincludes the risk of loss to Farmer Mac or damage to its reputation resulting from from:

inadequate or failed internal processes, personnel, systems, cybersecurity plan,program, or infrastructure, or itsinfrastructure;
Farmer Mac's inability to successfully implement enhancements to any of these or migrate to new systems or infrastructure,infrastructure;
failed execution based on human error;
inadequate or from failed internal controls or processes to detect or prevent fraud or other violations of law or regulations; or
external events, including a disruption involving physical site access, cyber incidents, catastrophic events, natural disasters, terrorist activities, or disease pandemics.


Farmer Mac relies on business processes that largely depend on people, technology, and the use of complex systems and models to manage its business, process a high volume of daily transactions, and generate the records on which Farmer Mac's financial statements are based. Inadequacies or failures in Farmer Mac's internal processes, personnel, systems, cybersecurity plan,program, or infrastructure could lead to a significant disruption in its business operations, financial and economic loss, errors in its financial statements, impairment of its liquidity, liability or service interruptions to its customers, increased regulatory or legislative scrutiny, or reputational damage.

In response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Farmer Mac's financial, accounting, data processing, backup,Mac has modified its business practices to focus on protecting its employees and the public while continuing to fulfill its critical mission and maintaining its regular business operations in support of the farmers, ranchers, and rural utilities of America. On March 12, 2020, Farmer Mac activated its Business Continuity Plan (“BCP”) and has been operating uninterrupted since then with most employees working remotely from their homes. Farmer Mac has provided guidance and support to its employees to ensure that they have the tools and knowledge needed to effectively work from home, and Farmer Mac’s technology platform and BCP have been functioning as designed in support of all functions of the organization. Nonetheless, because the technology in employees’ homes may not be as robust and resilient as in Farmer Mac’s offices and could cause the networks, information systems, applications, and other tools available to employees to be more limited or less reliable than Farmer Mac’s in-office technology, the continuation of these work-from-home measures introduces more operational risk. These risks include but are not limited to greater cybersecurity risk and disruption or other operating systems and infrastructure may fail to operate as intended or become temporarily unavailable becausefailure of events that are wholly or partially beyond Farmer Mac's control,local technology networks, which could adversely affectimpair Farmer Mac's ability to conduct its business in the ordinary course. Farmer Mac relies on business processes that largely depend on people, technology, and the useperform critical functions. The realization of complex systems and models to manage its business, process a high volume of daily transactions, and generate the records on which its financial statements are based. This heightened reliance increases the risk that Farmer Mac may be exposed to financial, reputational, or other losses because of errors or inherent design flaws in its processes or systems, the failed executionany of these processesrisks could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac’s business, results of operations, or systems, or human error.financial condition.

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The potential for operational risk exposure also exists as a result of Farmer Mac's interactions with, and reliance on, third parties. Farmer Mac's business relies on its ability to process, evaluate, and interpret significant amounts of information, much of which is provided by third parties and that information may not be correct or Farmer Mac may fail to interpret it appropriately. Also, the internal controls and processes Farmer Mac has in place designed to detect and prevent fraud may not be effective or successful.

The potential for operational risk exposure is not limited toprovide. Yet Farmer Mac's internal operational functions and also exists as a result of Farmer Mac's interactions with, and reliance on, third parties.ability to implement safeguards preventing disruption to third-party systems or infrastructure is more limited than for its own systems or infrastructure. If the financial, accounting, data processing, backup, information technology, or other operating systems and infrastructure of third parties with whom Farmer Mac interacts or upon whom it relies fail to operate properly or are disrupted, then Farmer Mac's operations and its ability to conduct its business in the ordinary course may be adversely affected. Farmer Mac's ability to implement safeguards preventing disruption to third party systems or infrastructure is more limited than for its own systems or infrastructure.

Farmer Mac continues to invest in and enhance its technological capabilities, operational systems, cybersecurity plan, infrastructure, and organizational structure. But more operational risks may arise in implementing these endeavors, including the risk that Farmer Mac may not be able to successfully implement these enhancements or migrate to new systems or infrastructure, which may have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac’s business, operations, or financial condition.


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Farmer Mac conducts many of its critical business operations and activities in its main office in Washington, D.C. This concentration of Farmer Mac's personnel, technology, and facilities increases Farmer Mac's risk of financial or other loss. Although Farmer Mac routinely reviews, updates, and tests its business continuity and disaster recovery plans, these plans may not be sufficient to mitigate all potential business continuity risks. Farmer Mac's recovery capabilities or those of third parties with whom it interacts or upon whom it relies could be overwhelmed by a disruption in infrastructure or a catastrophic event such as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, extreme weather event, or disease pandemic. If Farmer Mac is not able to resume business operations or its employees are unable to communicate with each other because of any of these events, Farmer Mac may not be able to successfully implement its continuity and disaster recovery plans,affected, which could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's business, liquidity, operating results reputation,of operations, or financial condition.


Farmer Mac’s business depends, in part, on effective and reliable loan servicing, and Farmer Mac’s internal loan servicing function and reliance on third-party servicers could expose Farmer Mac to operational risks that could adversely affect its business, operating results, or financial condition.

Effective and reliable loan servicing is essential for Farmer Mac to successfully operate its business. During third quarter 2021, Farmer Mac expanded its internal loan servicing function through a strategic acquisition that included the loan servicing rights for a sizeable portion of Farmer Mac’s Agricultural Finance mortgage loan and USDA Securities portfolios, as well as experienced servicing personnel and an operational servicing platform. This strategic acquisition has required Farmer Mac to implement processes and controls for a business function that Farmer Mac has previously not operated and has minimal experience executing and managing. Farmer Mac also continues to rely on experienced third-party servicers to service the portion of Farmer Mac’s Agricultural Finance mortgage loan portfolio not serviced directly by Farmer Mac. Although Farmer Mac has established servicing standards and requirements to which these third-party servicers are required by contract to adhere and on which they must report to Farmer Mac, Farmer Mac does not manage the processes and controls of these third-party servicers. The ineffective implementation, operation, or oversight of one or more of the servicing processes or controls employed by Farmer Mac or any of its third-party servicers could expose Farmer Mac to operational risk that could adversely affect Farmer Mac’s business, operating results, or financial condition.

Any significant deficiency, failure, interruption, or breach in Farmer Mac's or our service providers' technology and information systems, infrastructure, or cybersecurity program, including the occurrence of successful cyber-attacks, or a significant deficiency in Farmer Mac's cybersecurity plan, could result in a loss of business, damage to Farmer Mac's reputation, the disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, or increased costs or liability to Farmer Mac, which could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition.
 
Farmer Mac relies heavily on technology and information systems, including from third parties, for the secure collection, processing, transmission, and storage of confidential, proprietary, and personal information in our information systems (and those of third parties) to conduct and manage its business operations. These technology and information systems encompass an integrated set of hardware, software, infrastructure, and trained personnel organized to facilitate the planning, control, coordination, operations, and decision-making processes occurring within Farmer Mac. As the importance and complexity of Farmer Mac's reliance onMac’s technology and information systems has increased, and as new technologies are developed that are used by our customers, Farmer Mac, or our service providers to support our business and operations, so too have the risks posed to itsFarmer Mac’s information systems including the effect of eventsand data from cybersecurity attacks that would threaten the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of Farmer Mac'sMac’s information technology assets and resources known as cyber incidents.and its data. Like many other financial institutions, Farmer Mac facesand its service providers face regular attempts by third parties to gain unauthorized access to, its information systems. Farmer Mac has experienced cyber incidents that have not had a material effect on its business, operating results, or financial condition, but it is not possible to predict the impact on Farmer Mac of any future cyber incidents.

Farmer Mac has undertaken preventive measures and devotes adequate resources to design, manage, monitor, deploy, and assessdisrupt, its information systems and cybersecurity program consistent with industry best practices. Specifically, Farmer Mac's cybersecurity program assesses Farmer Mac's cybersecurity risk profileaccess or acquire its data, including

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from organized criminal groups, hackers, nation states, activists, insiders, and seeksother unauthorized third parties. These threats come from a variety of different sources, including cyber-attacks, computer viruses, malware, exploits of system and network vulnerabilities, human error, phishing, ransomware, and distributed denial of service attacks. The methods used to ensure theregain unauthorized access to or disrupt our information systems and data, or those of our service providers, are sufficient measures and safeguards in place to mitigate the risks identified. However, Farmer Macevolving. We may not be able to prevent address on a timelyor recognize them and adequate basis, or fully mitigate the negative effects associated with a successful cyber-attack on Farmer Mac's or its third-party information systems, which could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, reputation, or financial condition. Because the methods used to launch cyber-attacks change often or, in some cases, are not recognized until launched, Farmer Mac also may be unable to implement effective preventive measures or proactively address these methodsthreats until they areafter a cybersecurity event has been discovered.A failure Moreover, any employees or interruption in anyagents of Farmer Mac'sMac’s (or its third-party customers or vendors) who have authorized access to confidential, proprietary, or personal information systems could cause a disruptionalso intentionally, inadvertently, or malfunctionerroneously disseminate the information to unauthorized third parties.

Although Farmer Mac has implemented what we believe is an appropriate information security program with cybersecurity procedures, policies, practices, and controls, Farmer Mac may be unable to prevent unauthorized access to its information technology assets or data, resulting in the unauthorized access to or acquisition, destruction, alteration, release, theft, or loss of its operations,confidential, proprietary, or personal data of Farmer Mac, our employees, our customers, or our third-party vendors, which could adversely affect Farmer Mac'sdisrupt our operations and ability to conduct business with its customers, loan servicers, service providers, or other counterparties, result in financial loss, or damage Farmer Mac's reputation.

The secure transmission, processing, and storage of Farmer Mac's confidential, proprietary, and other information assets through Farmer Mac's or its third-party information systems is instrumental to Farmer Mac's operations. Any action that results in unauthorized access to Farmer Mac's information systems by


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third parties, including through viruses, malware, cyber-attacks, or other information system breaches, could disrupt Farmer Mac's operations, corrupt its data, or cause the misappropriation, unauthorized release, loss, or destruction of the confidential, proprietary, or other information assets of its customers, loan servicers, service providers, or other counterparties. Unauthorized access to Farmer Mac's information systems or sensitive information could cause Farmer Mac to experience prolonged operational interruption, damage to its reputation, material loss of business, legal liability, or increased costs from private data exposure, which could adversely affect Farmer Mac'sMac’s business, operating results, reputation, or financial condition.condition, cause financial loss or costs, cause loss of customers or vendors, and result in regulatory inquiries, enforcement proceedings, or litigation. Also, the risk of unauthorized access to confidential, proprietary, or personal information through information system breaches or inadvertent dissemination may be heightened in a remote-working environment, which is currently more prevalent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
��
Farmer Mac dependsrelies on third-party service providers to facilitate our business operations and our cybersecurity program, including for the secure collection, processing, transmission, and storage of confidential, proprietary, and personal information. The control systems, cybersecurity program, infrastructure, and personnel associated with third parties includingwith which we do business or obtain services are beyond our control. Cybersecurity attacks or disruptions of software, hardware, or infrastructure of third parties may adversely affect our business, systems, and controls.
Failure by Farmer Mac's third-party loan servicers, information systems providers, and other service providers to protect confidential information from unauthorized access and dissemination and these third parties' failure to do so could result in liability for Farmer Mac or damage Farmer Mac's reputation, which could have a negative effect on Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition.


Farmer Mac relies on third parties, including loan servicers, information systems providers, software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers, cloud computing service providers, and other service providers, to perform various functions forthat support Farmer Mac. In the course of these activities,Mac’s business and operations. Farmer Mac depends on these third parties to collect, process, and have access tostore a variety of confidential, proprietary, or proprietarypersonal information, including among others, sensitive financial information. Just as Farmer Mac is subject to numerous cyber attacks from a variety of actors, so too are these third parties. Although Farmer Mac requires third parties who collect, process, or store confidential, proprietary, or personal data to adhere to security policies, processes, and controls, if a third party is unable to prevent unauthorized access to its information information presented to Farmer Mac's board of directors, information provided to Farmer Mac's regulators, information abouttechnology assets or data, it could result in the lenders that participate in Farmer Mac's lines of business, and personal financial information about the borrowers with loans in one of Farmer Mac's lines of business. Any unauthorized access to or cyber incidents affecting the information systemsacquisition, destruction, alteration, release, theft, or loss of oneconfidential, proprietary, or personal data of these third parties, including through viruses, malware, cyber-attacks,Farmer Mac, our employees, or our customers, which could disrupt our operations and ability to conduct business with customers, loan servicers, service providers, or other information system breaches, could result in the misappropriation and inappropriate release of the confidential or proprietary information entrusted tocounterparties, adversely affect Farmer Mac. Prior instances of unauthorized access to Farmer Mac's third parties' information systems have not resulted in the misappropriation or inappropriate release of the confidential or proprietary information entrusted to Farmer Mac, although it is not possible to predict the consequences of any future instances. Any employees or agents of Farmer Mac's third parties that have authorized access to confidential or proprietary information could also inadvertently or erroneously disseminate the information to unauthorized third parties. Any unauthorized access to or dissemination of confidential or proprietary information could result in liability for Farmer Mac or damage Farmer Mac's reputation, either of which could have a negative effect on Farmer Mac'sMac’s business, operating results, reputation, or

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financial condition, cause financial loss or financial condition.costs, cause loss of customers or vendors, or result in regulatory inquiries, enforcement proceedings, or litigation.


If Farmer Mac's management of risk associated with its loan assets and investment securities based on model assumptions and output is not effective, its business, operating results, financial condition, or capital levels could be materially adversely affected.


Farmer Mac continually develops and adapts profitability and risk management models to adequately address a wide range of possible market developments. Farmer Mac's techniques and strategies may not be effective in mitigating its risk exposure in all economic market environments or against all types of risk, including risks that Farmer Mac fails to identify or anticipate. Some of Farmer Mac's qualitative tools and metrics for managing risk are based on its use of observed historical market behavior.  Farmer Mac applies statistical and other tools to these observations to quantify its risks.  These tools and metrics may fail to predict future or unanticipated risk.  These failuresrisks or may not be effective in mitigating its risk exposure in all economic market environments or against all types of risk, which could for example, arise from factorsexpose Farmer Mac did not anticipate or correctly evaluate in its models.  Farmer Mac's quantified modeling does not consider all risks.  Farmer Mac's more qualitative approach to managing those risks not accounted for in its quantitative models could prove insufficient, exposing it to material unanticipated losses.  The


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inability of Farmer Mac to effectively identify and manage the risks inherent in its business could have a material adverse effect on its business, operating results, financial condition, or capital levels.


Farmer Mac's efforts to expand product offerings and services to its customers exposes Farmer Mac to operational risk that could materially and adversely affect its business, operating results, or financial condition.

As the needs of Farmer Mac's customer base and rural America evolve, Farmer Mac seeks to respond by offering new products and services to meet these needs. As Farmer Mac expands its product offerings and services, it is exposed to operational risk in implementing these new products and services. New products and services may require new operational processes, which often require new internal controls to manage new risks that these new processes present. If these controls are insufficient or ineffective to manage the risks inherent in these new processes, or if there is human error in executing these new controls either due to their novelty or otherwise, Farmer Mac could face financial loss, reputational damage, or regulatory enforcement, which could materially and adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition.

Market Risk


Farmer Mac is exposed to interest rate risk that could materially and adversely affect its business, operating results or financial condition.


Farmer Mac is subject to interest rate risk due to the possible timing differences in the cash flows of the assets it holds and related liabilities.the liabilities issued to fund those assets. Farmer Mac's primary strategy for managing interest rate risk is to fund asset purchases with liabilitiesdebt together with financial derivatives that have similar duration and cash flowconvexity characteristics so that they will perform similarly as interest rates change. Through Farmer Mac's issuances of debt securities in the form of discount notes and medium-term notes coupled withto help mitigate impacts from interest rate swap contracts that adjustchanges across the characteristics of the debt issued, Farmer Mac seeks to match its liabilities closely with the cash flow and duration characteristics of its loans and other assets.yield curve. However, the ability of borrowers to prepay their loans before the scheduled maturities increases the risklikelihood of asset and liability cash flow mismatches. In a changing interest rate environment, these cash flow mismatches affect Farmer Mac's earnings if assets repay sooner than expected and the resulting cash flows must be reinvested in lower-yielding investments, particularly if Farmer Mac's related funding costs cannot be correspondingly repaid. Also,Conversely, if assets repay more slowly than anticipated and the associated debt issued to fund the assets must be reissued at a higher yield,interest rate, Farmer Mac's earnings could be adversely affected. As

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Volatility in market conditions during 2020 stemming from the effects of December 31, 2018,the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the Federal Reserve to significantly lower the target range for the federal funds rate, resulting in a low interest rate environment during 2020 and 2021. The Federal Reserve has signaled that it intends to increase the target range for the federal funds rate and is tapering its purchases of all the outstanding business volume heldU.S. Treasury and GSE mortgage-backed securities. The resulting potential for higher interest rates may create periods of market volatility that could adversely affect Farmer Mac's ability to manage interest rate risk, which could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's balance sheet, $8.3 billion had a fixed interest rate and $7.4 billion had an adjustable interest rate.operating results or financial condition.


Farmer Mac is also subject to another type of interest raterepricing risk, due to changes in itswhich is the risk that Farmer Mac's funding cost of funds relative to floating rate market indexes (such asa benchmark index (for example, the London Interbank Offered Rate known as "LIBOR" or LIBOR) on somethe Secured Overnight Financing Rate known as "SOFR") will increase from the time the initial funding was issued and the time the liabilities are re-funded. This repricing risk arises from a funding strategy whereby Farmer Mac issues floating rate debt across a variety of thematurities to fund floating or synthetically floating rate assets it holds, which is referred to as "basis risk." Some ofthat on average may have longer maturities. A significant increase in the difference between Farmer Mac's floating rate assets reset on rate adjustment dates based on a floating rate market index, while the related debt that Farmer Mac issued to fund those assets until their maturities may be refinanced based on Farmer Mac'sfunding cost of funds at a particular time. Basis risk arises from the potential variability between the rates at which those floating rate assets reset and the rates at which Farmer Mac can issue or refinance debt to fund those assets until their maturities. Farmer Mac is also subject to basis risk on some of its fixed rate assets because of its use of pay-fixed interest rate swaps, combined with a series of discount note or medium-term note issuances, as an alternative source of effectively fixed rate funding. This risk arises because the rates at which Farmer Mac refinances its funding for some fixed rate assets through the issuance of discount notes or medium-term notes may vary from the agreed-upon rates based on the floating rate market index received by Farmer Mac on the associated swaps. For example, if the rates on Farmer Mac’s discount notes or medium-term notes deteriorate relative to the benchmark index, including LIBOR duringand SOFR, could compress spread income on the time between when its indexed floating rate assets were first funded and when Farmer Mac refinances the associated debt or when Farmer Mac uses pay-fixed swaps to fund its fixed rate assets Farmer Mac is exposed to a commensurate reduction in its net effective spread. Conversely, if the rates on Farmer Mac’s discount notes or medium-term notes improve relative to LIBOR during that time or when Farmer Mac uses pay-fixed swaps to fund its fixed rate assets, Farmer Mac would benefit from a commensurate increase in its net effective spread. Although Farmer Macholds and seeks to issue debt of sufficient maturity to reducere-fund with the frequency of required refinancing of that debt over the life of the associated asset, it may not be able to successfully do so, whichhigher cost funding. Widespread compression within a short timeframe could adversely impact its business,affect Farmer Mac's operating results andor financial condition. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac held $6.2 billion of floating-rate assets in its lines of business and its liquidity investment portfolio that reset based on floating rate market indexes, primarily one-month and three-month LIBOR.



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As of the same date, Farmer Mac also had $3.8 billion of interest rate swaps outstanding where Farmer Mac pays a fixed rate of interest and receives a floating rate of interest.

Changes in interest rates relative to Farmer Mac's management of interest rate risk through derivatives may cause volatility in financial results and capital levels and may adversely affect Farmer Mac's net income.income, liquidity position, or operating results.


Farmer Mac enters into financial derivatives transactions to hedge interest rate risks inherent in its business and measurescarries its financial derivatives at fair value.value in its consolidated financial statements. Although Farmer Mac's financial derivatives provide effective economic hedges of interest rate risk, changes in the fair values of financial derivatives can cause volatility in net income and in capital, particularly if those financial derivatives are not designated in hedge accounting relationships or if there is any ineffectiveness in a hedge accounting relationship. As interest rates increase or decrease, the fair values of Farmer Mac's derivatives change based on the position Farmer Mac holds relative to the specific characteristics of the derivative. Farmer Mac's core capital available to meet its statutory minimum capital requirement can be affected by changes in the fair values of financial derivatives, as noted above. Adverse changes in the fair values of Farmer Mac's financial derivatives that are not designated in hedge accounting relationships and any hedge ineffectiveness that results in a loss would reduce the amount of core capital available to meet this requirement, which could result in regulatory enforcement action against Farmer Mac if it were unable to meet the requirement. In 20182021 and 2017,2020, Farmer Mac recorded gainsa loss of $8.0$5.1 millionand $10.2a loss of $3.7 million, respectively, from changes in the fair values of its financial derivatives as a result of movements in interest rates during those years. In addition, Farmer Mac recorded losses of $1.5 million and $9.2 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively, related to ineffectiveness in hedge accounting relationships.


The reform, replacement,Changes in interest rates have required, and in the future may require, Farmer Mac to post cash or discontinuationinvestment securities to collateralize its derivative exposures due to corresponding changes in the fair market values of these derivatives. If changes in interest rates were to result in a significant decrease in the fair value of Farmer Mac's derivatives, Farmer Mac would be required to post cash, cash equivalents, or investment securities, possibly within a short period of time, to satisfy its obligations under its derivatives contracts. As of December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac posted $16.6 million of cash and $177.9 million of investment securities as collateral for its derivatives in net liability positions. If Farmer Mac is required to fully collateralize a significant portion of its derivatives in an adverse interest rate

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environment, it could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's liquidity position or operating results.

Discontinuation of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition.


In July 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority ("UKFCA"), which regulates U.S. Dollar LIBOR ("LIBOR"), announced that it willwouldno longer persuade or compel banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021 and willwould support the LIBOR indexes through 2021 to allow for a transition to any alternative reference rates. This announcement indicatesIn November 2020, the UKFCA and the ICE Benchmark Administration, which administers LIBOR, announced that most tenors of LIBOR would continue to be published through June 2023. These announcements indicate that the continuation of LIBOR in its current form will not be guaranteed after 2021, and it appears likely that LIBOR will be discontinued or modified by 2021. In response to this development, the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York convened the Alternative Reference Rates Committee ("ARRC") to identify a set of alternative reference interest rates for possible use as market benchmark interest rates. The ARRC has proposed the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") as its recommended alternative to LIBOR, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York began publishing SOFR rates beginning in second quarter 2018. SOFR is based on a broad segment of the overnight Treasury repurchase market and is intended to be a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by Treasury securities. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York notes on its publication page for SOFR that use of SOFR is subject to important limitations and disclaimers, including that it may alter the methods of calculation, publication schedule, rate revision practices, or availability of SOFR at any time without notice, or that it may withdraw, modify, or amend the published SOFR rate in its sole discretion and without notice.

after June 2023. Farmer Mac is evaluatingcontinues to evaluate the potential effect on its business of the replacement of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate, including the possibility of SOFRusing replacement benchmark interest rates such as a dominant replacement.SOFR. As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac held $5.1$3.6 billion of floating rate assets in its lines of business and its investment portfolio, $3.6had issued $1.1 billion of floating rate debt, and $9.8had entered into $13.7 billion notional amount of interest rate swaps, each of which resetresets based on LIBOR. In addition, Farmer Mac's Series C Preferred Stock will be indexed to LIBOR after July 17, 2024. The market transition away from LIBOR and towards SOFR, or any otheran alternative


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benchmark interest rate that may be developed is expected to be complicated and may require the development of term and credit adjustments to accommodate for differences between the benchmark interest rates. The introduction of an alternative reference rate may also introduce additional basisre-funding and repricing risk for Farmer Mac if an alternative benchmark interest rate index is being used along with LIBOR during a transition period. If LIBOR is discontinued and an alternative benchmark interest rate including SOFR, does not become widely used or accepted in place of LIBOR, then there may be uncertainty or differences in the calculation of the applicable interest rate or payment amounts depending on the terms of the governing instruments for Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities. If an alternative benchmark interest rate, including SOFR, does become widely used or accepted in place of LIBOR, then significant work may be required to transition to using this alternative rate in Farmer Mac's products. Either of these scenariosThis could result in different financial performance for previously booked transactions, require different hedging strategies, or require renegotiation of previously booked transactions, and may impactaffect Farmer Mac's existing transaction data, products, systems, operations and pricing processes, which could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition.


Changes in interest rates as well as certain credit events may trigger collateralization requirements for Farmer Mac under its derivatives contracts, which could adversely affect Farmer Mac's liquidity position or operating results.

Farmer Mac uses derivatives contracts to help manage its interest rate risk. Changes in interest rates have required, and in the future may require, Farmer Mac to post cash or investment securities to its derivative counterparties to reflect the changes in fair market values of Farmer Mac's derivatives as a result of the changes in interest rates. For example, as of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac posted $47.0 million of investment securities as collateral for its derivatives in net liability positions. If changes in interest rates were to result in a significant decrease in the fair value of Farmer Mac's derivatives, Farmer Mac would be required to post a significant amount of cash, cash equivalents, or investment securities, possibly within a short period of time, to satisfy its obligations under its derivatives contracts. Farmer Mac is required to fully collateralize its derivatives positions without any minimum threshold for cleared swap transactions, as well as for non-cleared swap transactions entered into after March 1, 2017, the effective date of new rules that established zero threshold requirements for the exchange of variation margin between Farmer Mac and its swap dealer counterparties in such transactions. For non-cleared swaps transactions entered into before March 2017, Farmer Mac's derivatives contracts contain provisions establishing minimum threshold collateral amounts, ranging between $15 million and $25 million, below which Farmer Mac is not required to post collateral, though these amounts may be reduced to zero upon the occurrence of specified credit events such as insolvency, receivership, failure to make a payment under the contract when due, or failure to continue as an instrumentality of the United States. Under these contracts, the amount required to be posted would increase if Farmer Mac also experienced a credit event, thereby triggering full collateralization of its derivatives positions without any minimum threshold. If Farmer Mac is required to fully collateralize all of its derivatives positions in an adverse interest rate environment, it could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's liquidity position or operating results.



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Financial Risk


Incorrect estimates and assumptions by management or changes in accounting standards or in applying accounting policies, in preparing financial statements could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, reported assets and liabilities, financial condition, reputation, or capital levels.
 
Farmer Mac's accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how it records and reports its financial condition and results of operations. Some of these policies and methods require management to make certain critical accounting estimates and assumptions in preparing Farmer Mac's consolidated financial statements that could affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of income and expense during the reporting periods.statements. Incorrect estimates and assumptions by management in connection with preparing Farmer Mac's consolidated financial statements could adversely affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of income and expenses. For example, as of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities recorded at fair value included financial instruments valued at $6.0$6.4 billion whose fair values management estimated in the absence of readily observable fair values (in other words, level 3). These financial instruments measured with significant unobservable inputs represented 32%25.3% of total assets and 73%62.2% of financial instruments measured at fair value as of December 31, 2018. More information about fair value measurement is included in2021. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis—Critical Accounting Policies—Estimates—Fair Value Measurement."Measurement" for more

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information about fair value measurement. If management makes incorrect assumptions or estimates Farmer Mac may understatethat result in understating or overstateoverstating reported financial results, whichit could materially and adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, reported assets and liabilities, financial condition, reputation, or capital levels.


Changes in accounting standards or in applying accounting policies could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, or capital levels.

Farmer Mac is subject to the requirements of entities that set and interpret the accounting standards governing the preparation of Farmer Mac's consolidated financial statements. These entities, which include the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), the SEC, and Farmer Mac's independent registered public accounting firm, may add new accounting standards or change their interpretations of how those standards should be applied. These changes may be difficult to predict and could affect how Farmer Mac records and reports its financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, Farmer Mac could be required to apply a new or revised standard retrospectively, potentially resulting in changes to previously reported financial results. For example, the FASB issued a new accounting standard in 2016, which was effective for Farmer Mac for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019,on January 1, 2020, that will requirerequired entities to measure credit losses based on an "expected credit loss" approach rather than an "incurred loss" approach currentlypreviously required under GAAP. The new approach will requirerequires entities to measure all expected credit losses for financial assets carried at amortized cost and debt securities classified as available-for-sale, based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable forecasts of collectability. IfThis new accounting standard could cause increases and more volatility in Farmer Mac is required to materially increase its total allowanceMac's provision for credit losses as a result, that increaseand could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, or capital levels. See Note 2(q)2(r) to the consolidated financial statements for more information about this new accounting standard.


Changes in the value or composition of Farmer Mac's investment securities could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, liquidity or capital levels.


Deterioration in financial or credit market conditions could reduce the fair value of Farmer Mac's investment securities, particularly those securities that are less liquid and more subject to market variability. Some securities owned by Farmer Mac, including auction-rate certificates, do not have well-established secondary trading markets, making it more difficult to estimate current fair values for those


61



securities. Adverse financial market conditions may further compound the challenges of estimating fair values for Farmer Mac's securities.

This requires Farmer Mac reliesto rely on market observations to determine the fair value of its investment securities, although the market data Farmer Mac relies on may not reflect the actual sale conditions that Farmer Mac would face when selling its investment securities. For example, the market value of some securities owned by Farmer Mac may depend in large part on the amounts and timing of the expected cash flows on these securities, which may be highly uncertain. Therefore, a change in the amounts or timing of cash flows could materially alter the market price of those securities. Later valuations of these and other investment securities, in light of factors then prevailing, may result in significant changes in the value of Farmer Mac's investment securities.

Farmer Mac also relies on internal models to estimate the fair values of its investment securities and to determine whether credit losses exist, which requiresexist. However, available market data may not reflect the actual sale conditions Farmer Mac may face when selling its investment securities, particularly in adverse financial market conditions. Internal models require Farmer Mac to exercise judgment about estimates and assumptions used in the models. If Farmer Mac uses unreliable market data or incorrect estimates or assumptions in theits internal models it develops to estimate the fair value of its investment securities, those modelsestimates could adversely affect reported incomeresults of operations during the reporting period.

If And if Farmer Mac decides to sell securities in its investment portfolio, the price ultimately realized will depend on the demand and liquidity in the market at the time of sale.sale, which could be significantly less than Farmer Mac's inabilityestimates for fair value. Failure to sellaccurately estimate the securities in itsfair value of Farmer Mac's investment portfolio at or above their estimated fair valuessecurities could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, liquidity or capital levels.



46





The trading price for Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock may be volatile due to market influences, trading volume, or the effects of equity awards for Farmer Mac's officers, directors, and employees.employees, or sales of significant amounts of the stock by large holders.


The trading price of Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock ("Class C stock") has at times experienced substantial price volatility and may continue to beremain volatile. For example, from January 2018 to December 2018, the closing price of the Class C stock ranged from $56.54$74.76 per share to $98.52$136.81 per share.share during 2021. The trading price may fluctuate in response to various factors, including short sales, hedging, the presence or absence of a share repurchase program, or stock market influences in general that are unrelated to Farmer Mac's operating performance.performance (including COVID-19), or sales of significant amounts of the stock by large holders. Farmer Mac typically grants equity awards each year that are based on Farmer Mac'sthe Class C non-voting common stock, including stock appreciation rights and restricted stockgrants that vest over time or upon the achievement of specified performance goals. Sales of stock acquired upon vesting or the exercise of equity awards by Farmer Mac's officers, directors, or employees, whether under an established trading plan or otherwise, could adversely affect the trading price of Farmer Mac'sthe Class C non-voting common stock. TheseAll of these factors may be exacerbated during periods of low trading volume for Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock, which averaged approximately 39,00039,800 shares daily during 2018,2021, and may have a prolonged negative effect on its trading price or increase price volatility.


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Regulatory/Regulatory and Compliance Risk


Farmer Mac and many of its business partnerscounterparties are subject to comprehensive government regulation, and changes to theapplicable laws and regulations to which Farmer Mac or its business partners are subject could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, reputation, or financial condition.


Farmer Mac was established under a statutory charter that is subject to amendment by the U.S. Congress may amend at any time and is regulated by various government agencies, including the FCA and the SEC. As a result, Farmer Mac is therefore exposed to the risk of legal or regulatory penalties,penalties; material financial loss including fines, judgments, damages, and/or settlements,settlements; or loss of reputation if it fails to comply withviolates applicable laws, regulations, rules, regulatory requests, self-regulatory organization standards, or codes of conduct applicable to its business activities. Future legislative or regulatory actions affecting Farmer Mac's statutory charter or its business activities, including increased regulatory supervision, and any required changes to Farmer Mac's business or operations resulting from such actions, could result in a financial loss for Farmer Mac or otherwise reduce its profitability, impose additionalmore compliance and other costs on Farmer Mac, limit the products offered by Farmer Mac or its ability to pursue business opportunities in which it might otherwise consider engaging, curtail business activities in which it is currently engaged, affect the value of assets that Farmer Mac holds, or otherwise adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, results of operations, reputation, or financial condition.


The financial services industry, in which most of Farmer Mac's business partnerscounterparties and customers operate, is subject to significant legislation and regulations. Specifically, toTo the extent that current or future legislation, regulations, or regulationssupervisory activities affect the activities of banks, insurance companies, other rural lenders, derivatives counterparties, clearinghouses, securities dealers, or other regulated entities that constitute a large portion of Farmer Mac's business counterparties or customers, Farmer Mac could experience reduced customer demandloss of business or profitability,business opportunities, increased compliance costs, disadvantageous business terms in its dealings with counterparties, and unfavorable changes to its business practices or activities. As a result, Farmer Mac's business, operating results, reputation, or financial condition could be adversely affected.



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Farmer Mac is subject toMac's capital requirements that are subject tomay change, and failure to meet those requirements could result in supervisory measures or the inability of Farmer Mac to declare dividends, or otherwise materially and adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition.


Farmer Mac is required by statute and regulation to maintain certain capital levels.  Any inability by Farmer Mac to meet these capital requirements could result in supervisory measures by FCA, adversely affect Farmer Mac's ability to declare dividends on its common and preferred stock, or otherwise materially and adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition.  Also, asAs required by an FCA regulation on capital planning, Farmer Mac has adopted a policy to maintain a sufficient level of Tier 1 capital and to restrict paying Tier 1-eligible dividends if Tier 1 capital falls below specified thresholds. For more information about Farmer Mac's capital requirements, including the Tier 1 capital requirement, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Regulation—Capital Standards." Factors that could adversely affect the adequacy of Farmer Mac's capital levels in the future, and which may be beyond Farmer Mac's control, include:
 
credit losses or other-than-temporary impairment charges;losses;
adverse changes in interest rates or credit spreads;
the need to increase the level of the allowance for losses on loans;


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legislative or regulatory actions that increase Farmer Mac's capital requirements; and
changes in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.GAAP.


Political Risk


Farmer Mac is a GSE that may be materially and adversely affected by legislative or political developments that may affect the ongoing operations or continued existence of GSEs.developments.


Farmer Mac is a GSE that is governed bywith a statutory charter which is subject to amendmentthat may be amended by the U.S. Congress at any time, and is also regulated by government agencies, including the FCA and the SEC. Although Farmer Mac is not aware of any pending legislative or regulatory proposals that would adversely affect the way Farmer Mac conductsmaterially impact its business or the status of Farmer Mac as a GSE,operations, Farmer Mac's ability to effectively conduct its business is subject to risks and uncertainties related to legislative or political developments that maycould affect the statusFarmer Mac or operations of GSEs generally. From time to time,These political risks and uncertainties may be heightened under a new Congress or Presidential administration. Farmer Mac cannot predict whether or when legislative or regulatory initiatives may commence that, if successful, could result in the enactment of legislation or the promulgation of regulations that could negatively affect the status of Farmer Mac as a GSE or how Farmer Mac operates. Farmer Mac cannot predict whether any legislative proposals related to the housing GSEs would also address the continued GSE status of Farmer Mac or modify the current operating structure or authorities of Farmer Mac in any material way. Implementation of any such proposaloperates, and which could have a material and adverse effect on Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, or capital levels. See "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac" for more information about the rules and regulations governing Farmer Mac's activities.


Human Capital Risk


Farmer Mac's ability to attract and retain motivated and qualified employees is critical to the success of its business, and failure to do sosignificant or a significantsustained disruption in the continuity of Farmer Mac's employees or any significant executive leadership changeleaders may materially adversely affect Farmer Mac's business performance, operations, financial condition, or reputation.


Farmer Mac relies on its employees' breadth and depth of knowledge of agriculturalFarmer Mac and rural utilities lending, financial products, and other areas of expertiserelated industries to run its business operations successfully. If Farmer Mac is unable tocannot continue to retain and attract motivated and qualified employees or does not have adequate human capital to achieve its business objectives,

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Farmer Mac's business performance, operations, or financial condition, or reputation could be materially adversely affected. A significant disruption in the continuity of Farmer Mac's employees or any significant executive leadership change could also:

create uncertainty or instability;
require Farmer Mac and its existing employees to divert or expend more resources and attention to replace personnel;
also result in a loss of productivity and disrupt its daily operations;
affect Farmer Mac's ability to successfully execute its business strategies;
result in the departure of other executivesstrategies by creating uncertainty or key employees;instability or
damage the public requiring Farmer Mac to divert or market perception of Farmer Mac.

expend more resources to replace personnel. For example, after the termination of employment of Farmer Mac's former President and Chief ExecutiveFinancial Officer in 2017,July 2019 and resignation of Farmer Mac's former Chief Credit Officer in February 2020, Farmer Mac expended significant resources and attention to identify his successor.their successors. Loss of key leadership personnel could also damage the public or market perception of Farmer Mac or result in the departure of other executives or key employees. Any


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of the abovethese factors could materially adversely affect Farmer Mac's business performance, operations, financial condition, or reputation.


Any of the risks described in this section could materially and adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, reputation, capital levels, and future earnings.  For more information about Farmer Mac's risk management, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management" in Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.



Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments

Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments

None.


Item 2.Properties

Item 2.Properties

Farmer Mac maintains its principal office at 1999 K Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006, under a sublease that began on October 1, 2011 and ends on August 30, 2024. Farmer Mac also maintains threetwo other office locations: (1) 9169 Northpark Drive, Johnston, Iowa 50322, under a lease that began on October 1, 2017 and ends on June 30, 2023; and (2) 5200 N. Palm Avenue, Suite 306, Fresno, California 93704,9249 Northpark Drive, Johnston, IA 50322, under a lease that began on JanuaryAugust 1, 20172021 and ends on February 29, 2020; and (3) 1065 E. Winding Creek Drive, Suite 200, Eagle, Idaho 83616, under a lease that began on October 1, 2016 and ends on NovemberJune 30, 2019.2023. Farmer Mac believes that its offices are suitable and adequate for its current and anticipated needs for the near future. Farmer Mac's activities at each property encompass its Agricultural Finance line of business. Farmer Mac's activities at its Washington, D.C. office encompass all of its segments.



Item 3.Legal Proceedings

Item 3.Legal Proceedings
None.

Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures


Not applicable.




6549







PART II


Item 5.Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Item 5.Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer
Purchases for Equity Securities

(a)Farmer Mac has three classes of common stock outstanding – Class A voting common stock, Class B voting common stock, and Class C non-voting common stock. Ownership of Class A voting common stock is restricted to banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions or similar entities that are not institutions of the FCS. Ownership of Class B voting common stock is restricted to institutions of the FCS. There are no ownership restrictions on the Class C non-voting common stock. In the original public offering of the Class A and Class B voting common stock, Farmer Mac reserved the right to redeem at book value any shares of either class held by an ineligible holder.


Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock and Class C non-voting common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols AGM.A and AGM, respectively. The Class B voting common stock, which has a limited market and trades infrequently, is not listed or quoted on any exchange or other quotation system, and Farmer Mac is not aware of any publicly available quotations or prices for that class of common stock.


As of February 4, 2019,7, 2022, Farmer Mac had 942873 registered owners of the Class A voting common stock, 7775 registered owners of the Class B voting common stock, and 883823 registered owners of the Class C non-voting common stock.
 
The dividend rights of all three classes of Farmer Mac's common stock are the same, and dividends may be paid on common stock only when, as, and if declared by Farmer Mac's board of directors in its sole discretion, subject to compliance with applicable capital requirements and payment of dividends on any outstanding preferred stock. On March 1, 2017,February 24, 2020, Farmer Mac's board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.36$0.80 per share on Farmer Mac's common stock payable for first quarter 2017.2020. That dividend was paid quarterly through fourth quarter 2017.2020. On February 28, 2018,23, 2021, Farmer Mac's board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.58$0.88 per share on Farmer Mac's common stock payable for first quarter 2018.2021. That divideddividend was paid quarterly through fourth quarter 2018.2021. On February 19, 2019,24, 2022, Farmer Mac's board of directors declared a dividend of $0.70$0.95 per share on Farmer Mac's common stock payable for first quarter 2019.2022. See "Business—Financing—Equity Issuance" for more information on Farmer Mac's common stock.


The quarterly dividend of $0.70$0.95 per share on all three classes of common stock for first quarter 2022 represents an increase of $0.12$0.07 per common share, or 21%8%, over the quarterly dividend payout in 20182021 and reflects the board's authorizationgoal to increasemaintain Farmer Mac's common stock dividend payout target as a percentage of annual core earnings from 30% for 2018 toat 35% for 2019 and beyond.. In deciding to increasemaintain Farmer Mac's common stock dividend and payout target, the board of directors considered ourFarmer Mac's strong capital position and the consistency of and outlook for our earnings, balanced against the need for capital to fund the significant growth objectives identified in ourthe company's strategic plan and to meet regulatory requirements and metrics established by ourthe board of directors. These actions are also consistent with Farmer Mac's goal of providing a competitive return on its common stockholders' investments through the payment of cash dividends. Our payout ratio of core earnings is also now more in line with those of our financial institution peers within the S&P Financial Index and NASDAQ Bank Index, many of which have significantly increased their common stock dividends during the past two years.



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The declaration and payment of future dividends to holders of Farmer Mac's common stock are, however, at the discretion of Farmer Mac's board of directors and depend on many factors, including Farmer Mac's financial condition, actual results of operations and earnings, the capital needs of Farmer Mac's business, regulatory requirements, and other factors that Farmer Mac's board deems relevant. Farmer Mac's ability to pay dividends on its common stock is also subject to the payment of dividends on its outstanding

50





preferred stock. Applicable FCA regulations also require Farmer Mac to provide FCA with 15 days' advance notice of certain capital distributions. Farmer Mac's ability to declare and pay dividends could be restricted if it were to fail to comply with applicable capital requirements. See Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements for more information about Farmer Mac's capital position and see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Regulation—Capital Standards" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Capital Requirements" for more information on the capital requirements applicable to Farmer Mac.


Information about securities authorized for issuance under Farmer Mac's equity compensation plans appears under "Equity Compensation Plans" in Farmer Mac's definitive proxy statement to be filed on or about April 1, 2019.14, 2022. That portion of the definitive proxy statement is incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


Farmer Mac is a federally chartered instrumentality of the United States, and its common stock is exempt from registration under Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act. One type of transaction related to Farmer Mac's common stock occurred during fourth quarter 20182021 that was not registered under the Securities Act and not otherwise reported on a Current Report on Form 8-K:


OnIn October 2, 2018,2021, consistent with Farmer Mac's policy that permits directors of Farmer Mac to elect to receive shares of Class C non-voting common stock in lieu of their cash retainers, Farmer Mac issued an aggregate of 50427 shares of Class C non-voting common stock to the threefive directors who elected to receive such stock in lieu of a portion of their cash retainers.  The number of shares issued to the directors was calculated based on a price of $72.18$108.52 per share, which was the closing price of the Class C non-voting common stock on September 28, 2018,30, 2021, the last business day of the third quarter, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange.






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Performance Graph.  The following graph compares the performance of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock and Class C non-voting common stock with the performance of the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index (the "NYSE("NYSE Comp") and the Standard & Poor's 500 Diversified Financials Index (the "S("S&P 500 Div Fin") over the period from December 31, 20132016 to December 31, 2018.2021.  The graph assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 20132016 in each of:  Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock; Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock; the NYSE Composite Index; and the S&P 500 Diversified Financials Index.  The graph also assumes that all dividends were reinvested into the same securities throughout the past five years.  Farmer Mac obtained the information in the performance graph from S&P Global Market Intelligence.


chart-d5cb83843a30203899e.jpg


51





agm-20211231_g2.jpg

This performance graph shall not be deemed to be "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the SEC, and this performance graph shall not be incorporated by reference into any of Farmer Mac's filings under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and related regulations, or any other document, whether made before or after the date of this report and despite any general incorporation language contained in a filing or document (except to the extent Farmer Mac specifically incorporates this section by reference into a filing or document).

(b)Not applicable.

(c)None.



(b)Not applicable.

(c)None.



Item 6.[Reserved].


6852







Item 6.Selected Financial Data
The selected consolidated financial data presented below is summarized from Farmer Mac's consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2018 and the five-year period then ended, as well as selected results of operations data for the five-year period then ended.  This data should be reviewed in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes and with "Management'sItem 7.Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" inOperations

The objective of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

  As of December 31,
Summary of Financial Condition:2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
  (dollars in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents$425,256
 $302,022
 $265,229
 $1,210,084
 $1,363,387
Investment securities2,262,884
 2,260,437
 2,515,851
 2,775,516
 1,939,188
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities8,071,115
 7,598,188
 6,002,916
 5,426,621
 5,453,901
USDA Securities2,176,173
 2,131,365
 2,029,613
 1,917,319
 1,771,532
Loans, net5,515,052
 5,266,786
 4,507,435
 3,962,044
 3,520,075
Total assets18,694,328
 17,792,274
 15,606,020
 15,540,354
 14,287,821
Notes payable:         
Due within one year7,757,050
 8,089,826
 8,440,123
 9,111,461
 7,353,953
Due after one year8,486,647
 7,432,790
 5,222,977
 4,967,036
 5,471,186
Total liabilities17,941,771
 17,084,128
 14,962,373
 14,986,634
 13,505,992
Stockholders' equity752,557
 708,146
 643,425
 553,517
 545,801
Non-controlling interest(1)

 
 222
 203
 236,028
Capital:         
Statutory minimum capital requirement$544,984
 $520,271
 $466,498
 $462,070
 $421,328
Core capital727,601
 657,061
 609,667
 564,536
 766,296
Capital in excess of minimum capital requirement182,617
 136,790
 143,169
 102,466
 344,968
Selected Financial Ratios:         
Return on average assets(2)
0.52% 0.43% 0.41% 0.32% 0.28%
Return on average common equity(3)
19.46% 16.64% 16.78% 13.83% 12.42%
Average equity to assets(4)
4.00% 4.05% 3.84% 3.69% 3.18%
Average total equity to assets(5)
4.00% 4.05% 3.84% 4.48% 4.91%
Tier 1 capital ratio(6)
13.4% 12.6% 12.7% 10.5% 11.3%
(1)
On May 14, 2014, Farmer Mac purchased $6.0 million of Farm Asset-Linked Capital Securities ("FALConS"), which represented beneficial ownership interests in shares of Farmer Mac II LLC Preferred Stock, from certain holders. On March 30, 2015, Farmer Mac II LLC redeemed all of the outstanding shares of Farmer Mac II LLC Preferred Stock which, in turn, triggered the redemption of all of the outstanding FALConS on that same day. The remaining balance relates to AgVisory, Farmer Mac's former majority-owned subsidiary whose principal activity was to appraise agricultural real estate. On May 1, 2017, Farmer Mac transferred its entire 65% ownership interest in AgVisory back to the limited liability company as a company redemption.
(2)
Calculated as net income attributable to common stockholders divided by the simple average of beginning and ending total assets.
(3)
Calculated as net income attributable to common stockholders divided by the simple average of beginning and ending stockholders' equity, net of preferred stock, at redemption value and accumulated other comprehensive (loss)/income, net of tax.
(4)
Calculated as the simple average of beginning and ending stockholders' equity divided by the simple average of beginning and ending total assets.
(5)
Calculated as the simple average of beginning and ending stockholders' equity and non-controlling interest divided by the simple average of beginning and ending total assets.


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(6)
In 2016, Farmer Mac adjusted the calculation of its Tier 1 capital ratio to eliminate certain interest rate risk components of the risk weighting of assets to reflect the fact that Farmer Mac pursues a match-funding approach to funding its assets and therefore does not bear material interest rate risk in its portfolio. These interest rate risk components have not been eliminated in the calculations for the Tier 1 capital ratio for the years ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2015. For more information about Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ratio, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Capital Requirements."

 For the Year Ended December 31,
Summary of Operations:2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
  (in thousands, except per share amounts)
Interest Income:     
  
  
Net interest income after provision for loan losses$174,198
 $155,939
 $139,209
 $123,419
 $71,308
Non-interest income:         
Guarantee and commitment fees13,976
 14,114
 14,868
 14,077
 14,694
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives, hedging activities and trading assets(3,606) 729
 3,771
 3,751
 16,983
Gains/(losses) on asset sales and debt repurchases
 89
 (9) 9
 (238)
(Losses)/gains on the sale of real estate owned(7) 1,748
 15
 (1) 137
Other income1,377
 832
 1,823
 2,305
 1,714
Non-interest income11,740
 17,512
 20,468
 20,141
 33,290
Non-interest expense49,916
 42,765
 40,320
 35,482
 31,492
Income before income taxes136,022
 130,686
 119,357
 108,078
 73,106
Income tax expense27,942
 46,369
 42,057
 34,239
 2,824
Net income108,080
 84,317
 77,300
 73,839
 70,282
Less: Net loss/(income) attributable to non-controlling interest
 165
 34
 (5,139) (22,192)
Preferred stock dividends(13,182) (13,182) (13,182) (13,182) (9,839)
Loss on retirement of preferred stock
 
 
 (8,147) 
Net income attributable to common stockholders$94,898
 $71,300
 $64,152
 $47,371
 $38,251
Allowance for Losses Activity:         
Provision for/(release of) losses$335
 $1,758
 $1,002
 $208
 $(3,166)
Net charge-offs17
 327
 130
 3,772
 41
Ending balance9,184
 8,866
 7,435
 6,563
 10,127
Earnings Per Common Share and Dividends:         
Basic earnings per common share$8.91
 $6.73
 $6.12
 $4.33
 $3.50
Diluted earnings per common share8.83
 6.60
 5.97
 4.19
 3.37
Common stock dividends per common share2.32
 1.44
 1.04
 0.64
 0.56

Item 7.Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

section of the report is to provide a discussion and analysis, from management’s perspective, of the material information necessary to assess Farmer Mac's financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021, including an evaluation of the amounts and certainty of cash flows from operations and from outside sources. Financial information included in this report is consolidated to include the accounts of Farmer Mac and its two subsidiaries – Farmer Mac Mortgage Securities Corporation and Farmer Mac II LLC. The accounts of Contour Valuation Services, LLC (which began doing business as AgVisory during first quarter 2016) ("AgVisory"), Farmer Mac's former majority-owned subsidiary, are also included through June 30, 2017. Farmer Mac redeemed its ownership interest in AgVisory on May 1, 2017. This discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations should be read together with Farmer Mac's consolidated financial statements and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016.2019.





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Overview


We increased our outstanding business volumeFarmer Mac is a mission-focused, purpose-driven company determined to improve the economic opportunity in rural America by $717.2 million, or 3.8%,increasing the availability and affordability of credit. As the nation’s secondary market for agricultural and rural infrastructure loans, we provide a broad array of financial solutions to $19.7 billion during 2018. This increase was driven by net growth of $477.9 million in the Institutional Credit line of business, $366.4 million in the Farm & Ranch line of business,lenders that support flexible low-cost financing to farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, renewable energy projects, rural utilities, and $163.4 million in the USDA Guarantees line of business. The net growth in these lines of business was partially offset by a $290.5 million net business volume decrease in the Rural Utilities line of business.

Our overall credit quality improved during 2018 compared to 2017. Our total provision for losses recorded in 2018 was $0.3 million, compared to $1.8 million in 2017, which reflects a decrease of $1.5 million. Our 90-day delinquencies decreased both in dollars andother institutions. Farmer Mac also serves as a percentage of the Farm & Ranch portfoliocritical investment tool for states, counties, municipalities, pension funds, banks, public trust funds, and credit unions by providing diversification in 2018. Although our substandard assets increased in dollars in 2018, they remained the same as a percentage of the Farm & Ranch portfolio compared to 2017. Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquency rate and substandard asset rate during 2018 each remained below Farmer Mac's historical averages.

On September 26, 2018, Farmer Mac's board of directors appointed Bradford T. Nordholm to serve as Farmer Mac's President and Chief Executive Officer effective October 15, 2018, when Mr. Nordholm replaced Lowell L. Junkins in that role. Mr. Junkins had served as Farmer Mac's Acting President and Chief Executive Officer since December 2017 and continues to serve as Farmer Mac's Chairman of the Board. For more information about Mr. Nordholm, see the Current Report on Form 8-K that Farmer Mac filed with the SEC on October 1, 2018.

Subsequent Events

On February 19, 2019, we purchased a $546 million portfolio of participations in seasoned Rural Utilities loans from CoBank under a master loan participation agreement entered into on February 13, 2019. CoBank is a related party to Farmer Mac because of its stock ownership in Farmer Mac. For more information, see the Current Report on Form 8-K that we filed with the SEC on February 20, 2019.

On February 19, 2019, Farmer Mac's board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.70 per share on all three classes of common stock. This is an increase of $0.12 per common share, or 21%, over the quarterly dividend payout in 2018 and reflects the board's authorization to increase Farmer Mac's common stock dividend payout target as a percentage of annual core earnings from 30% for 2018 to 35% for 2019 and beyond. In deciding to increase Farmer Mac's common stock dividend and our payout target, the board of directors considered our strong capital positiontheir investment portfolios, issuance structure flexibility, and the consistency of and outlook for our earnings, balanced against the need for capitalopportunity to fund the significant growth objectives identified in our strategic plan and to meet regulatory requirements and metrics established by our board of directors. These actions are also consistent with Farmer Mac's goal of providingearn a competitive return on its common stockholders' investments throughtheir investment dollars.

During 2021:

we provided $8.6 billion in liquidity and lending capacity to lenders serving rural America;
we closed on a newly-designed structured securitization transaction involving approximately $300 million of agricultural mortgage loans;
we closed on a strategic acquisition that enhanced our operations by expanding our internal loan servicing function and acquiring the payment of cash dividends. Our payout ratio of core earnings is also now more in line with thoseloan servicing rights for a sizeable portion of our financial institution peers withinFarm & Ranch loan and USDA Guaranteed Securities portfolios;
we added 32 net new employees to our workforce (a 26% increase compared to year-end 2020) to enable continued growth of our business and to fulfill our mission to rural America;
we maintained uninterrupted access to the S&P Financial Indexdebt capital markets and NASDAQ Bank Index, manya strong capital position; and
we maintained strong liquidity in our investment portfolio well above regulatory requirements.

Farmer Mac’s performance during 2021, described in more detail below, reflects the success of which have significantly increased their common stock dividends during the past two years.

our continued focus on pursuing new channels and innovative ways to further our mission to help build a strong and vital rural America. The discussion below of Farmer Mac's financial information includes "non-GAAP measures," which are measures of financial performance that are not presented in accordance with GAAP.generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). For more information about the non-GAAP measures Farmer Mac uses, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures."



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Net Income and Core Earnings


OurThe following table shows our net income attributable to common stockholders and core earnings for 2018 was $94.9 million, comparedthe periods presented. Core earnings and core earnings per share are non-GAAP measures that differ from net income attributable to $71.3 million for 2017common stockholders and $64.2 million for 2016.earnings per common share, respectively, by excluding the effects of fair value fluctuations and specified infrequent or unusual transactions.


Table 1
For the Years Ended December 31,
202120202019
(in thousands)
Net income attributable to common stockholders$107,583 $89,176 $93,650 
Core earnings113,570 100,612 93,742 

The $23.6$18.4 million year-over-year increase in net income attributable to common stockholders for 2018 compared to 2017 was primarily due to: (1) an $18.4 million decrease in income tax expense due to the reduction in the federal corporate income tax rate resulting from the enactment of new federal tax legislation, referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; and (2) a $13.3$23.8 million after-tax increase in net interest income. This year-over-year increase wasincome, a net change in our (release)/provision for credit losses of $8.1 million after tax, and a $5.2 million after-tax gain on sale of mortgage loans. These factors were partially offset in part by: (1) an increase of $3.5by a $9.5 million in net after-tax losses on our financial derivatives; (2) an increase in general and administrative ("G&A")operating expenses, of $3.0 million after-tax; and (3) an increase in compensation and employee benefits expenses of $2.6 million after-tax. G&A expenses and compensation and employee benefits expenses increased by $7.0 million, or 17.5%, in 2018 compared to 2017. Farmer Mac previously disclosed its expectation that these expenses would increase by approximately 15%, or $6.0 million, in 2018 compared to 2017. The incremental $1.0a $6.9 million increase in these expenses compared topreferred stock dividends, and a $2.5 million after-tax decrease in the original expectation was primarily due to nonrecurring hiring expensesfair value of $0.6 million, primarily related to the search process for Farmer Mac's current President and Chief Executive Officer and two other key hires.undesignated financial derivatives.


The $7.1$4.5 million increasedecrease in net income attributable to common stockholders for 20172020 compared to 2016 2019
was primarily driven by increases of $11.3due to a $7.5 million after-tax increase in operating expenses, a $4.4 million after-tax
decrease in the fair value of undesignated financial derivatives due to fluctuations in long-term interest
rates, a $3.9 million increase in preferred stock dividends, and a $3.6 million after-tax increase in the total
provision for credit losses. These decreases were partially offset by a $13.8 million after-tax increase in
net interest income and a $1.1$1.3 million after-tax increase in net realized gains on the sale of real estate owned properties. The year-over-year increase was offset in part by: (1) a $2.7 million after-tax decrease in gains in the fair value of financial derivatives and hedged assets; (2) a $1.6 million after-tax increase in non-interest expense in 2017 primarily due to higher G&A expenses and higher compensation and employee benefits expenses; and (3) the re-measurement of net deferred tax asset due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which resulted in a $1.4 million increase to income tax expense in 2017.other income.

Our non-GAAP core earnings for 2018 were $84.0 million, compared to $65.6 millionin 2017 and $53.5 millionin 2016.

The $18.4$13.0 million year-over-year increase in core earnings for 2018 compared to 2017 was primarily due to a $16.8 million decrease in income tax expense resulting from the lower federal corporate income tax rate and a $7.8$18.7 million after-tax increase in net effective spread, resulting primarily from an increasea net change in outstanding business volume. The increases to core earningsour (release)/provision for credit losses of $8.1 million after tax, and a $5.2 million after-tax gain on sale of mortgage loans. These factors were partially offset by a $3.0$9.5 million after-tax increase in G&Aoperating expenses, related to continued investmentsa $6.9 million increase in Farmer Mac's technology and business infrastructurepreferred stock dividends, a $1.3 million after-tax decrease in guarantee fees, and a $2.6$0.8 million after-tax increasedecrease in compensation and employee benefits expenses. A significant factor contributing to the increase in compensation expense in 2018 compared to 2017 was the absence in 2018 of the recoupment of approximately $1.1 million after-tax in compensation costs related to the forfeiture of unvested equity awards and annual variable incentive compensation resulting from the termination of employment of Farmer Mac's former President and Chief Executive Officer in December 2017.other income.

The $12.1$6.9 million increase in core earnings for 20172020 compared to 20162019 was primarily due to: (1) an $11.9 to a $22.4
million after-tax increase in net effective spread; (2) a $1.1 million after-taxspread. This increase in net realized gains on the sale of real estate owned properties; and (3) a $0.8 million after-tax increase in guarantee and commitment fee income. The increase in core earnings in 2017 was partially offset in part primarily by a $1.5$7.5 million after-tax increase in operating expenses, driven by higher compensationa $3.9 million increase in preferred stock dividends, and employee benefits


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and G&A expenses. The $0.9a $3.6 million after-tax increase in compensation and employee benefits expenses was due primarily to an increase in headcount and employee health insurance costs. The $0.6 million after-tax increase in G&A expenses was primarily due to: (1) continued investments in technology and business infrastructure; (2) higher legal fees related to general corporate matters, including fees related to the termination of employment of Farmer Mac's former President and Chief Executive Officer in December 2017; (3) an increase in building lease expenses due to new leasestotal provision for office space entered into during 2017; and (4) expenses related to business development efforts. credit losses.

For more information about net income attributable to common stockholders, the composition of core earnings, and a reconciliation of net income attributable to common stockholders to core earnings, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations." For more information about the non-GAAP measures Farmer Mac uses, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures."



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Net Interest Income and Net Effective Spread


Net interest income was $174.4 millionfor 2018, compared to $157.6 million for 2017 and $140.3 million for 2016. The overall net interest yield was 0.96% for 2018, compared to 0.94% for 2017 and 0.90% for 2016.

The $16.8 million increase infollowing table shows our net interest income for 2018 compared to 2017 was primarily due to net growth in on-balance sheet AgVantage securities, Farm & Ranch loans, and USDA Securities, which contributed to a $10.1 million increase in net interest income. Another factor contributing to the year-over-year increase in net interest income were the fair value changes on financial derivatives and corresponding financial assets and liabilities in fair value hedge relationships. Effective first quarter 2018, Farmer Mac adopted Accounting Standard Update ("ASU") 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities." The new accounting guidance requires the changes in the fair value of both the financial derivative designated in a fair value hedge relationship and the corresponding hedged item to be recorded in the same line item in Farmer Mac's consolidated statements of operations. Thus, Farmer Mac recognizes changes in fair value of both the financial derivatives and corresponding hedged items within net interest income in its consolidated statements of operations, which contributed $4.9 million in net interest income during 2018. Before first quarter 2018, changes in the fair value of financial derivatives designated in a fair value hedge relationship were recognized in "Gains/(losses) on financial derivatives" in Farmer Mac's consolidated statements of operations. Another factor contributing to the year-over-year increase in net interest income was an increase in the amount of cash basis interest income recognized on non-accrual Farm & Ranch loans, which contributed $1.5 million in net interest income during 2018. The year-over-year increase in net interest income was partially offset by the full amortization of the remaining $2.0 million in premium of an interest-only security held in Farmer Mac's investment portfolio (the "Interest-Only Amortization") because the issuer called the security upon full prepayment of the underlying mortgage loan that collateralized the security.

The $17.3 million increase in net interest income for 2017 compared to 2016 was driven by net growth in Farm & Ranch loans, on-balance sheet AgVantage securities, and USDA Securities. Also contributing to the increase was the effect of an increase in short-term interest rates on assets and liabilities indexed to LIBOR due to the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions since December 2016 to raise the target range for the federal funds rate. This effect on net interest income occurred because interest expense used to calculate net interest income does not include all the funding expenses related to these assets, specifically the expense on financial derivatives not designated in hedge accounting relationships. This


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increase in short-term rates on assets and liabilities indexed to LIBOR did not have a similar effect on net effective spread because net effectivein both dollars and percentage yield or spread includes interest expense from all funding related to those assets, including interest expense from financial derivatives not designated in hedge accounting relationships. Also contributing tofor the year-over-year increase was an increase in the net effect of consolidated trusts resulting from an increase in securitization activity of Farm & Ranch loans throughout 2016 and 2017. Farmer Mac earns the difference between the interest income recognized on loans in consolidated trusts and the related interest expense recognized on debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties. The increase in net interest income was offset in part by an increase in net yield adjustments related to amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value. The 4 basis point increase in net interest yield in 2017 compared to 2016 was primarily due to a reduction in the average balance of lower-earning cash and cash equivalents and investment securities.

Net effective spread, a non-GAAP measure, was $151.2 million in 2018, compared to $141.3 million in 2017 and $123.1 million in 2016. In percentage terms, net effective spread was 0.91% in 2018, compared to 0.91% in 2017 and 0.84% in 2016.periods presented. Farmer Mac uses net effective spread, a non-GAAP measure, as an alternative measure to net interest income because management believes it is a useful metric that reflects the economics of the net spread between all the assets owned by Farmer Mac and all related funding, including any associated derivatives, some of which may not be included in net interest income.


Table 2
For the Years Ended December 31,
202120202019
(in thousands)
Net interest income$220,775 $190,588 $173,135 
Net interest yield %0.94 %0.85 %0.87 %
Net effective spread$220,668 $196,956 $168,608 
Net effective spread %0.98 %0.93 %0.91 %

The $9.9$30.2 million year-over-year increase in net interest income was primarily due to a $16.7 million increase related to net new business volume, a $6.9 million decrease in funding costs, and a $7.7 million increase in the fair value of derivatives designated in fair value hedge accounting relationships (designated financial derivatives). In percentage terms, the year-over-year 0.09% increase was primarily attributable to an increase of 0.04% in net new business volume, an increase of 0.03% in net fair value changes from designated financial derivatives, and a decrease of 0.01% in funding costs.

The $17.5 million increase in net effective spread in dollarsinterest income for 20182020 compared to 20172019 was primarily due to: (1) growth in outstanding business volume, which increased net effective spread by approximately $10.1 million; and (2)to a $1.5
$23.2 million increase in the amount of cash basis interest income received from non-accrual Farm & Ranch loans.related to net new business volume. This increase in net effective spread was partially offset by a $4.1 million increase in funding and liquidity costs and a $1.3 million decrease in the Interest-Only Amortization described above.fair value of derivatives designated in fair value hedge accounting relationships (designated financial derivatives). In percentage terms, net effective spread remained at 0.91%the decrease of 0.02% in both 2018 and 2017 primarily because the positive impact of the cash basisnet interest income yield was primarily attributable to an increase of 0.05% in funding and liquidity costs and 0.01% in net fair value changes from designated financial derivatives, partially offset by the negative impactan increase of the Interest-Only Amortization.0.04% related to net new business volume.


For 2017 compared to 2016, the $18.2The $23.7 million year-over-year increase in net effective spread in dollars was primarily due to: (1) growthto an increase of $16.7 million from net new business volume and a $6.3 million decrease in on-balance sheet AgVantage securities, Farm & Ranch loans,non-GAAP funding costs. In percentage terms, the year-over-year increase of 0.05% was primarily attributable to an increase of 0.04% in net new business volume and othera decrease of 0.01% in funding costs.

The $28.3 million increase in net effective spread in dollars for 2020 compared to 2019 was primarily due
to net new business volume, which increased net effective spread by approximately $15.1$23.2 million, and a
$4.6 million decrease in 2017; and (2) changes in ournon-GAAP funding strategies and improvements in LIBOR-based short-term funding costs for floating rate assets indexed to LIBOR, which added approximately $4.0 million in 2017. Net effective spread incosts. In percentage terms, increased 7 basis points in 2017 compared to 2016 the increase of 0.02% was
primarily due to the decrease in the average balance of lower-earning cash and cash equivalents and investment securities, which added approximately 5 basis pointsattributable to net effective spread. Also contributing to the increase were the effects of changes in our funding strategy and a favorable LIBOR-based funding market, which added approximately 3 basis points in 2017.new business volume.


For more information about Farmer Mac's use of net effective spread as a financial measure, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures." For a reconciliation of net interest income to net effective spread, see Table 711 in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Net Interest Income."



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Business Volume


Our outstanding business volume was $19.7$23.6 billion as of December 31, 2018,2021, a net increase of $717.2 million$1.7 billionfrom December 31, 2017,2020 after taking into account all new business, maturities, sales, and paydowns on


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existing assets. ThisThe net increase was driven byprimarily attributable to net growthincreases of $477.9 million$1.1 billion in the Institutional Credit line of business, net growth of $366.4 million in the Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance line of business and net growth of $163.4 million in the USDA Guarantees line of business. The net growth in these lines of business was partially offset by a $290.5 million net business volume decrease$0.6 billion in the Rural UtilitiesInfrastructure Finance line of business.

On February 19, 2019, we purchased a $546 million portfolio of participations in seasoned Rural Utilities loans from CoBank under a master loan participation agreement entered into on February 13, 2019. CoBank is a related party to Farmer Mac because of its stock ownership in Farmer Mac. For more information, see the Current Report on Form 8-K that we filed with the SEC on February 20, 2019.


For more information about Farmer Mac's business volume, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Business Volume."


Capital


AsTable 3
As of
December 31, 2021December 31, 2020
(in thousands)
Core capital$1,200,560 $1,006,400 
Capital in excess of minimum capital level required486,810 325,455 

The increase in capital in excess of December 31, 2018, our core capital level was $727.6 million, which was $182.6 million above the minimum capital level required by our statutory charter.  Aswas primarily due to the issuance of December 31, 2017, our core capital level was $657.1 million, which was $136.8 million above the minimum capital requirement. The increaseSeries G Preferred Stock in capital above the minimum capital level was due primarily toMay 2021 and an increase in retained earnings.



Credit Quality


Our overall credit quality improved during 2018 compared to 2017. Our total provision for lossesThe following table presents Agricultural Finance on-balance sheet loan purchase and our 90-day delinquencies each decreased year-over-year, while our total allowance for lossesoff-balance sheet LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities substandard assets, in dollars and as a percent of our Farm & Ranch portfolio each remained the same. While we expect that over time our 90-day delinquency and substandard assets rates will revert closer to Farmer Mac's historical averages, our overall credit quality did not deteriorate in 2018 compared to 2017 because borrowers had sufficient capacity to meet their financial obligations.

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's allowance for losses was $9.2 million (0.13%percentage of the Farm & Ranch portfolio), compared to $8.9 million (0.13% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio)respective portfolio as of December 31, 2017. 2021 and December 31, 2020:

Table 4
On-Balance SheetOff-Balance Sheet
Substandard Assets% of PortfolioSubstandard Assets% of Portfolio
(dollars in thousands)
December 31, 2021$185,758 2.7 %$60,922 2.1 %
December 31, 2020180,823 2.9 %110,671 4.6 %
Increase/(decrease) from prior year-ending$4,935 (0.2)%$(49,749)(2.5)%
The $0.3increase of $4.9 million increase in on-balance sheet substandard assets during 2021 was primarily driven by credit downgrades during the total allowance for lossesyear in 2018permanent plantings, partially offset by credit upgrades in livestock and crops as well as the payoff of one substandard storage and processing loan. The on-balance sheet Agricultural Finance mortgage loan portfolio grew by $670.6 million, which, when coupled with credit upgrades, caused the percentage of substandard assets to decrease. The $49.7 million decrease in substandard assets in our off-balance sheet LTSPC and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities portfolios during 2021 was primarily due to net growth in our Farm & Ranch loan portfolio, slightly offset by a modest improvementcredit upgrades across the portfolios during the year, particularly crops and livestock.
There was one substandard asset in the portfolio's credit quality.

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's substandard assets were $232.7 million (3.2%of the Farm & Ranch portfolio), compared to$221.3 million (3.2% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio)Rural Infrastructure Finance loan purchase portfolio (a Rural Utilities loan) as of December 31, 2017. The $11.4 million increase in substandard assets in 2018 compared to 2017 was due to growth in our total Farm & Ranch portfolio, while the proportion of our substandard assets to the overall Farm & Ranch portfolio remained the same as in 2017.

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquencies were $26.9 million (0.37% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio), compared to $48.4 million (0.71% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio)2021 and none as of December 31, 2017. 2020.

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For an analysis of current loan-to-value ratios across substandard and other internally assigned risk ratings, see Table 26 in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk—Loans and Guarantees."
The year-over-year decrease is primarily due to twofollowing table presents 90-day delinquencies for on-balance sheet Agricultural Finance mortgage loan purchases and off-balance sheet LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, in dollars and as a percentage of the respective balance sheet category as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

Table 5
On-Balance SheetOff-Balance Sheet
90-Day
Delinquencies
% of Portfolio90-Day
Delinquencies
% of Portfolio
(dollars in thousands)
December 31, 2021$43,710 0.64 %$3,597 0.12 %
December 31, 202034,799 0.56 %11,433 0.48 %
Increase/(decrease) from prior year-ending$8,911 0.08 %$(7,836)(0.36)%
On-balance sheet Farm & Ranch loans 90 or more days delinquent increased in all commodity groups, except storage and processing where one loan paid off. Off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch loans 90 days or more delinquent decreased in crops and part-time farms and was partially offset by increases in permanent planting loans to oneplantings and livestock. The top ten borrower exposures over 90 days delinquent in either the on- or off-balance sheet Agricultural Finance portfolio represented over half of the aggregate amount90-day delinquencies as of $15.3 million that became current during 2018.December 31, 2021.



As of both December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no 90-day delinquencies in Farmer Mac's portfolio of Rural Infrastructure Finance loan purchases and loans underlying LTSPCs.

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For more information about Farmer Mac's credit metrics, including 90-day delinquencies, the total allowance for losses, and substandard assets, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Risk—Loans and Guarantees."


COVID-19 Update

Farmer Mac has operated successfully throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with most employees still working remotely. Farmer Mac has maintained uninterrupted access to the debt capital markets during that time and remains a source of capital and liquidity to rural borrowers facing economic or market volatility stemming from the ongoing pandemic. For more information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Farmer Mac's business, see "Business—Human Capital" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Outlook."

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates


The preparation of Farmer Mac's consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and related notes for the periods presented. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Farmer Mac views the allowance for lossesconsiders an accounting estimate made in accordance with GAAP to be critical when it involves a significant level of estimation uncertainty and fair value measurement as critical accounting policies. Both policies require complex and subjective judgments, and are importantit has had or is likely to the presentation of Farmer Mac'shave a material impact on our financial condition andor results of operations.


Allowance for Losses


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The accounting estimate that Farmer Mac maintains an allowanceconsiders to be critical in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements is the estimation of the fair value of AgVantage Securities that are classified as available for lossessale (AgVantage AFS). Farmer Mac considers the fair value of AgVantage AFS to cover estimated probable losses incurredbe a critical estimate due to the significance of the periodic measurement of mark-to-market adjustments relative to the company's total assets, comprehensive income, and equity. Farmer Mac also considers the fair value of AgVantage AFS to be a critical accounting estimate because Farmer Mac applies a discount rate in calculating the net present value of future expected cash flows that is both significant to the estimate of their fair value and unobservable in the market. Farmer Mac relies upon this significant unobservable input to estimate the fair value of AgVantage AFS because there are no observable transactions in these securities in the market.

The fair value of AgVantage AFS had accumulated unrealized gains in the amount of $212.9 million and $368.3 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. See Note 5 to the balance sheet date on loans held for investment ("allowance for loan losses") and loans underlying off-balance sheetconsolidated financial statements – Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs ("reserveUSDA Securities for losses") based on availablemore information. For purposes of this accounting policy, the allowance for loan losses and the reserve for losses are described collectively as the "allowance for losses" because the estimation methodology is identical for loans that are held for investment and for loans underlying off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs.  Disaggregation by commodity type is performed, where appropriate, in analyzing the need for an allowance for losses.

The allowance for loan losses increases through periodic provisions for loan losses that are charged against net interest income. The reserve for losses increases through provisions for losses that are charged to non-interest expense. Both the allowance for loan losses and reserve for losses decrease by charge-offs for actual losses, net of recoveries.  Charge-offs represent losses on the outstanding principal balance, any interest payments previously accrued or advanced, and expected costs of liquidation.  Negative provisions, or releases of allowance for losses, occur when the estimate of probable losses as of the end of a period is lower than the estimate at the beginning of the period.

The total allowance for losses consists of a general allowance for losses and a specific allowance for individually identified impaired loans.

General Allowance for Losses

Farm & Ranch

Farmer Mac's methodology for determining its general allowance for losses incorporates Farmer Mac's automated loan classification system.  That system scores loans based on criteria such as historical repayment performance, indicators of current financial condition, loan seasoning, loan size, and loan-to-value ratio.  For purposes of the loss allowance methodology, the loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio of loans and loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs have been scored and classified for each calendar quarter since first quarter 2000.  The allowance methodology captures the migration of loan scores across concurrent and overlapping three-year time horizons and calculates loss rates separately within each loan classification for (1) loans held for investment and (2) loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs.  The calculated


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loss rates are applied to the current classification distribution of unimpaired loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio to estimate probable losses, based on the assumption that the historical credit losses and trends used to calculate loss rates will continue in the future.  Management evaluates this assumption by considering many relevant factors, including:
economic conditions;
geographic and agricultural commodity/product concentrations in the portfolio;
the credit profile of the portfolio;
delinquency trends of the portfolio;
historical charge-off and recovery activities of the portfolio; and
other factors to capture current portfolio trends and characteristics that differ from historical experience.

Management believes that this methodology produces a reasonable estimate of probable losses, as of the balance sheet date, for all loans included in the Farm & Ranch line of business, including loans held for investment and loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs.

Rural Utilities


Farmer Mac separately evaluatesapplies discount rates that are commensurate with the Rural Utilities loans it holds for investment and loans underlying LTSPCsrisks involved to estimate any probable losses inherent in those assets.the fair value measurement of AgVantage AFS. As of December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac has not provided an allowance for losses for the portfolio segment relatedapplied discount rates that ranged from 0.9% to the Rural Utilities line2.1% (with a weighted average of business based on the credit quality1.7%), As of the collateral supporting rural utilities assets.  

Specific Allowance for Impaired Loans

December 31 2020, Farmer Mac individually analyzes certain loansapplied discount rates that ranged from 0.8% to 2.3% (with a weighted average of 1.3%).

Use of different discount rates than those selected by Farmer Mac may result in its portfoliomaterially different estimates of fair value for impairment.AgVantage AFS. Farmer Mac selects the discount rate for each AgVantage AFS security by analyzing credit default swap levels and the long-term credit outlook of Farmer Mac's individually identified impaired loans generally include loans 90 days or more past due,major counterparties and estimating an appropriate credit spread relative to U.S. Treasury yields. The periodic measurement of fair value and underlying discount rate methodology is subject to Farmer Mac’s internal controls and review by management. As of December 31, 2021, a 0.50% increase in foreclosure, restructured, in bankruptcy, and certain performing loans that have previously been delinquent or are secured by real estate that produces agricultural commodities or products that have been identified as under stress.

For individually identified impaired loans with an updated appraisal, other updated collateral valuation, or management's estimate of discounted collateral value, this analysis compares the measurement ofdiscount rates used to determine the fair value of AgVantage AFS would decrease the collateral to the total recorded investment in the loan. The total recorded investment in the loan includes principal, interest, and advances, net of any charge-offs.  If an individually analyzed loan's collateraloverall GAAP carrying value does not equal or exceed its total recorded investment, Farmer Mac provides a specific allowance for loss in the amount of the difference between the recorded investment and fair value, less estimated costs to liquidate the collateral. Estimated selling costs are based on historical selling costs incurred by Farmer Mac or management's best estimate of selling costs for a particular property.  For individually identified impaired loans without updated valuations, this analysis is performed in the aggregate considering similar risk characteristics of the loans and historical statistics. Farmer Mac considers appraisals that are more than two years old as of the reporting date not to be updated for purposes of individually analyzing loans.

Farmer Mac uses a risk-based approach in determining the need to obtain updated appraisals on impaired loans. For example, larger exposures associated with highly improved and specialized collateral will generally receive updated appraisals once the loans are identified as impaired. Also, updated appraisals are always obtained during the foreclosure process.  Depending on the risk factors associated with the loan


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and underlying collateral, which can vary widely depending on the circumstances of the loan and collateral, this can occur early in the foreclosure process, while in other instances this may occur just before the transfer of title.  As part of its routine credit review process, Farmer Mac often will exercise judgment in discounting an appraised value due to local real estate trends or the condition of the property (e.g., following an inspection by Farmer Mac or the servicer)approximately 2.5%. A property's appraised value may also be discounted based on the market's reaction to Farmer Mac's asking price for the sale of the property.

More information about the allowance for losses is included in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees" and Note 2(i) to the consolidated financial statements.

Fair Value Measurement

A significant portion of Farmer Mac's assets consists of financial instruments that are measured at fair value in the consolidated balance sheets.  For financial instruments that are complex in nature or for which observable inputs are not available, the measurement of fair value requires management to make significant judgments and assumptions.  These judgments and assumptions, as well as changes in market conditions, may have a material impact on the consolidated balance sheets and statements of operations.

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (also referred to as an exit price) and establishes a hierarchy for ranking fair value measurements.  In determining fair value, Farmer Mac uses various valuation approaches, including market and income approaches.  The fair value hierarchy requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.  When available, the fair value of Farmer Mac's financial instruments is based on quoted market prices, valuation techniques that use observable market-based inputs, or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.  Pricing information obtained from third parties is internally validated for reasonableness before use in the consolidated financial statements.

When observable market prices are not readily available, Farmer Mac estimates fair value using techniques that rely on alternate market data or internally developed models using significant inputs that are generally less readily observable.  Market data includes prices of financial instruments with similar maturities and characteristics, interest rate yield curves, measures of volatility, and prepayment rates.  If market data needed to estimate fair value is not available, Farmer Mac estimates fair value using internally-developed models that employ a discounted cash flow approach.  Even when market assumptions are not readily available, Farmer Mac's assumptions reflect those that market participants would likely use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.

Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities presented at fair value in the consolidated balance sheets on a recurring basis include investment securities, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and financial derivatives.  The changes in fair value from period to period are recorded either in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income as other comprehensive (loss)/income, net of tax or in the consolidated statements of operations as gains/(losses) on financial derivatives, net interest income, or gains/(losses) on trading assets.

The fair value hierarchy ranks the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values.  The hierarchy gives highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical


78



assets or liabilities and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs.  The hierarchy has the following three levels to classify fair value measurements:

Level 1Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.
Level 2Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
Level 3Prices or valuations that require unobservable inputs that are significant to the fair value measurement.

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities recorded at fair value included financial instruments valued at $6.0 billion whose fair values were estimated by management in the absence of readily determinable fair values (i.e., level 3).  These financial instruments measured as level 3 represented 32% of total assets and 73% of financial instruments measured at fair value as of December 31, 2018.

See Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements – Fair Value Disclosures for more information aboutinformation.

For a description of Farmer Mac’s accounting policy for fair value measurement.measurements, see Note 2(n) to the consolidated financial statements – Significant Accounting Policies, Fair Value Measurements.


Use of Non-GAAP Measures


In the accompanying analysis of its financial information, Farmer Mac sometimes uses "non-GAAP measures," which are measures of financial performance that are not presented in accordance with GAAP. Specifically, Farmer Mac uses the following non-GAAP measures: "core earnings," "core earnings per share," and "net effective spread." Farmer Mac uses these non-GAAP measures to measure corporate economic performance and develop financial plans because, in management's view, they are useful alternative measures in understanding Farmer Mac's economic performance, transaction economics, and business trends.


The non-GAAP financial measures that Farmer Mac uses may not be comparable to similarly labeled non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by other companies. Farmer Mac's disclosure of these non-GAAP measures is intended to be supplemental in nature and is not meant to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or as more important than, the related financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.


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Core Earnings and Core Earnings Per Share


CoreThe main difference between core earnings and core earnings per share principally differ from(non-GAAP measures) and net income attributable to common stockholders and earnings per common share respectively, by excluding(GAAP measures) is that those non-GAAP measures exclude the effects of fair value fluctuations. These fluctuations are not expected to have a cumulative net impact on Farmer Mac's financial condition or results of operations reported in accordance with GAAP if the related financial instruments are held to maturity, as is expected. Among other items,Another difference is that these fair value fluctuations have included unrealized gains or losses on financial derivatives. Specifically, variation margin is exchanged between Farmer Mac and its counterparties on both its cleared and non-cleared derivatives portfolios. Before first quarter 2017, Farmer Mac accounted for variation margin as collateral and associated unrealized gains or losses on its centrally cleared derivative contracts. However, beginning in first quarter 2017, as a result of a change in variation margin rules implemented by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ("CME"), the central clearinghouse used by Farmer Mac, and confirmed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), the variation margin amounts exchanged between Farmer Mac and its


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counterparties on cleared derivatives are considered as partial settlement of each respective derivatives contract rather than collateral pledged by a counterparty. Therefore, Farmer Mac presents its cleared derivatives portfolio net of variation margin payments on its consolidated balance sheets and recognizes realized gains or losses as a result of these payments on its consolidated statements of operations. We believe that the economic character of these transactions remains the same as they were before the CME rule change. Even though these variation margin amounts are accounted for as realized gains or losses on financial derivatives as a result of the CME rule change and related CFTC interpretation, this is not expected to have a cumulative net impact on Farmer Mac's financial condition or results of operations reported in accordance with GAAP because the related financial instruments are expected to be held to maturity. Therefore, the effects of realized gains or losses resulting from the exchange of variation margin on its cleared derivatives portfolio are excluded in the calculations of core earnings and core earnings per share.

Core earnings and core earnings per share also differ from net income attributable to common stockholders and earnings per common share, respectively, by excludingtwo non-GAAP measures exclude specified infrequent or unusual transactions that we believe are not indicative of future operating results and that may not reflect the trends and economic financial performance of Farmer Mac's core business. Accordingly, the one-time, non-cash charge to income tax expense due to the re-measurement of the net deferred tax asset was excluded from core earnings and core earnings per share. Farmer Mac re-measured its net deferred tax asset at a lower federal corporate tax rate due to the enactment of new tax legislation on December 22, 2017. This charge isFor example, we have excluded from core earnings and core earnings per share because it is not a frequently occurring transaction, is a non-cash charge, and is not indicativeany losses on retirement of future operating results.preferred stock. For a reconciliation of Farmer Mac's net income attributable to common stockholders to core earnings and of earnings per common share to core earnings per share, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations."


Net Effective Spread


Farmer Mac uses net effective spread to measure the net spread Farmer Mac earns between its interest-earning assets and the related net funding costs of these assets. NetAs further explained below, net effective spread differs from net interest income and net interest yield because it excludes: (1) the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value that are amortized as adjustments to yield in interest income over the contractual or estimated remaining lives of the underlying assets; (2)by excluding certain items from net interest income and net interest expense related to consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties, which are presented on Farmer Mac's consolidated balance sheets as "Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost";yield and (3) beginning January 1, 2018, the fair value changes of financial derivativesincluding certain other items that net interest income and the corresponding assets or liabilities designated in a fair value hedge relationship. net interest yield do not contain.

Farmer Mac excludes from net effective spread the premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value because they either do not reflect actual cash premiums paid for the assets at acquisition or are not expected to have an economic effect on Farmer Mac's financial performance if the assets are held to maturity, as is expected. Farmer Mac also excludes from net effective spread the interest income and interest expense associated with the consolidated trusts and the average balance of the loans underlying these trusts to reflect management's view that the net interest income Farmer Mac earns on the related Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities owned by third parties is effectively a guarantee fee. Accordingly, the excluded interest income and interest expense associated with consolidated trusts is reclassified to guarantee and commitment fees in determining Farmer Mac's core earnings.



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Effective in first quarter 2018, Farmer Mac adopted ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging(Topic 815):Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities." Before first quarter 2018, gains and losses on financial derivatives were included in "(Losses)/gains due to fair value changes" whether or not they were designated in hedge relationships. Beginning in first quarter 2018, gains and losses on financial derivatives in hedge relationships are included in either interest income or interest expense depending on the corresponding hedged financial asset or liability, respectively. Farmer Macalso excludes from net effective spread thosethe fair value changes of financial derivatives and the corresponding assets or liabilities designated in fair value hedge accounting relationships because they are not expected to have an economic effect on Farmer Mac's financial performance, ifas we expect to hold the financial derivatives and corresponding hedged items are held to maturity, as is expected.maturity.


Net effective spread also principally differs from net interest income and net interest yield because it includes the accrual of income and expense related to the contractual amounts due on financial derivatives that are not designated in hedge accounting relationships ("undesignated financial derivatives"). Farmer Mac uses interest rate swaps to manage its interest rate risk exposure by synthetically modifying the interest rate reset or maturity characteristics of certain assets and liabilities. The accrual of the contractual amounts due on interest rate swaps designated in hedge accounting relationships is included as an adjustment to the yield or cost of the hedged item and is included in net interest income. For undesignated financial derivatives, Farmer Mac records the income or expense related to the accrual of the contractual amounts due in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" on the consolidated statements of operations. However,

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the accrual of the contractual amounts due for undesignated financial derivatives are included in Farmer Mac's calculation of net effective spread.


Effective in fourth quarter 2017, Farmer Mac revised its methodology for calculating netNet effective spread to also includediffers from net interest income and net interest yield because it includes the net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives.derivatives, which consist of: (1) the net effects of cash settlements on agency forward contracts on the debt of other GSEs and U.S. Treasury security futures that we use as short-term economic hedges on the issuance of debt; and (2) the net effects of initial cash payments that Farmer Mac receives upon the inception of certain swaps. The inclusion of these items in net effective spread along with the accrual of contractual amounts due for undesignated financial derivatives described above, is intended to reflect management'sour view of the complete net spread between an asset and all of its related funding, including any associated derivatives, whether or not they are designated in a hedge accounting relationship. Specifically, these net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives include:
1. The net effects of cash settlements on agency forward contracts on the debt of other GSEs. These agency forward contracts are used as short-term economic hedges of the issuance of debt to manage interest rate risk on loans that Farmer Mac has committed to acquire but has not yet purchased. Farmer Mac records the realized gains or losses on settlements of agency forward contracts used as short-term economic hedges of the issuance of debt in the consolidated statements of operations in the period in which they occur. Under the revised methodology, for net effective spread purposes, these realized gains or losses are deferred and amortized as net yield adjustments over the term of the related debt, which generally ranges from 3 to 15 years. Previously, for core earnings purposes, these amounts had been deferred and amortized and were included within the "Other" item that is part of the "Revenues" component of core earnings.
2. The net effects of cash settlements on futures contracts involving U.S. Treasury securities. Similar to the net effects of cash settlements on agency forward contracts, the net effects of cash settlements on futures contracts involving U.S. Treasury securities are used as short-term economic hedges of the issuance of debt and are reported in the consolidated statements of operations in the period in which they occur. Under the revised methodology, for net effective spread purposes, these realized gains or losses are deferred and amortized as net yield adjustments over the term of the related debt, which generally ranges from 3 to 15 years. Previously, for core earnings


81



purposes, these realized gains and losses had been recognized in the period in which they occurred within the "Other" item that is part of the "Revenues" component of core earnings.
3. The net effects of initial cash payments that Farmer Mac receives upon the inception of certain swaps. When there is no direct payment arrangement between a swap dealer counterparty and a debt dealer issuing Farmer Mac's medium-term notes for a particular transaction, Farmer Mac may receive an initial cash payment from the swap dealer at the inception of the swap to offset dollar-for-dollar the amount of the discount on the associated hedged debt. For GAAP purposes, changes in fair value of these swaps are recognized in "Gains on financial derivatives," whereas the offsetting discount on the associated hedged debt is amortized over the term of the debt as an adjustment to its yield. This results in a timing difference between the recognition of "Gains on financial derivatives" and the recognition of the discount in "Total interest expense." Also, the initial cash payments included in "Gains on financial derivatives" had been excluded from net effective spread, whereas the amortization of the discount included in interest expense had been a component of net effective spread. The initial cash payments received by Farmer Mac vary depending upon the number of the aforementioned type of swaps it executes during a quarter. Under the revised methodology, for net effective spread purposes, these initial cash payments are deferred and amortized as net yield adjustments over the term of the related debt, which generally ranges from 3 to 15 years, and offset the amortization of the discount on the associated hedged debt. Previously, for core earnings purposes, these initial cash payments had been recognized in the period in which they were received within the “Other” item that is part of the "Revenues" component of core earnings.
For a reconciliation of net interest income and net interest yield to net effective spread, see Table 611 in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Net Interest Income."


Results of Operations

Farmer Mac's net income attributable to common stockholders for 2018 was $94.9 million ($8.83 per diluted common share), compared to $71.3 million ($6.60 per diluted common share) for 2017, and $64.2 million ($5.97 per diluted common share) for 2016. Farmer Mac's non-GAAP core earnings for 2018 were $84.0 million ($7.82 per diluted common share), compared to $65.6 million ($6.08 per diluted common share) for 2017 and $53.5 million ($4.98 per diluted common share) for 2016. For more information about the changes in net income attributable to common stockholders and core earnings, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Overview—Net Income and Core Earnings."


Reconciliations of Farmer Mac's net income attributable to common stockholders to core earnings and core earnings per share are presented in the following tables along with information about the composition of core earnings:





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Table 6
Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to Common Stockholders to Core Earnings
For the Years Ended December 31,
202120202019
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Net income attributable to common stockholders$107,583 $89,176 $93,650 
Less reconciling items:  
(Losses)/gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes (see Table 14)(5,103)(3,691)10,077 
Losses on hedging activities due to fair value changes(2,985)(10,019)(9,010)
Unrealized (losses)/gains on trading securities(115)51 326 
Net effects of amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets consolidated at fair value130 58 (122)
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives494 1,236 1,089 
Issuance costs on the retirement of preferred stock— (1,667)(1,956)
Income tax effect related to reconciling items1,592 2,596 (496)
Sub-total(5,987)(11,436)(92)
Core earnings$113,570 $100,612 $93,742 
Composition of Core Earnings:
Revenues:
Net effective spread(1)
$220,668 $196,956 $168,608 
Guarantee and commitment fees(2)
17,533 19,150 21,335 
Gain on sale of mortgage loans6,539 — — 
Other(3)
1,680 2,687 1,775 
Total revenues246,420 218,793 191,718 
Credit related expense (GAAP):
(Release of)/provision for losses(2,187)8,055 3,501 
REO operating expenses— — 64 
Gains on sale of REO— (463)— 
Total credit related expense(2,187)7,592 3,565 
Operating expenses (GAAP):
Compensation and employee benefits42,847 36,502 28,762 
General and administrative27,507 21,976 20,311 
Regulatory fees3,062 2,925 2,788 
Total operating expenses73,416 61,403 51,861 
Net earnings175,191 149,798 136,292 
Income tax expense(4)
36,944 31,381 28,610 
Preferred stock dividends (GAAP)24,677 17,805 13,940 
Core earnings$113,570 $100,612 $93,742 
Core earnings per share:
  Basic$10.56 $9.38 $8.76 
  Diluted10.47 9.33 8.70 
Weighted-average shares:
  Basic10,758 10,728 10,696 
  Diluted10,846 10,786 10,778 
(1)Net effective spread is a non-GAAP measure. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures—Net Effective Spread" for an explanation of net effective spread. See Table 111 for a reconciliation of net interest income to net effective spread.

Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to Common Stockholders to Core Earnings
 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 (in thousands, except per share amounts)
Net income attributable to common stockholders$94,898
 $71,300
 64,152
Less reconciling items: 
  
  
Gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes (see Table 8)7,959
 10,218
 8,585
Gains/(losses) on hedging activities due to fair value changes4,449
 (719) 5,043
Unrealized gains/(losses) on trading securities81
 (24) 1,460
Amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets consolidated at fair value(461) (1,327) (849)
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives(1)1,708
 2,674
 2,178
Re-measurement of net deferred tax asset due to enactment of new tax legislation
 (1,365) 
Income tax effect related to reconciling items(2,885) (3,788) (5,746)
Sub-total10,851
 5,669
 10,671
Core earnings$84,047
 $65,631
 $53,481
      
Composition of Core Earnings:     
Revenues:     
Net effective spread(2)
$151,195
 $141,303
 123,072
Guarantee and commitment fees(3)
20,733
 20,350
 19,170
Other(4)
520
 935
 2,070
Total revenues172,448
 162,588
 144,312
      
Credit related expense (GAAP):     
Provision for losses335
 1,758
 1,002
REO operating expenses16
 23
 39
Loss/(gain) on sale of REO7
 (1,748) (15)
Total credit related expense358
 33
 1,026
      
Operating expenses (GAAP):     
Compensation and employee benefits27,534
 24,233
 22,772
General and administrative19,707
 15,959
 15,109
Regulatory fees2,562
 2,500
 2,463
Total operating expenses49,803
 42,692
 40,344
      
Net earnings122,287
 119,863
 102,942
Income tax expense(5)
25,058
 41,215
 36,313
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest (GAAP)
 (165) (34)
Preferred stock dividends (GAAP)13,182
 13,182
 13,182
Core earnings$84,047
 $65,631
 $53,481
      
Core earnings per share:     
  Basic$7.89
 $6.20
 $5.10
  Diluted7.82
 6.08
 4.98
Weighted-average shares:     
  Basic10,654
 10,594
 10,477
  Diluted10,746
 10,803
 10,746
61


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(1)
Effective in fourth quarter 2017, Farmer Mac revised its methodology for calculating net effective spread, which is a component of core earnings, to also include the net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives. All prior period information has been recast to reflect the revised methodology. For more information, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures—Net Effective Spread" and the information set forth below.
(2)
Net effective spread is a non-GAAP measure. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures—Net Effective Spread" for an explanation of net effective spread. See Table 6 for a reconciliation of net interest income to net effective spread.
(3)
Includes interest income and interest expense related to consolidated trusts owned by third parties reclassified from net interest income to guarantee and commitment fees to reflect management's view that the net interest income Farmer Mac earns is effectively a guarantee fee on the consolidated Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.
(4)
Reflects reconciling adjustments for the reclassification to exclude expenses related to interest rate swaps not designated as hedges and terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives, and reconciling adjustments to exclude fair value adjustments on financial derivatives and trading assets and the recognition of deferred gains over the estimated lives of certain Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities.
(5)
Includes the tax impact of non-GAAP reconciling items between net income attributable to common stockholders and core earnings.

(2)Includes interest income and interest expense related to consolidated trusts owned by third parties reclassified from net interest income to guarantee and commitment fees to reflect management's view that the net interest income Farmer Mac earns is effectively a guarantee fee on the consolidated Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.

(3)Reflects reconciling adjustments for the reclassification to exclude expenses related to interest rate swaps not designated as hedges and terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives, and reconciling adjustments to exclude fair value adjustments on financial derivatives and trading assets and the recognition of deferred gains over the estimated lives of certain Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities.
(4)Includes the tax impact of non-GAAP reconciling items between net income attributable to common stockholders and core earnings.

Table 27
Reconciliation of GAAP Basic Earnings Per Share to Core Earnings - Basic Earnings Per Share
  For the Years Ended December 31,
  202120202019
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
GAAP - Basic EPS$10.00 $8.31 $8.76 
Less reconciling items:
(Losses)/gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes (see Table 14)(0.47)(0.34)0.94 
Losses on hedging activities due to fair value changes(0.28)(0.94)(0.83)
Unrealized (losses)/gains on trading securities(0.01)— 0.03 
Net effects of amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets consolidated at fair value0.01 0.01 (0.01)
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives0.04 0.12 0.10 
Issuance costs on the retirement of preferred stock— (0.16)(0.18)
Income tax effect related to reconciling items0.15 0.24 (0.05)
Sub-total(0.56)(1.07)— 
Core Earnings - Basic EPS$10.56 $9.38 $8.76 
Shares used in per share calculation (GAAP and Core Earnings)10,758 10,728 10,696 


Reconciliation of GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share to Core Earnings - Diluted Earnings Per Share
  For the Years Ended December 31,
  202120202019
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
GAAP - Diluted EPS$9.92 $8.27 $8.69 
Less reconciling items:
(Losses)/gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes (see Table 14)(0.47)(0.34)0.93 
Losses on hedging activities due to fair value changes(0.28)(0.93)(0.83)
Unrealized (losses)/gains on trading securities(0.01)— 0.03 
Net effects of amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets consolidated at fair value0.01 0.01 (0.01)
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives0.05 0.11 0.10 
Issuance costs on the retirement of preferred stock— (0.15)(0.18)
Income tax effect related to reconciling items0.15 0.24 (0.05)
Sub-total(0.55)(1.06)(0.01)
Core Earnings - Diluted EPS$10.47 $9.33 $8.70 
Shares used in per share calculation (GAAP and Core Earnings)10,846 10,786 10,778 


Reconciliation of GAAP Basic Earnings Per Share to Core Earnings - Basic Earnings Per Share
  For the Year Ended December 31,
  2018 2017 2016
 (in thousands, except per share amounts)
GAAP - Basic EPS$8.91
 $6.73
 $6.12
Less reconciling items:     
Gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes (see Table 8)0.75
 0.97
 0.82
Gains/(losses) on hedging activities due to fair value changes0.41
 (0.07) 0.48
Unrealized gains/(losses) on trading securities0.01
 
 0.14
Amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets consolidated at fair value(0.04) (0.13) (0.08)
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives0.16
 0.25
 0.21
Re-measurement of net deferred tax asset due to enactment of new tax legislation
 (0.13) 
Income tax effect related to reconciling items(0.27) (0.36) (0.55)
Sub-total1.02
 0.53
 1.02
Core Earnings - Basic EPS$7.89
 $6.20
 $5.10
      
Shares used in per share calculation (GAAP and Core Earnings)10,654
 10,594
 10,477
62



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Reconciliation of GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share to Core Earnings - Diluted Earnings Per Share
  For the Year Ended December 31,
  2018 2017 2016
 (in thousands, except per share amounts)
GAAP - Diluted EPS$8.83
 $6.60
 $5.97
Less reconciling items:     
Gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes (see Table 8)0.74
 0.94
 0.80
Gains/(losses) on hedging activities due to fair value changes0.41
 (0.07) 0.46
Unrealized gains/(losses) on trading securities0.01
 
 0.14
Amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets consolidated at fair value(0.04) (0.12) (0.08)
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives0.16
 0.25
 0.20
Re-measurement of net deferred tax asset due to enactment of new tax legislation
 (0.13) 
Income tax effect related to reconciling items(0.27) (0.35) (0.53)
Sub-total1.01
 0.52
 0.99
Core Earnings - Diluted EPS$7.82
 $6.08
 $4.98
      
Shares used in per share calculation (GAAP and Core Earnings)10,746
 10,803
 10,746




The non-GAAP reconciling items between net income attributable to common stockholders and core earnings are:


1. Gains/(losses)Losses on financial derivatives due to fair value changes are presented by two reconciling items in Table 16 above: (1) Gains(a) Losses on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes; and (2) Gains/(losses)(b) Losses on hedging activities due to fair value changes. The table below calculates the non-GAAP reconciling item for gains/(losses)losses on hedging activities due to fair value changes:


Table 38
Non-GAAP Reconciling Items for (Losses)/Gains on Hedging Activities due to Fair Value Changes
  For the Years Ended December 31,
  202120202019
(in thousands)
Losses due to fair value changes (see Table 6.2)$(1,515)$(9,184)$(7,907)
Initial cash payment (received) at inception of swap(1,470)(835)(1,103)
Losses on hedging activities due to fair value changes$(2,985)$(10,019)$(9,010)


Non-GAAP Reconciling Items for Gains/(Losses) on Hedging Activities due to Fair Value Changes
  For the Year Ended December 31,
  2018 2017 2016
 (in thousands)
 Gains/(losses) due to fair value changes (see Table 6.2)4,941
 (719) 5,043
Initial cash payment received at inception of swap(1)
(492) 
 
Gains/(losses) on hedging activities due to fair value changes

$4,449
 $(719) $5,043
(1)
Relates to initial cash payments received at the inception of a swap designated in a fair value hedge. These initial cash payments were previously recognized in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" in the statement of operations. Upon adoption of ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities," for financial derivatives designated in fair value hedge relationships, the changes in the fair values of the derivative and the associated hedged item are recorded within net interest income. For core earnings purposes, these initial cash payments are deferred and amortized as net yield adjustments over the term of the related debt.
2. Unrealized gains/(losses)/gains on trading securities. The unrealized gains/(losses)/gains on trading securities are reported on Farmer Mac's consolidated statements of operations, which represent changes during the period in fair values for trading assets remaining on Farmer Mac's balance sheet as of the end of the reporting period.
3. AmortizationThe net effects of amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets consolidated at fair value. The amount of this non-GAAP reconciling item is the recorded amount of premium, discount, or deferred gain


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amortization during the reporting period on those assets for which the premium, discount, or deferred gain was based on the application of an accounting principle (e.g., consolidation of variable interest entities) rather than on a cash transaction (e.g., a purchase price premium or discount).
4. The net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives. These terminations or net settlements relate to:
Forward contracts on the debt of other GSEs and futures contracts on U.S. Treasury securities. These contracts are used as a short-term economic hedge of the issuance of debt. For GAAP purposes, realized gains or losses on settlements of these contracts are reported in the consolidated statements of operations in the period in which they occur. For core earnings purposes, these realized gains or losses are deferred and amortized as net yield adjustments over the term of the related debt, which generally ranges from 3 to 15 years.
Initial cash payments received by Farmer Mac upon the inception of certain swaps. When there is no direct payment arrangement between a swap dealer counterparty and a debt dealer issuing Farmer Mac's medium-term notes for a particular transaction, Farmer Mac may receive an initial cash payment from the swap dealer at the inception of the swap to offset dollar-for-dollar the amount of the discount on the associated hedged debt. For GAAP purposes, changes in fair value of the swaps are recognized in "Gains on financial derivatives," while the economically offsetting discount on the associated hedged debt is amortized over the term of the debt as an adjustment to its yield. For purposes of core earnings, purposes, these initial cash payments are deferred and amortized as net yield adjustments over the term of the related debt, which generally ranges from 3 to 1525 years.
5. Re-measurementThe recognition of net deferred tax asset due to enactment of new tax legislation. This non-recurring, non-cash charge to income tax expense in fourth quarter 2017 wasissuance costs on the result of a re-measurement by Farmer Mac of its net deferred tax asset at a lower federal corporate tax rate due to enactmentretirements of the Tax CutsSeries A Preferred Stock in 2020 and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017. This chargeSeries B Preferred Stock in 2019 has been excluded from core earnings because it isthey are not the result of

63





frequently occurring transactions, is notnor are they indicative of future operating results, andresults. This is a non-cash charge.consistent with Farmer Mac re-measured its netMac's previous treatment of deferred tax asset atissuance costs associated with the newly-enacted 21% corporate tax rate which will be applied when temporary differences that gave rise to the net deferred tax asset will be realized or settled.retirement of preferred stock. The next eligible preferred stock redemption date is in 2024.
The following sections provide more detail about specific components of Farmer Mac's results of operations.




86



Net Interest Income.  The following table provides information about interest-earning assets and funding for the years ended December 31, 20182021, 2020, and 2017.2019. The average balance of non-accruing loans is included in the average balance of loans, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and USDA Securities presented, though the related income is accounted for on a cash basis. Therefore, as the average balance of non-accruing loans and the income received increases or decreases, the net interest income and yield will fluctuate accordingly. The average balance of loans in consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties is disclosed in the net effect of consolidated trusts and is not included in the average balances of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities. The interest income and expense associated with these trusts are shown in the net effect of consolidated trusts. 


Table 49
  For the Year Ended
 December 31, 2021December 31, 2020December 31, 2019
Average
Balance
Income/
Expense
Average
Rate
Average
Balance
Income/
Expense
Average
Rate
Average
Balance
Income/
Expense
Average
Rate
 (dollars in thousands)
Interest-earning assets:     
Cash and investments$4,726,552 $18,660 0.39 %$4,180,158 $42,144 1.01 %$3,218,286 $81,522 2.53 %
Loans, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities(1)
17,838,238 367,154 2.06 %16,950,819 407,296 2.40 %15,214,248 502,694 3.30 %
Total interest-earning assets22,564,790 385,814 1.71 %21,130,977 449,440 2.13 %18,432,534 584,216 3.17 %
Funding:     
Notes payable due within one year3,779,689 3,820 0.10 %3,937,104 24,242 0.62 %3,758,256 86,031 2.29 %
Notes payable due after one year(2)
18,004,757 166,083 0.92 %16,869,918 241,211 1.43 %14,116,085 332,719 2.36 %
Total interest-bearing liabilities(3)
21,784,446 169,903 0.78 %20,807,022 265,453 1.28 %17,874,341 418,750 2.34 %
Net non-interest-bearing funding780,344 —  323,955 —  558,193 — 
Total funding22,564,790 169,903 0.75 %21,130,977 265,453 1.26 %18,432,534 418,750 2.27 %
Net interest income/yield prior to consolidation of certain trusts22,564,790 215,911 0.96 %21,130,977 183,987 0.87 %18,432,534 165,466 0.90 %
Net effect of consolidated trusts(4)
1,049,521 4,864 0.46 %1,396,850 6,601 0.47 %1,544,052 7,669 0.50 %
Net interest income/yield$23,614,311 $220,775 0.94 %$22,527,827 $190,588 0.85 %$19,976,586 $173,135 0.87 %

  For the Year Ended
 December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 December 31, 2016
 Average
Balance
 Income/
Expense
 Average
Rate
 Average
Balance
 Income/
Expense
 Average
Rate
 Average
Balance
 Income/
Expense
 Average
Rate
 (dollars in thousands)      
Interest-earning assets:                 
Cash and investments$2,723,136
 $55,179
 2.03% $2,703,306
 $34,586
 1.28% $3,572,018
 $27,042
 0.76%
Loans, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities(1)
13,917,222
 434,585
 3.12% 12,763,456
 320,932
 2.51% 11,058,332
 252,406
 2.28%
Total interest-earning assets16,640,358
 489,764
 2.94% 15,466,762
 355,518
 2.30% 14,630,350
 279,448
 1.91%
Funding: 
  
    
  
  
      
Notes payable due within one year3,412,019
 62,447
 1.83% 5,148,548
 49,318
 0.96% 7,304,519
 37,648
 0.52%
Notes payable due after one year(2)
12,501,093
 259,638
 2.08% 9,683,124
 154,789
 1.60% 6,882,357
 105,828
 1.54%
Total interest-bearing liabilities(3)
15,913,112
 322,085
 2.02% 14,831,672
 204,107
 1.38% 14,186,876
 143,476
 1.01%
Net non-interest-bearing funding727,246
 
  
 635,090
 
  
 443,474
    
Total funding16,640,358
 322,085
 1.94% 15,466,762
 204,107
 1.32% 14,630,350
 143,476
 0.98%
Net interest income/yield prior to consolidation of certain trusts16,640,358
 167,679
 1.01% 15,466,762
 151,411
 0.98% 14,630,350
 135,972
 0.93%
Net effect of consolidated trusts(4)
1,443,394
 6,757
 0.47% 1,251,048
 6,236
 0.50% 905,005
 4,302
 0.48%
Net interest income/yield$18,083,752
 $174,436
 0.96% $16,717,810
 $157,647
 0.94% $15,535,355
 $140,274
 0.90%
(1)
(1)Excludes interest income of $54.5 million, $45.0 million, and $32.5 million in 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively, related to consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties.
(2)
Includes current portion of long-term notes.
(3)
Excludes interest expense of $47.8 million, $38.8 million, and $28.2 million in 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively, related to consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties.
(4)
Includes the effect of consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties.

The $16.8 million increase in net interest income for 2018 compared to 2017 was driven by net growth in on-balance sheet AgVantage securities, Farm & Ranch loans,of $39.0 million, $54.1 million, and USDA Securities, which contributed to a $10.1 million increase in net interest income. Another factor contributing to the increase were the fair value changes on financial derivatives and corresponding financial assets and liabilities in fair value hedge relationships, which contributed $4.9$60.9 million in net2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively, related to consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties.
(2)Includes current portion of long-term notes.
(3)Excludes interest income during 2018. Also contributingexpense of $34.1 million, $47.5 million, and $53.2 million in 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively, related to consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties.
(4)Includes the effect of consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties.

The $30.2 million year-over-year increase in net interest income was anprimarily due to a $16.7 million increase related to net new business volume, a $6.9 million decrease in funding costs, and a $7.7 million increase in the amountfair value of cash basis interest income recognized on non-accrual Farm & Ranch loans, which contributed $1.5 million in net interest income during 2018. The increase was offset in part by the $2.0 million negative impact of the Interest-Only Amortization during 2018. The 2 basis point year-over-year increase in net interest yield was primarily driven by an increase in the aforementioned fair value changes on financial derivatives and corresponding financial assets and liabilitiesdesignated in fair value hedge accounting relationships offset(designated financial derivatives). In percentage terms, the year-over-year 0.09% increase was primarily attributable to an increase of 0.04% in part bynet new business volume, an increase of 0.03% in net fair value changes from designated financial derivatives, and a decrease of 0.01% in funding costs.

For 2020 compared to 2019, the impact of the Interest-Only Amortization.



87



The $17.3$17.5 million increase in net interest income for 2017 comparedwas primarily due to 2016net

64





business volume growth across most lines of business, which contributed $23.2 million to net interest
income. This was drivenpartially offset by net growth in Farm & Ranch loans, on-balance sheet AgVantage securities, and USDA Securities. Another factor contributing to the increase was the effect of ana $4.1 million increase in short-term interest rates on assetsfunding and liabilities indexed to LIBOR due to the Federal Reserve's decisions since December 2016 to raise the target range for the federal funds rate. This effect onliquidity costs and a decrease
of $1.3 million in net interest income occurred because interest expense used to calculate net interest income does not include all the funding expenses related to these assets, specifically the expense onfair value changes from designated financial derivatives not designatedas a result of fluctuations in hedge accounting relationships. This increase in short-term rates on assets and liabilities indexed to LIBOR did not have a similar effect on net effective spread because net effective spread includes
interest expense from all funding related to those assets, including interest expense from financial derivatives not designated in hedge accounting relationships. Also contributing torates. In percentage terms, the year-over-year increase was an increase in the net effectdecrease of consolidated trusts resulting from an increase in securitization of Farm & Ranch loans throughout 2016 and 2017. Farmer Mac earns the difference between the interest income recognized on loans in consolidated trusts and the related interest expense recognized on debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties. The increase0.02% in net interest income yield was offsetprimarily
attributable to an increase of 0.05% in partfunding and liquidity costs and 0.01% in net fair value changes
from designated financial derivatives, partially offset by an increase in net yield adjustmentsof 0.04% related to amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value. The 4 basis point increase in net interest yield in 2017 compared to 2016 was primarily due to a reduction in the average balance of lower-earning cash and cash equivalents and investment securities.new business

volume.

The following table sets forth information about changes in the components of Farmer Mac's net interest income prior to consolidation of certain trusts for the periods indicated.  For each category, information is provided on changes attributable to changes in volume (change in volume multiplied by old rate), and changes in rate (change in rate multiplied by old volume).  Combined rate/volume variances, the third element of the calculation, are, and then allocated based on theirthe relative size.size of rate and volume changes from the prior period.  


Table 510
  2021 vs. 20202020 vs. 2019
 Increase/(Decrease) Due toIncrease/(Decrease) Due to
 RateVolumeTotalRateVolumeTotal
 (in thousands)
Income from interest-earning assets:   
Cash and investments$(28,400)$4,916 $(23,484)$(58,877)$19,499 $(39,378)
Loans, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities(60,647)20,505 (40,142)(148,159)52,761 (95,398)
Total(89,047)25,421 (63,626)(207,036)72,260 (134,776)
Expense from other interest-bearing liabilities(107,497)11,947 (95,550)(213,715)60,418 (153,297)
Change in net interest income prior to consolidation of certain trusts(1)
$18,450 $13,474 $31,924 $6,679 $11,842 $18,521 

(1)Excludes the effect of debt in consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties.
  2018 vs. 2017 2017 vs. 2016
 Increase/(Decrease) Due to Increase/(Decrease) Due to
 Rate Volume Total Rate Volume Total
 (in thousands)
Income from interest-earning assets:           
Cash and investments$20,338
 $255
 $20,593
 $15,303
 $(7,759) $7,544
Loans, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities82,733
 30,920
 113,653
 27,222
 41,304
 68,526
Total103,071
 31,175
 134,246
 42,525
 33,545
 76,070
Expense from other interest-bearing liabilities102,156
 15,822
 117,978
 53,847
 6,784
 60,631
Change in net interest income prior to consolidation of certain trusts(1)
$915
 $15,353
 $16,268
 $(11,322) $26,761
 $15,439
(1)
Excludes the effect of debt in consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties.


The following table presents a reconciliation of net interest income and net interest yield to net effective spread. Net effective spread is measured by: including (1) expenses related to undesignated financial derivatives, which consists of income or expense related to contractual amounts due on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships (the income or expense related to financial derivatives designated in hedge accounting relationships is already included in net interest income), and (2) the amortization of losses due to terminations or net settlements of financial derivatives; and excluding (3) the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value, (4) the net effects of consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties, and (5) beginning in first quarter of 2018, the fair value changes of financial derivatives and corresponding financial assets or liabilities in fair value hedge


88



relationships. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures—Net Effective Spread" for more information about the explanation of net effective spread.


Table 665


  For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 Dollars Yield Dollars Yield Dollars Yield
 (dollars in thousands)
Net interest income/yield$174,436
 0.96 % $157,647
 0.94 % $140,274
 0.90 %
Net effects of consolidated trusts(6,757) 0.04 % (6,236) 0.04 % (4,302) 0.03 %
Expense related to undesignated financial derivatives(11,685) (0.07)% (10,261) (0.07)% (11,480) (0.07)%
Amortization of premiums/discounts on assets consolidated at fair value417
 0.01 % 1,191
 0.01 % 610
  %
Amortization of losses due to terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives(275)  % (1,038) (0.01)% (2,030) (0.02)%
Fair value changes on fair value hedge relationships(4,941) (0.03)% 
  % 
  %
Net effective spread$151,195
 0.91 % $141,303
 0.91 % $123,072
 0.84 %





Table 11
  For the Years Ended December 31,
 202120202019
 DollarsYieldDollarsYieldDollarsYield
 (dollars in thousands)
Net interest income/yield$220,775 0.94 %$190,588 0.85 %$173,135 0.87 %
Net effects of consolidated trusts(4,864)0.02 %(6,601)0.02 %(7,669)0.03 %
Expense related to undesignated financial derivatives2,841 0.01 %3,468 0.02 %(5,095)(0.03)%
Amortization of premiums/discounts on assets consolidated at fair value(45)— %197 — %398 — %
Amortization of losses due to terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives446 — %120 — %(68)— %
Fair value changes on fair value hedge relationships1,515 0.01 %9,184 0.04 %7,907 0.04 %
Net effective spread$220,668 0.98 %$196,956 0.93 %$168,608 0.91 %

The $23.7 million year-over-year increase in net effective spread in dollars was primarily due to an increase of $16.7 million from net new business volume and a $6.3 million decrease in non-GAAP funding costs. In percentage terms, the year-over-year increase of 0.05% was primarily attributable to an increase of 0.04% in net new business volume and a decrease of 0.01% in funding costs.

For 20182020 compared to 2017,2019, the $9.9$28.3 million increase in net effective spread in dollars was primarily due to: (1) growth in outstanding
to net business volume growth across most lines of business, which increasedcontributed $23.2 million to net
effective spread, by approximately $10.1 million; and (2) a $1.5$4.6 million increasedecrease in the amount of cash basis interest income recognized on nonaccrual Farm & Ranch loans. The increase was offset in part by the $2.0 million impact of the Interest-Only Amortization.non-GAAP funding costs. In percentage terms, net effective spread remained at 0.91% in both 2018 and 2017 primarily because the positive impact
increase of the cash basis interest income was offset by the negative impact of the Interest-Only Amortization.

For 2017 compared to 2016, the $18.2 million increase in net effective spread in dollars0.02% was primarily attributable to: (1) growth in on-balance sheet AgVantage securities, Farm & Ranch loans, and otherto new business volume, which increased net effective spread by approximately $15.1 million in 2017; and (2) changes in Farmer Mac's funding strategies and improvements in LIBOR-based short-term funding costs for floating rate assets indexed to LIBOR, which added approximately $4.0 million in 2017. Net effective spread in percentage terms increased 7 basis points in 2017 compared to 2016 primarily due to the decrease in the average balance of lower-earning cash and cash equivalents and investment securities, which added approximately 5 basis points to net effective spread. Also contributing to the increase were the effects of changes in Farmer Mac's funding strategy and a favorable LIBOR-based funding market, which added approximately 3 basis points in 2017.volume.


See Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements for more information about net interest income and net effective spread from Farmer Mac's individual business segments. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Supplemental Information" for quarterly net effective spread by line of business.





8966







Provision for and Release of Allowance for Loan Losses and Reserve for Losses. The following table summarizes the components of Farmer Mac's total allowance for losses for each year in the three-year period ended December 31, 2018:2021:


Table 712
Allowance
for
Losses
Reserve
for Losses
Total
Allowance
for Losses
(in thousands)
Balance as of January 1, 2019$7,017 $2,167 $9,184 
Provision for/(release of) losses3,504 (3)3,501 
Charge-offs(67)— (67)
Balance as of December 31, 2019$10,454 $2,164 $12,618 
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of current expected credit loss standard1,793 863 2,656 
Adjusted beginning balance$12,247 $3,027 $15,274 
Provision for losses7,810 250 8,060 
Charge-offs(5,759)— (5,759)
Balance as of December 31, 2020$14,298 $3,277 $17,575 
Release of losses(860)(1,327)(2,187)
Recovery1,054 — 1,054 
Charge-offs— — — 
Balance as of December 31, 2021$14,492 $1,950 $16,442 

 Allowance
for Loan
Losses
 Reserve
for Losses
 Total
Allowance
for Losses
 (in thousands)
Balance as of January 1, 2016$4,480
 $2,083
 $6,563
Provision for/(release of) losses1,065
 (63) 1,002
Charge-offs(130) 
 (130)
Balance as of December 31, 2016$5,415
 $2,020
 $7,435
Provision for losses1,708
 50
 $1,758
Charge-offs(327) 
 (327)
Balance as of December 31, 2017$6,796
 $2,070
 $8,866
Provision for losses238
 97
 335
Charge-offs(17) 
 (17)
Balance as of December 31, 2018$7,017
 $2,167
 $9,184

The total provision for losses recorded during 2018 decreased by $1.4 million compared to 2017 primarily due to decreased year-over-year loan growth and modestly improved credit quality in the Farm & Ranch portfolio.

The provision for the allowance for loan losses recorded during 2017 was due to: (1) an increase in the general allowance due to overall net volume growth in on-balance sheet Farm & Ranch loans; and (2) an increase in the specific allowance for certain impaired on-balance sheet crop and permanent planting loans resulting from both an increase in the outstanding balance of such loans and downgrades in risk ratings on some of those loans. The increase in the provision was offset in part by a modest decline in loss rates used to estimate probable losses. The provision for the reserve for losses recorded during 2017 was primarily due to an increase in the general reserve due to downgrades in risk ratings on certain unimpaired Agricultural Storage and Processing loans underlying LTSPCs. The increase in the general reserve for losses was offset in part by a net decrease in the balance of loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities. The charge-offs recorded during 2017 were primarily related to two impaired crop loans (with one borrower) that were foreclosed and transitioned to REO during first quarter 2017. Farmer Mac had previously recorded a specific allowance of $0.2 million on these impaired crop loans as of December 31, 2016. During second quarter 2017, Farmer Mac sold the related properties for $5.4 million and recognized a $0.8 million gain on sale of REO.

The provisions to the allowance for loan losses recorded during 2016 were due to (1) an increase in the general allowance due to overall net volume growth in on-balance sheet Farm & Ranch loans; (2) downgrades in risk ratings for certain loans; and (3) an increase in the specific allowance for on-balance sheet impaired loans resulting from an increase in the outstanding balance of such loans. The releases from the reserve for losses recognized during 2016 were primarily due to the release of a specific reserve on an impaired livestock loan underlying an LTSPC that was required to be removed from the LTSPC pool by the originator during third quarter 2016, offset in part by provisions to the reserve for losses due to an increase in the general reserve due to downgrades in risk rating on certain loans underlying LTSPCs.


90





See NoteNotes 8 and 12 to the consolidated financial statements and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Risk—Loans and Guarantees."


Guarantee and Commitment Fees.  GuaranteeThe following table presents guarantee and commitment fees, which compensate Farmer Mac for assuming the credit risk on loans underlying off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs, were $14.0 million for 2018, compared to $14.1 millionthe years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and $14.9 million for 2017 and 2016, respectively.2019:


Table 13
For the Years Ended December 31,
202120202019
(in thousands)
Guarantee and commitment fees$12,669 $12,549 $13,666 

Guarantee and commitment fees were relatively flat for the purposeyear ended December 31, 2021 compared to 2020, which was due to stability in the average outstanding balance of LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities during 2021. As adjusted for the core earnings presentation, guarantee and commitment fees were $17.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, respectively, compared to $19.2 million and $21.3 million for the 2020 and 2019, respectively. In Farmer Mac's presentation of core earnings, guarantee and commitment fees include interest income and interest expense related to consolidated trusts owned by third parties to reflect management's view that the net interest income Farmer Mac earns is effectively a guarantee fee on thethose consolidated Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities. For 2018, guarantee and commitment fees, for the purpose of core earnings, were $20.7 million compared to $20.4 million and $19.2 million for 2017 and 2016, respectively.


For more information about net income attributable to common stockholders, the composition of core earnings, and a reconciliation of net income attributable to common stockholders to core earnings, see

67





Table 6 in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations." For more information about the non-GAAP measures Farmer Mac uses, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures."


Gains/(losses)(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives.  The components of gains and losses on financial derivatives for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 20162019 are summarized in the following table:


Table 814
 For the Years Ended December 31,
 202120202019
 (in thousands)
(Losses)/gains due to fair value changes$(5,103)$(3,691)$10,077 
Accrual of contractual payments2,841 3,468 (5,095)
(Losses)/gains due to terminations or net settlements(1,086)(23)300 
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives$(3,348)$(246)$5,282 

 For the Year Ended December 31,
 
2018(1)
 2017 2016
 (in thousands)
Fair value hedges:     
(Losses)/gains due to fair value changes:     
Financial derivatives(2)
$
 $1,694
 $25,365
Hedged items
 (2,413) (20,322)
(Losses)/gains on fair value hedging activities
 (719) 5,043
Cash flow hedges:     
Loss recognized (ineffective portion)
 (320) (353)
Losses on cash flow hedges
 (320) (353)
No hedge designation:     
(Losses)/gains due to fair value changes7,958
 10,218
 8,585
Accrual of contractual payments(11,685) (9,941) (11,127)
Gains/(losses) due to terminations or net settlements40
 1,515
 163
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedging relationships(3,687) 1,792
 (2,379)
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives$(3,687) $753
 $2,311
(1)
Effective in first quarter 2018, Farmer Mac adopted ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging(Topic 815):Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities." For financial derivatives designated in fair value hedge relationships, changes in the fair values of the derivative and the associated hedged item are recorded within net interest income. For financial derivatives designated in cash flow hedge relationships, changes in the fair values of the derivative and the associated hedged item are recorded within accumulated other comprehensive income and reclassified to net interest income when the hedged item impacts earnings.


91



(2)
Included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness as of December 31, 2017, but excluded from the amounts in the table, were gains of $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, attributable to the fair value of the swaps at the inception of the hedging relationship. Accordingly, the amounts recognized as hedge ineffectiveness for the year ended December 31, 2017 were gains of $0.6 million. The comparable amounts as of December 31, 2016 were losses of $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, attributable to the fair value of the swaps at the inception of the hedging relationship and, accordingly, gains of $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, attributable to hedge ineffectiveness.

The adoption of the new hedge accounting guidance ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging(Topic 815):Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities," effective first quarter 2018, impacted the presentation in Table 8 above. Beginning in first quarter 2018, gains and losses due to fair value changes on financial derivatives designated in fair value hedge accounting relationships are included in either interest income or interest expense depending on the corresponding hedged financial asset or liability, respectively. For cash flow hedges, both the effective and ineffective portions of the changes in the fair values of the derivative instruments are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) and reclassified to net interest income when the hedged item impacts earnings. Thus, for 2018, the table above only presents changes in the fair values of Farmer Mac's open financial derivative positions that are not designated in hedge accounting relationships. Before 2018, gains and losses on financial derivatives were included in "(Losses)/gains due to fair value changes" whether or not they were designated in hedge accounting relationships. Thus, for 2017 and 2016, the table above presents gains and losses on all financial derivatives in "(Losses)/gains due to fair value changes." These changes in fair value are primarily the result of fluctuations in long-term interest rates. The accrual of periodic cash settlements for interest paid or received from Farmer Mac's interest rate swaps that are not designated in hedge accounting relationshipsundesignated financial derivatives is shown as expense related to financial derivatives. Payments or receipts to terminate undesignated derivative positions or net cash settled forward sales contracts on the debt of other GSEs and undesignated U.S. Treasury security futures that are not designated in hedge accounting relationships and initial cash payments received upon the inception of certain undesignated swaps not designated in hedge accounting relationships are included in "Gains/(losses)"(Losses)/gains due to terminations or net settlements" in the table above. For undesignated swaps, not designated in a hedge accounting relationship, when there is no direct payment arrangement between a swap dealer counterparty and a debt dealer issuing Farmer Mac's medium-term notes for a particular transaction, Farmer Mac may receive an initial cash payment from the swap dealer at the inception of the swap to offset dollar-for-dollar the amount of the discount on the associated hedged debt. Changes in the fair value of these swaps are recognized immediately in "Gains/(losses)"(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives," while the offsetting discount on the hedged debt is amortized over the term of the debt as an adjustment to its yield. The amounts of initial cash payments received by Farmer Mac vary depending on the number of the aforementioned type of swaps it executes during a quarter.

(Losses)/gains

68





Gains on Sale of Real Estate Owned (REO). During 2018,Mortgage Loans

Table 15
 For the Years Ended December 31,
202120202019
 (in thousands)
Gain on sale of mortgage loans$6,539 $— $— 

In fourth quarter 2021, Farmer Mac realized net lossesexecuted a newly-designed structured securitization of $7,000 on the salesa $299.4 million pool of REO properties, compared to net gains of $1.7 million and $15,000 for 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Gains/(losses) on Trading Securities. During 2018, Farmer Mac recorded $81,000 of unrealized gains on trading securities, compared to unrealized losses of $24,000 during 2017 and unrealized gains of $1.5 million during 2016. During 2018 and 2017, all of the unrealized gains and losses, respectively, were related to financial assets that had been selected to be carried at fair value with the related changes in fair value included in earnings (i.e., the "fair value option"), compared to recorded losses of $0.3 million under the fair value option for 2016.

Other Income. Other income totaled $1.4 million during 2018, compared to $0.8 million and $1.8 million during 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in other income for 2018 compared to 2017 was primarily due to the collection of $1.3 million and $0.5 million, respectively, in late fees received on Farm & Ranch loans. The increasetransaction was offsetstructured into two pass-through tranches, Class A and Class B, each of which were sold to third-party investors in part by the absence in 2018capital markets, as well as an interest-only Farmer Mac Guaranteed Security ("IO-FMGS") that Farmer Mac retained. The Class A tranche makes up 92.5% of the recognition of $0.4 million


92



of appraisal fees receivedpool and is guaranteed as to principal and interest by Farmer Mac's former consolidated appraisal company subsidiary, AgVisory, that occurredMac. The IO-FMGS is guaranteed as to interest by Farmer Mac. The Class B tranche makes up the remaining 7.5% of the pool and is subordinated in 2017. Asright of May 1, 2017, Farmer Mac transferred its entire 65% ownership interest and principal payments in AgVisory backthe event of a shortfall to the limited liability company.Class A tranche and the IO-FMGS. As a result of this transaction, Farmer Mac recognized the following:

1.A guarantee obligation and corresponding guarantee fee related to the Farmer Mac-guaranteed Class A tranche;
2.A servicing asset and corresponding servicing fee related to Farmer Mac’s role as master servicer for the entire pool and as central servicer for the portion of the pool for which it serves as central servicer; and
3.A security representing the IO-FMGS.

These assets and liabilities were initially recorded on the balance sheet at fair value.

Other Income. The following table presents other income for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019:

Table 16
 For the Years Ended December 31,
202120202019
 (in thousands)
Late fees$951 $1,292 $1,135 
Servicing fees291 — — 
Mortgage servicing rights amortization(128)— — 
Other955 2,195 769 
Total other income$2,069 $3,487 $1,904 

The decrease in other income for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 2020 is primarily due to a lossdecrease in rate modification fees on Farm & Ranch loans.


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Operating Expenses. The components of approximately $0.1 million uponoperating expenses for the transfer.years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019 are summarized in the following table:


Table 17
 For the Years Ended December 31,
202120202019
 (in thousands)
Compensation and employee benefits$42,847 $36,502 $28,762 
General and administrative27,507 21,976 20,311 
Regulatory fees3,062 2,925 2,788 
Total Operating Expenses$73,416 $61,403 $51,861 

a.Compensation and Employee Benefits.Compensation and employee benefits were $27.5 million in 2018, compared to $24.2 million and $22.8 million, respectively, in 2017 and 2016. The increase in compensation and employee benefits in 2018expenses for 2021 compared to 20172020 was due to an increaseincreased headcount. We hired 32 net new employees this year, including ten new employees in headcount and related employee health insurance costs and higher payoutsconnection with the strategic acquisition of variable incentive compensation resulting from actual performance exceeding certain performance target amounts during 2017, which was paidloan servicing rights in 2018. Another significant factor contributing to the increase in compensation expense in 2018 compared to 2017 was the absence in 2018 of the recoupment of approximately $1.3 million in compensation costs related to the forfeiture of unvested equity awards and annual variable incentive compensation resulting from the termination of employment of Farmer Mac's former President and Chief Executive Officer in December 2017.third quarter 2021. The increase in compensation and employee benefits in 2017expenses for 2020 compared to 20162019 was primarily due to increased headcount in the current period, higher bonus expense, and severance payments made to an increaseexecutive who resigned in headcount and related employee health insurance costs and higher payouts of variable incentive compensation resulting from actual performance exceeding certain performance targets during 2016, which was paid in 2017.first quarter 2020.


b.General and Administrative Expenses (G&A).G&A expenses were $19.7 million for 2018, compared to $16.0 million and $15.1 million for 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in G&A expenses for 20182021 compared to 20172020 was primarily due to higher expenses related to: (1) continuedincreased spending on software licenses, information technology and business infrastructure investments; (2) another consultants to support growth and strategic initiatives. We entered into a transition services agreement in connection with the strategic acquisition of loan servicing rights in third quarter 2021. Under that agreement, we have agreed to pay $1.25 million to the seller of the servicing rights in installments through December 31, 2022 for continuing transition assistance. The increase in headcount and the search processG&A expenses for Farmer Mac's current President and Chief Executive Officer; and (3) new leases for office space entered into during 2017. The increase for 20172020 compared to 20162019 was primarily due to higher expenses relatedincreased spending on software licenses and information technology consultants to (1) continued technologysupport growth and business infrastructure investments; (2) legal fees related to general corporate matters, including fees related to the termination of employment of Farmer Mac's former President and Chief Executive Officer in December 2017; (3) building lease expenses due to new leases for office space entered into during 2017; and (4) expenses related to business development efforts.strategic initiatives


Regulatory Fees.  Regulatory fees, which consist of the fees paid to the Farm Credit Administration ("FCA"), an independent agency in the executive branch of the United States government that regulates Farmer Mac, were $2.6 million for 2018, compared to $2.5 million for both 2017 and 2016, respectively. FCA has advised Farmer Mac that its estimated fees for the federal government fiscal year ending September 30, 2019 would increase to $2.75 million ($0.688 million per federal government fiscal quarter).  After the end of a federal government fiscal year, FCA may revise its prior year estimated assessments to reflect actual costs incurred, and has issued both additional assessments and refunds in the past.

Income Tax Expense.  Income tax expense was $27.9 million for 2018, compared to $46.4 million and $42.1 million for 2017 and 2016, respectively. The decrease infollowing table presents income tax expense for 2018 compared to 2017 was primarily due to a lowerand the effective federal corporate tax rate under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted in December 2017. The effective federalincome tax rate for the yearyears ended December 31, 2018 was slightly lower than the statutory federal corporate tax rate due to the effect of exercises of share-based compensation awards during 2018.2021, 2020, and 2019:


Table 18
 For the Years Ended December 31,
202120202019
 (dollars in thousands)
Income tax expense$35,353 $28,785 $29,105 
Effective tax rate21.1 %20.9 %20.9 %



70





Business Volume.  

The following table sets forth the net growth or decrease in Farmer Mac's lines of business for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

Table 19
Net New Business Volume
 For the Years Ended December 31,
 20212020
On or Off
Balance Sheet
Net Growth/(Decrease)Net Growth/(Decrease)
 (in thousands)
Agricultural Finance:
Farm & Ranch:
LoansOn-balance sheet$795,216 $917,071 
Loans held in consolidated trusts:
Beneficial interests owned by third-party investorsOn-balance sheet(338,422)(313,872)
IO-FMGSOn-balance sheet12,297 — 
USDA SecuritiesOn-balance sheet(41,614)256,461 
AgVantage SecuritiesOn-balance sheet300,000 (350,000)
LTSPCs and unfunded commitmentsOff-balance sheet272,189 (78,106)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed SecuritiesOff-balance sheet199,748 (117,927)
Loans serviced for othersOff-balance sheet22,331 — 
Total Farm & Ranch$1,221,745 $313,627 
Corporate AgFinance:
LoansOn-balance sheet$213,761 $296,682 
AgVantage SecuritiesOn-balance sheet(376,646)28,364 
Unfunded Loan CommitmentsOff-balance sheet36,604 10,466 
Total Corporate AgFinance$(126,281)$335,512 
Total Agricultural Finance$1,095,464 $649,139 
Rural Infrastructure Finance:
Rural Utilities:
LoansOn-balance sheet$114,996 $525,886 
AgVantage SecuritiesOn-balance sheet467,425 (376,096)
LTSPCs and Unfunded Loan CommitmentsOff-balance sheet412 (52,854)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed SecuritiesOff-balance sheet(1,657)(3,155)
Total Rural Utilities$581,176 $93,781 
Renewable Energy:
LoansOn-balance sheet$13,728 $63,233 
Unfunded Loan CommitmentsOff-balance sheet— — 
Total Renewable Energy$13,728 $63,233 
Total Rural Infrastructure Finance$594,904 $157,014 
Total$1,690,368 $806,153 


Farmer Mac's outstanding business volume was $23.6 billion as of December 31, 2021, a net increase in income tax expense in 2017 compared to 2016 was primarily due to higher pre-tax income. Also contributing to the increase was a $1.4 million charge to income tax expense as a result of $1.7 billionfrom December 31, 2020 after taking into account all new business, maturities, sales, and paydowns on existing assets.




9371







the re-measurement of Farmer Mac'sThe $1.2 billion net deferred tax asset due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Income tax expense for 2017 also reflected $0.9 million of tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation activity. The excess of Farmer Mac's effective income tax rate above the statutory rateincrease in 2017 was primarily due to the non-recurring, non-cash charge related to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was offset in part by the tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation activity.

Business Volume.  During 2018, we added $5.2 billion of gross new business volume, compared to $4.7 billion in 2017 and $4.4 billion in 2016. Specifically, in 2018 we:

purchased $3.0 billion of AgVantage securities;
renewed a $300.0 million revolving floating rate AgVantage facility;
purchased $960.8 million of newly originated Farm & Ranch loans;
added $430.1 millionwas comprised of Farm & Ranch loans under LTSPCs;
purchased $332.3 million of USDA Securities;
issued $127.9 million of Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities; and
purchased $11.6 million of Rural Utilities loans.

We achieved net growth of $477.9 million in our Institutional Credit line of business during 2018, as $3.3$5.9 billion of new business volume waspurchases and guarantees, partially offset in part by $2.8$4.7 billion of scheduled maturities, repayments, and repayments. The new business consisted of: (1) $800.0 millionsales. Farmer Mac purchased a total of new AgVantage securities purchased; (2) $2.2$2.1 billion in refinances of maturing AgVantage securities; and (3) the renewal of a $300.0 million revolving floating rate AgVantage facility. The maturities and repayments consisted of $2.5 billion of repayments on and maturities of AgVantage securities and the expiration of the $300.0 million revolving floating rate AgVantage facility that was renewed during fourth quarter.

Our Farm & Ranch line of business experienced net growth of $366.4 million during 2018 attributable to $960.8 million of new loans, purchased and $430.1 million of new LTSPCs, offset in part by loan repayments of $571.1 million and LTSPC repayments of $453.4 million. Net growth in loan purchases decreased by $294.7 million during 2018 compared to 2017. This decrease in growthwhich was primarily driven by farm real estate acquisitions due to fewer opportunities to purchase large loans in amounts greater than $15.0 million compared to 2017. We believe that this could be due to fewer eligible borrowers that are able to secure financing of that size,improved borrower economics as well as potentially increased pricing competition for the highest credit quality borrowers of these larger loans. Also, increasesa continued competitive interest rate environment resulting in interest rates have reduced the demand for refinanceslong-term financing solutions. The $2.1 billion in 2018 compared to 2017. Based on our analysis of bank and FCS call report data, there was a decline in the growth of the overall agricultural mortgage market in 2018. Nevertheless, we believe that our relative share of the overall agricultural mortgage market during 2018 remained consistent with prior years and that our net growth of 9.3% ingross Farm & Ranch loan purchases compared favorablywas partially offset by $1.3 billion in scheduled maturities, repayments, and sales, including the sale of $299.4 million of agricultural mortgage loans through Farmer Mac's newly-designed structured securitization executed in the fourth quarter. The securitization resulted in $289.5 million in Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities backed by the sold loans.

Farmer Mac also purchased a total of $2.2 billion in AgVantage Securities, which primarily reflected the refinancing of maturing securities as well as financial counterparties seeking additional short-term, low-cost securities to manage their asset-liability maturity profile. The $2.2 billion in gross purchases was partially offset by $1.9 billion in scheduled maturities. While the short-term nature of the AgVantage securities added during 2021 may create volatility in AgVantage volumes, Farmer Mac does not anticipate a material impact to its net effective spread given the low-cost nature of these securities due to the 4.9% net growthshort maturity profile.

Farmer Mac entered into $788.3 million of the overall agricultural mortgagenew LTSPCs, which was offset by $516.1 million of maturities on existing LTSPCs. The new volume in LTSPCs during 2021 was driven primarily by Farm Credit System institutions seeking credit risk management solutions to address increasing commodity and borrower hold limits resulting from strong loan market based on a review of bank and FCS call report data as of September 30, 2018. Net growth in LTSPCs decreasedin their regional portfolios.

The $126.3 million net decrease in Corporate AgFinance was comprised of $880.2 million of new loan and AgVantage security purchases, which was offset by $67.2$1.0 billion of scheduled maturities, repayments, and sales. Farmer Mac purchased a total of $314.9 million during 2018 compared to 2017in AgVantage Securities, which was offset by $691.6 million in scheduled maturities and repayments. This net decrease in AgVantage Securities was primarily due to improved borrower economics that reduced the absencedemand for higher priced institutional financing, counterparties diversifying wholesale funding sources, and competitive funding availability for institutional counterparties.

Farmer Mac purchased a total of $509.1 million in 2018Corporate AgFinance loans in furtherance of some customers that added large poolsFarmer Mac's strategic initiative to support larger and more complex farming operations, agribusinesses focused on agriculture production, food and fiber processing, and other supply chain production. The $509.1 million in gross purchases was partially offset by $295.4 million in scheduled maturities and repayments.

The $581.2 million net increase in Rural Utilities was comprised of $1.8 billion of new purchases and guarantees, which was partially offset by $1.2 billion of scheduled maturities and repayments. Farmer Mac purchased a total of $1.5 billion in AgVantage Securities which was partially offset by $982.6 million in scheduled maturities. The net increase in AgVantage Securities of $467.4 million was a result of a key counterparty proactively managing its capital structure as well as Farmer Mac's ability to offer competitively priced financing structures.

Farmer Mac purchased a total of $313.4 million in Rural Utilities loans, under LTSPCs to restructure their credit risk profile, which occurredwas fueled by a competitive interest rate environment resulting in 2017.demand for long-term financing solutions for planned maintenance, capital expenditures, and refinancing higher cost debt. The $313.4 million in loan purchases was partially offset by $198.4 million in scheduled maturities and repayments.


Our USDA Guarantees line72






The $13.7 million net increase in Renewable Energy was comprised of business experienced net growth of $163.4 million during 2018, as $460.1$43.6 million of new loan purchases, which was partially offset by $29.9 million of repayments.

Farmer Mac's outstanding business volume was $21.9 billion as of December 31, 2020, a net increase of $806.2 millionfrom December 31, 2019 after taking into account all new business, scheduled maturities, sales, and paydowns on existing assets.

The $313.6 million net increase in Farm & Ranch was comprised of $3.8 billion of new purchases and guarantees, partially offset in part by $296.7 million$3.5 billion of scheduled maturities and repayments.

The new business consisted$335.5 million net increase in Corporate AgFinance was comprised of $332.3$899.4 million of new USDA Securities purchased and the issuance of $127.9purchases, which was partially offset by $563.9 million of Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities. scheduled maturities and repayments.

The repayments and maturities consisted$93.8 million net increase in Rural Utilities was comprised of $282.3$949.3 million on USDA Securities and $14.3 million on USDA Securities underlying Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities. The decrease inof new purchases and guarantees, which was partially offset by $855.5 million of scheduled maturities and repayments.

The $63.2 million net growthincrease in the USDA Guarantees lineRenewable Energy was comprised of business$64.3 million of new purchases, which was partially offset by $1.1 million of repayments.



94



reflects increased competition, fewer refinances due to higher interest rates,The level and potentially lower loan volume being processed through USDA. However, we do not believe that this indicates a decrease in borrower demand for USDA agricultural loans.

Outstandingcomposition of Farmer Mac’s outstanding business volume in our Rural Utilities line ofis based on the relationship between new business, decreased by $290.5 million during 2018, primarily due toscheduled maturities, and repayments on loans heldexisting assets from year to year. This relationship in turn depends on a variety of factors both internal and loans underlying LTSPCs. Capital expenditures have declined in the rural utilities industry, which we believe has decreased the overall demand for credit.

On February 19, 2019, we purchased a $546 million portfolio of participations in seasoned Rural Utilities loans from CoBank under a master loan participation agreement entered into on February 13, 2019. CoBank is a related partyexternal to Farmer Mac becauseMac. The external factors include general market forces, competition, and our counterparties’ liquidity needs, access to alternative funding, desired products, and assessment of its stock ownership in Farmer Mac. For more information, see the Current Report on Form 8-K that we filed with the SEC on February 20, 2019.

strategic factors. The internal factors include our assessment of profitability, mission fulfillment, credit risk, and customer relationships. For more information about potential growth opportunities in Farmer Mac's lines of business, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Outlook" in this report.


The following table sets forth gross purchase volumes of non-delinquent eligible loans, new loans added under LTSPCs, and new guaranteesinformation about the Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities issued during the periods indicated in the Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, and Rural Utilities lines of business, as well as purchases of AgVantage securities in the Institutional Credit line of business. The table also sets forth the net growth or decrease under Farmer Mac's lines of business, after maturities, principal paydowns, and sales:indicated:


Table 920
 For the Years Ended December 31,
 202120202019
 (in thousands)
AgVantage securities$3,919,907 $1,298,751 $2,258,550 
Structured securitization transactions289,519 — — 
Loans securitized and held in consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties113,175 165,054 263,561 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities— — 57,853 
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities Issuances$4,322,601 $4,322,601 $1,463,805 $2,579,964 

New Business Volume – Farmer Mac Loan Purchases, Guarantees, LTSPCs, and AgVantage Securities
 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross Volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross Volume Net growth/(decrease)
 (in thousands)
Farm & Ranch:           
Loans$960,848
 $389,589
 $1,129,545
 $684,279
 $966,023
 $556,479
LTSPCs430,071
 (23,204) 554,743
 44,003
 399,095
 (142,474)
USDA Guarantees:           
USDA Securities332,270
 52,537
 369,759
 113,217
 375,203
 78,349
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities127,851
 110,870
 161,925
 144,622
 106,054
 97,749
Rural Utilities:           
Loans11,645
 (137,448) 137,341
 76,779
 50,491
 (8,614)
LTSPCs
 (153,069) 
 (72,256) 441,404
 355,734
Institutional Credit:           
AgVantage securities3,010,307
 477,939
 2,383,912
 617,192
 2,098,852
 563,432
AgVantage revolving line of credit facility300,000
 
 
 
 
 
Total purchases, guarantees, LTSPCs, and AgVantage securities$5,172,992
 $717,214
 $4,737,225
 $1,607,836
 $4,437,122
 $1,500,655

Within the Institutional Credit line of business, we experienced net new growth in AgVantage business volume with our large counterparties of $270.3 million in the rural utilities industry and $75.0 million in the agricultural industry. We also grew our AgVantage business with smaller financial fund counterparties by a net $133.0 million. We committed to a new $300.0 million revolving floating rate AgVantage facility


95



with CFC to replace a similar facility that expired during third quarter 2018. We receive a fixed fee based on the full dollar amount of this facility. If CFC draws on this facility, the amounts drawn will be in the form of on-balance sheet AgVantage securities, and we will earn interest income on those securities.

The decrease in gross new business volume of loans purchased within the Farm & Ranch line of business in 2018 compared to 2017 was primarily due to there being far fewer opportunities to purchase large loans over $15.0 million. During 2017, we purchased eight large loans totaling $210.0 million, compared to the purchase of only three large loans totaling $87.5 million during 2018. While gross Farm & Ranch loan purchases were down during 2018, prepayments on Farm & Ranch loans during that time period also decreased. Net outstanding Farm & Ranch loan volume grew 5.3% year-over-year, which compares to year-over-year overall agricultural mortgage market growth of 4.9% based on a review of the most recent bank and FCS call report data as of September 30, 2018. The decrease in Farmer Mac's prepayment rate was primarily attributable to a steadily rising interest rate environment. During 2018, our prepayment rate remained below our historical averages.

During 2018, we purchased 2,171 Farm & Ranch term loans and revolving line of credit draws. These purchases consisted of 910 term loans with an average unpaid principal balance of $910,000 and 1,261 revolving line of credit draws with an average unpaid principal balance of $127,000. Last year, we purchased 2,129 Farm & Ranch term loans and revolving line of credit draws. These purchases consisted of 1,037 term loans with an average unpaid principal balance of $979,000 and 1,092 revolving line of credit draws with an average unpaid principal balance of $107,000.

The moderate decrease in new business volume in the USDA Guarantees line of business in 2018 compared to 2017 reflected an increase in competition for these loans, fewer refinances due to a higher interest rate environment, and lower loan volume being processed through USDA. However, we do not believe that this indicates a decline in borrower demand for USDA agricultural loans.

Farmer Mac either retains the loans it purchases or securitizes them and retains or sells Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities backed by those loans. The weighted-average age of the Farm & Ranch non-delinquent eligibleDuring 2021, Farmer Mac executed a structured securitization transaction, whereby it sold and securitized agricultural mortgage loans purchased and retained (excluding the purchases of defaulted loans) during both 2018 and 2017 was less than one year. Of those loans, 59%and 66% had principal amortization periods longer than the maturity date, resulting in balloon payments at maturity, with a weighted-average remaining term to maturity$289.5 million of 18.5 years and 17.9 years, respectively.

During 2018, 2017, and 2016, Farmer Mac securitized some of the Farm & Ranch loans it had purchased and sold the resultingadditional Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities as shown below.from this transaction.


73





During 2021, Farmer Mac realized $5.2 million gain after tax from the sale of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities in its structured securitization transaction.

During 2021 and 2020, Farmer Mac realized no gains or losses from the securitization of loans that it holds in consolidated trusts. Farmer Mac consolidates these loans and presents them as "Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost" on the consolidated balance sheets. In 2018, 2017,

During 2021 and 2016, $68.7 million, $128.9 million, and $273.6 million, respectively,2020, Farmer Mac realized no gains or losses from the issuance of Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities, were sold to Zions First National Bank, which is a related party to Farmer Mac.or AgVantage Securities.

The following table sets forth information about the Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities issued during the periods indicated:


96




Table 10
 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 (in thousands)
Loans securitized and sold as Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities$255,078
 $363,475
 $511,393
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities127,851
 161,925
 106,054
AgVantage securities3,010,307
 2,383,912
 2,098,852
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities issuances$3,393,236
 $2,909,312
 $2,716,299


The following table sets forth information about outstanding volume in each of Farmer Mac's four lines of business as of the dates indicated:

Table 11



Lines of Business - Outstanding Business Volume
 As of December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 (in thousands)
Farm & Ranch:     
Loans$3,071,222
 $2,798,906
 $2,381,488
Loans held in trusts:     
Beneficial interests owned by third party investors1,517,101
 1,399,827
 1,132,966
LTSPCs(1)
2,509,787
 2,335,342
 2,209,409
Guaranteed Securities(1)
135,862
 333,511
 415,441
USDA Guarantees:     
USDA Securities2,120,553
 2,068,017
 1,954,800
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities395,067
 284,197
 139,575
Rural Utilities:     
Loans938,843
 1,076,291
 999,512
LTSPCs(2)
653,272
 806,342
 878,598
Institutional Credit     
AgVantage Securities8,082,817
 7,604,878
 6,987,686
Revolving floating rate AgVantage facility(3)
300,000
 300,000
 300,000
Total$19,724,524
 $19,007,311
 $17,399,475
74
(1)
During fourth quarter 2018, Farmer Mac repurchased the 100% participation interests in loans underlying a pool of $134.1 million in Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at par, thereby redeeming the corresponding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from their sole security holder. Farmer Mac repurchased these participation interests at the request of the sole security holder in exchange for the termination of the participation interests and the reconveyance of all beneficial interest in the loans to the sole security holder that owned the loans in which the participation interests had been issued. The resulting pool of Farm & Ranch loans was concurrently added under LTSPCs. The commitment fee Farmer Mac receives on these loans added under LTSPCs is the same as the guarantee fee Farmer Mac had been earning on the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.
(2)
As of December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, includes $17.0 million, $20.0 million, and $20.0 million, respectively, related to one-year loan purchase commitments on which Farmer Mac receives a nominal unused commitment fee.
(3)
During both 2018 and 2017, $100.0 million of this facility was drawn and later repaid. During 2016, this facility was not used. Farmer Mac receives a fixed fee based on the full dollar amount of the facility. If the counterparty draws on the facility, the amounts drawn will be in the form of AgVantage securities, and Farmer Mac will earn interest income on those securities.




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Table 21
Outstanding Business Volume
As of December 31,
On or Off
Balance Sheet
202120202019
(in thousands)
Agricultural Finance:
Farm & Ranch:
LoansOn-balance sheet$4,775,070 $3,979,854 $3,062,783 
Loans held in consolidated trusts:
Beneficial interests owned by third-party investorsOn-balance sheet948,623 1,287,045 1,600,917 
IO-FMGSOn-balance sheet12,297 — — 
USDA SecuritiesOn-balance sheet2,445,806 2,487,420 2,230,959 
AgVantage SecuritiesOn-balance sheet4,725,000 4,425,000 4,775,000 
LTSPCs and unfunded commitmentsOff-balance sheet2,587,154 2,314,965 2,393,071 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed SecuritiesOff-balance sheet578,358 378,610 496,537 
Loans serviced for othersOff-balance sheet22,331 — — 
Total Farm & Ranch$16,094,639 $14,872,894 $14,559,267 
Corporate AgFinance:
LoansOn-balance sheet$1,123,300 $909,539 $612,857 
AgVantage SecuritiesOn-balance sheet367,464 744,110 715,746 
Unfunded Loan CommitmentsOff-balance sheet47,070 10,466 — 
Total Corporate AgFinance$1,537,834 $1,664,115 $1,328,603 
Total Agricultural Finance$17,632,473 $16,537,009 $15,887,870 
Rural Infrastructure Finance:
Rural Utilities:
LoansOn-balance sheet$2,302,373 $2,187,377 $1,661,491 
AgVantage SecuritiesOn-balance sheet3,033,262 2,565,837 2,941,933 
LTSPCs and Unfunded Loan CommitmentsOff-balance sheet556,837 556,425 609,279 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed SecuritiesOff-balance sheet2,755 4,412 7,567 
Total Rural Utilities$5,895,227 $5,314,051 $5,220,270 
Renewable Energy:
LoansOn-balance sheet$86,763 $73,035 $9,802 
Unfunded Loan CommitmentsOff-balance sheet— — — 
Total Renewable Energy$86,763 $73,035 $9,802 
Total Rural Infrastructure Finance$5,981,990 $5,387,086 $5,230,072 
Total$23,614,463 $21,924,095 $21,117,942 

The following table summarizes by maturity date the scheduled principal amortization of loans held, loans underlying off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities (excluding AgVantage securities) and LTSPCs, USDA Securities, and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities as of December 31, 2018:2021:

Table 12

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Schedule of Principal Amortization as of December 31, 2018
 Loans Held Loans Underlying Off-Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs  USDA Securities and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities Total
 (in thousands)
2019$233,439
 $253,395
 $114,524
 $601,358
2020245,859
 241,383
 112,040
 599,282
2021258,436
 269,652
 112,309
 640,397
2022221,169
 210,230
 115,990
 547,389
2023231,829
 197,099
 119,612
 548,540
Thereafter4,336,434
 2,127,162
 1,941,145
 8,404,741
Total$5,527,166
 $3,298,921
 $2,515,620
 $11,341,707
Table 22
Schedule of Principal Amortization as of December 31, 2021
Loans HeldLoans Underlying Off-Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs USDA Securities and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA SecuritiesTotal
(in thousands)
2022$380,999 $248,877 $115,980 $745,856 
2023368,059 236,628 118,486 723,173 
2024380,945 210,773 117,940 709,658 
2025406,447 211,653 120,298 738,398 
2026460,738 231,084 126,211 818,033 
Thereafter7,238,941 2,382,578 2,094,717 11,716,236 
Total$9,236,129 $3,521,593 $2,693,632 $15,451,354 


Of the $19.7Farmer Mac's $23.6 billion outstanding principal balance of business volume included in Farmer Mac's four lines of business as of December 31, 2018, $8.42021, $8.1 billion were AgVantage securities included in the Institutional Credit lineAgricultural Finance and Rural Infrastructure Finance lines of business. Unlike business volume in the form of purchased loans, USDA Securities, and loans underlying LTSPCs and non-AgVantage Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, most AgVantage securities do not require periodic payments of principal based on amortization schedules and instead have fixed maturity dates when the secured general obligation is due. The following table summarizes by maturity date the outstanding principal amount of both on- and off-balance sheet AgVantage securities as of December 31, 2018:2021:


Table 1323
AgVantage Balances by Year of Maturity
 As of
 December 31, 2021
 (in thousands)
2022$2,638,903 
20231,090,564 
2024796,416 
2025361,025 
2026975,660 
Thereafter(1)
2,265,913 
Total$8,128,481 
(1)Includes various maturities ranging from 2026 to 2044.
AgVantage Balances by Year of Maturity
 As of
 December 31, 2018
 (in thousands)
2019$1,436,529
20201,327,682
20211,535,572
20221,009,278
2023902,222
Thereafter(1)(2)
2,171,534
Total$8,382,817
(1)
Includes the expiration of the $300.0 million revolving floating rate AgVantage facility.
(2)
Includes various maturities ranging from 2024 to 2044.


The weighted-average remaining maturity of the outstanding AgVantage securities shown in the table above was 4.94.7 years as of December 31, 2018.  2021.  




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As part of fulfilling its guarantee obligations for Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and commitments to purchase eligible loans underlying LTSPCs, Farmer Mac purchases defaulted loans (all of which are at least 90 days delinquent or in material non-monetary default at the time of purchase) out of the loan pools underlying those securities and LTSPCs and records the purchased loans as such on its balance sheet.  The purchase price for a defaulted loan purchased out of a pool of loans backing Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities is the then-current outstanding principal balance of the loan plus accrued and unpaid interest.  The purchase price for a defaulted loan purchased under an LTSPC is the then-current outstanding principal balance of the loan, with accrued and unpaid interest on the defaulted loan.  The purchase price of a defaulted loan is not an indicator of the expected loss on that loan; many other factors affect expected loss, if any, on any loan so purchased. The delinquent loans purchased out of securitized pools and LTSPCs during 2018 had a weighted average age of 4 years. During 2017 and 2016, the delinquent loans purchased out of securitized pools had a weighted-average age of 4 years and 9 years, respectively. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees."

The following table presents Farmer Mac's purchases of defaulted loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs for the periods indicated:

Table 14
 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 (in thousands)
Defaulted loans purchased underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities owned by third party investors$7,748
 $5,670
 $2,118
Defaulted loans purchased underlying LTSPCs1,483
 311
 398
Total loan purchases$9,231
 $5,981
 $2,516

The increase in 2018 was driven by the purchase of two defaulted loans totaling $4.4 million.
Related Party Transactions.  As provided by Farmer Mac's statutory charter, only banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions or similar entities may hold Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock, and only institutions of the FCS may hold Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock.  Farmer Mac's charter also provides that holders of Class A voting common stock elect five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors and that holders of Class B voting common stock

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elect five members of the board of directors. The ownership of Farmer Mac's two classes of voting common stock is currently concentrated in a small number of institutions. Approximately 45%53% of the Class A voting common stock is held by threefour financial institutions, with 31% held by one institution. Approximately 97% of the Class B voting common stock is held by five FCS institutions (two of which are related to each other through a parent-subsidiary relationship).   


Unlike some other GSEs, specifically other FCS institutions and the Federal Home Loan Banks, Farmer Mac is not structured as a cooperative owned exclusively by member institutions and established to provide services exclusively to its members. Farmer Mac, as a stockholder-owned, publicly-traded corporation, seeks to fulfill its mission of serving the financing needs of rural America in a way that is consistent with providing a return on the investment of its stockholders, including those who do not directly participate in the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac's policy is to generally requirerequires most financial institutions that participate in Farmer Mac's Agricultural Finance line of business to own a requisite amount of common stock, based on the size and type of institution, to participate in the Farm & Ranch line of business.institution. As a result of this requirement, coupled


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with the ability of holders of Class A and Class B voting common stock to elect two-thirds of Farmer Mac's board of directors, Farmer Mac regularly conducts business with "related parties," including institutions affiliated with members of Farmer Mac's board of directors and institutions that own large amounts of Farmer Mac's voting common stock. Farmer Mac has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and other related corporate policies that govern any conflicts of interest that may arise in these transactions, and Farmer Mac's policy is to require that any transactions with related parties be conducted in the ordinary course of business, with terms and conditions comparable to those available to any other counterparty not related to Farmer Mac.


The following table summarizes the material relationships between Farmer Mac and certain related parties. The related parties listed in the table below consist of (1) all holders of at least five percent of a class of Farmer Mac voting common stock as of December 31, 20182021 and (2) other institutions that are considered "related parties" through an affiliation with a Farmer Mac director and that have conducted business with Farmer Mac during the two years ended December 31, 2018.2021. The table below does not specify any relationships based on the ownership of Farmer Mac's non-voting common stock or any series of preferred stock.


Table 15
24
Name of Institution
Ownership of 

Farmer Mac Voting Common Stock
Affiliation with Any

Farmer Mac Directors
Primary Aspects of Institution's

Business Relationship with Farmer Mac
AgFirst Farm Credit Bank
84,024 shares of Class B voting common stock

(16.79% of outstanding Class B stock and 5.49% of total voting common stock outstanding)

 
NoneIn 2018both 2021 and 2017,2020, Farmer Mac earned approximately $1.3 million and $1.2 million respectively, in fees attributable to transactions with AgFirst, primarily commitment fees for LTSPCs.
AgriBank, FCB
201,621 shares of Class B voting common stock

(40.30% of outstanding Class B stock and 13.17% of total voting common stock outstanding)

 
Farmer Mac directorsdirector Richard H. Davidson served as director of AgriBank until March 2021 and Keriformer Farmer Mac director (through May 2021) Daniel L. Votruba currently serveShaw serves as directorsdirector of AgriBank.No Farmer Mac did not conduct any business through any of its lines of business was conducted between the partieswith AgriBank during 20182021 or 2017.2020.

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Name of InstitutionOwnership of 
Farmer Mac Voting Common Stock
Affiliation with Any
Farmer Mac Directors
Primary Aspects of Institution's
Business Relationship with Farmer Mac
Bath State BankLess than 5% ownershipFarmer Mac director Dennis L. Brack serves as a director of Bath State Bank and Bath State Bancorp, the holding company of Bath State Bank.Farmer Mac purchased $2.0$2.3 million and $5.4$9.2 million in USDA Securities from Bath State Bank in 20182021 and 2017,2020, respectively.


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Additionally, Farmer Mac purchased $5.0 million in Agricultural Finance mortgage loans from Bath State Bank in 2021. Farmer Mac did not purchase any Agricultural Finance mortgage loans from Bath State Bank in 2020.
Name of Institution
Ownership of 
Farmer Mac Voting Common Stock
Affiliation with Any
Farmer Mac Directors
Primary Aspects of Institution's
Business Relationship with Farmer Mac
CoBank, ACB

 
163,253 shares of Class B voting common stock

(32.63% of outstanding Class B stock and 10.66% of total voting common stock outstanding)
Farmer Mac director Douglas E. WilhelmEverett M. Dobrinski served as an executive officera director of CoBank until June 30, 2012.through December 2019. Although no longer a director of CoBank, Mr. Wilhelm is alsoDobrinski currently serves on CoBank's independent nominating committee that screens and interviews director candidates and recommends a party to a services agreement with CoBank, under which he serves as an employeeslate of CoBank.

candidates for consideration by CoBank's membership.
No Farmer Mac purchased $207.5 million and $416.8 million in participation interests in loans from CoBank in 2021 and 2020, respectively. This represented 60.2% and 56.0% of loan purchases under the Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business throughfor 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Farmer Mac entered into $72.0 million in unfunded commitments from CoBank in 2021. Farmer Mac did not purchase any of its lines of business was conducted between the parties during 2018 or 2017.
these from CoBank in 2020.
In 2021 and 2020, CoBank retained $3.2 million and $2.3 million of servicing fees related to the loan participations sold to Farmer Mac, respectively.
Farm Credit Bank of Texas (FCBT) 
38,503 shares of Class B voting common stock

(7.70% of outstanding Class B stock and 2.51% of total voting common stock outstanding)
Farmer Mac director Thomas W. Hill served as an executive officer of FCBT until November 2010.  Mr. Hill is also currently a party to a services agreement with FCBT, under which he serves as an employee of FCBT.NoneIn both 20182021 and 2017,2020, Farmer Mac earned approximately $1.0$1.9 million and $1.2 million, respectively, in fees attributable to transactions with FCBT, primarily commitment fees for LTSPCs.
In both 20182021 and 2017,2020, FCBT retained approximately $0.2$0.1 million in servicing fees for its work as a Farmer Mac central servicer.
First Dakota National Bank (First Dakota)Matthew 25 Management Corp.Less than 5% ownership77,412 shares of Class A voting common stock (7.51% of outstanding Class A stock and 5.06% of total voting common stock outstanding)NoneFarmer Mac director Dennis Everson is a director of First Dakota and also served as Branch Administration Director of First Dakota until December 2012.Farmer Mac purchased $39.5 million and $28.5 million in loans from First Dakota in 2018 and 2017, respectively, and entered into $3.0 million and $0.4 million of new LTPSCsdid not conduct any business with First Dakota in 2018 and 2017, respectively.
In 2018 and 2017, First Dakota retained approximately $1.4 million and $1.2 million, respectively, in servicing fees for its work as a Farmer Mac servicer.Matthew 25 Management Corp. during 2021 or 2020.
National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC)
81,500 shares of Class A voting common stock

(7.91% of outstanding Class A stock and 5.32% of total voting common stock outstanding)
None
Farmer Mac director Todd P. Ware served as a director of CFC from June 2015 through June 2021.
Transactions with CFC represented 100%36.9% and 36.7% of business volumeloan purchases under the Rural UtilitiesInfrastructure Finance line of business during 20182021 and 2017, and 100% of the AgVantage securities secured by Rural Utilities loans that have been issued to date.2020, respectively.
Transactions with CFC during 2018In 2021 and 2017 represented 19.1% and 10.3%, respectively, of Farmer Mac's total purchases for those years. Transactions with CFC represented 23.6% and 24.6%, respectively, of Farmer Mac's total outstanding business volume as of December 31, 2018 and 2017.
In both 2018 and 2017, Farmer Mac earned guarantee fees of approximately $0.1 million attributable to transactions with CFC. In 2018 and 2017,2020, Farmer Mac earned commitment fees of approximately $1.9$1.2 million and $2.2$1.3 million, respectively, attributable to transactions with CFC.


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Name of Institution
Ownership of 
Farmer Mac Voting Common Stock
Affiliation with Any
Farmer Mac Directors
Primary Aspects of Institution's
Business Relationship with Farmer Mac
In 20182021 and 2017,2020, Farmer Mac earned interest income of $76.8$50.0 million and $43.9$63.1 million, respectively, attributable to AgVantage transactions with CFC.
In 2018both 2021 and 2017,2020, CFC retained approximately $3.6$3.3 million and $3.5 million, respectively, in servicing fees for its work as a Farmer Mac central servicer.

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Name of InstitutionOwnership of 
Farmer Mac Voting Common Stock
Affiliation with Any
Farmer Mac Directors
In 2018 and 2017, CFC was the only servicerPrimary Aspects of rural utilities loans and loans underlying LTSPCs in the Rural Utilities line of business and securing AgVantage securities in the Institutional Credit line of business.Institution's
Business Relationship with Farmer Mac
The Vanguard Group, Inc.
56,37666,056 shares of Class A voting common stock

(5.47%6.41% of outstanding Class A stock and 3.68%4.31% of total voting common stock outstanding)
None
No Farmer Mac did not conduct any business through any of its lines of business was conducted between the partieswith The Vanguard Group during 2018 and 2017.
2021 or 2020.
 
Zions FirstBancorporation, National BankAssociation (Zions)
322,100 shares of Class A voting common stock

(31.25% of outstanding Class A stock and 21.04% of total voting common stock outstanding)

 
NoneIn 20182021 and 2017,2020, Farmer Mac's purchases of on-balance sheet Agricultural Finance mortgage loans from Zions under the Farm & Ranch line of business represented approximately 11.9%8.0% and 11.2%7.1%, respectively, of Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loan purchase volume for those years. Those purchases represented 8.2%5.6% and 7.5%6.2%, respectively, of total Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loan business volume (excluding AgVantage and USDA Securities) for those years. The purchases of USDA Securities from Zions under the USDA Guarantees line of business represented approximately 4.2%2.1% and 3.8%1.4%, respectively, of the USDA Guarantees line of business purchases for the yearyears ended December 31, 20182021 and 2017. Farmer Mac did not purchase AgVantage securities from Zions for the year ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.2020. Transactions with Zions represented 4.7%3.4% and 5.0%4.1%, respectively, of Farmer Mac's total outstanding business volume as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017.2020.
In 20182021 and 2017,2020, Zions retained approximately $11.6$11.0 million and $11.5$11.8 million, respectively, in servicing fees for its work as a Farmer Mac servicer.


As discussed in more detail in Note 2(p)2(o) to the consolidated financial statements, Farmer Mac’s consolidated financial statements include the accounts of VIEsvariable interest entities ("VIEs") in which Farmer Mac determines itself to be the primary beneficiary, including securitization trusts where Farmer Mac shares the power to make decisions about default mitigation with a related party. If that related party status changes, consolidation or deconsolidation of securitization trusts may occur. For more information about related party transactions, see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.




Outlook
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Outlook


Farmer Mac continues to provide a stable source of liquidity, capital, and risk management tools as thea secondary market that helps meet the financing needs of rural America. While theThe pace and trajectory of Farmer Mac's growth will depend on the capital and liquidity needs of the participantslending institutions in the agriculture and rural financingutilities business and the overall financial health of borrowers in the sectors we serve. Farmer Mac foresees opportunities for continuedprofitable growth across our lines of business driven by several key factors:


As agricultural and rural utilitiesinfrastructure lenders seek to manage equity capital and return on equity capital requirements or seek to reduce exposure due to lending limits or concentration limits, Farmer Mac can provide relief for those institutions through loan and portfolio purchases, participations, guarantees, LTSPCs, or wholesale funding.
Overall loan growth within the rural utilities industry appears to be modest in the near term due to generally flat demand for capital. Future growth opportunities for Farmer Mac related to this industry through its Rural Utilities and Institutional Credit lines of business may arise from transacting business with a new counterparty for Farmer Mac and may include new types of loan products. However, Farmer Mac's growth may be impacted by sector growth, credit quality, and the competitiveness of Farmer Mac's products.
As a result of business development efforts, targeted marketing and brand awareness initiatives, product development efforts and continued interest in the agricultural asset class from institutional investors and nontraditional agricultural real estate lenders, Farmer

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Mac's customer base and product set continue to expand and diversify, which may generate more demand for Farmer Mac's products from new sources.
Consolidation, expansion, and vertical integration occurring across many sectors of the agricultural industry and in agricultural finance, coupled with
Farmer Mac's growing relationships with larger regional and national lenders, continuesas well as consolidation within the agricultural lending industry, continue to provide opportunities that could influence Farmer Mac's loan demand and increase the average transaction size within Farmer Mac's lines of business.

Future growth opportunities in Farmer Mac's Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business may evolve by deepening business relationships with eligible counterparties, financing broadband-related capital expenditures and rural telecommunications facilities, growing opportunities for renewable energy project finance, and exploring new types of loan products. These opportunities may be limited by sector growth, credit quality, and the competitiveness of Farmer Mac's products.

Expansion and refinancing opportunities for agricultural producers resulting from continued-low interest rates have increased financing requirements for mergers and acquisitions, consolidation, and vertical integration across many sectors of the agricultural industry, which may also generate demand for Farmer Mac's loan products.

Lower market interest rates have driven a cyclical increase in agricultural loan refinancings over the last two years. Future changes to monetary policy and the overall level of interest rates could impact the pace and timing of Agricultural Finance mortgage loan purchase demand.

As we grow outstanding business volume through the products described above, we are also developing new ways to obtain funding and manage our overall credit risk. In October 2021, we completed a structured agricultural mortgage-backed securitization (AMBS) that included a $277.0 million senior tranche guaranteed by Farmer Mac and a $22.5 million unguaranteed subordinate tranche sold to investors, resulting in the sale of Farm & Ranch lineloans formerly held on Farmer Mac's balance sheet. During fourth quarter 2021, Farmer Mac recorded a gain on this transaction of $5.2 million after-tax. Farmer Mac will serve as the master servicer of the securitization and as central servicer for a portion of the underlying loan pool. This new source of funding provides us with another tool to help manage capital and credit risk and also provides an investment opportunity for leading institutional investors.

The disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic experienced during 2020 were significantly moderated during 2021. However, the recent and rapid increase in cases of COVID-19 resulting from variants of coronavirus demonstrates the volatility and uncertainty stemming from the pandemic. Future variants and outbreaks may result in increased market volatility and supply chain disruptions similar to the market dislocations experienced in 2020 and 2021. Farmer Mac's mission is to support rural America, and the disruptions caused by COVID-19 may continue to present new and expanded opportunities for Farmer Mac to help meet the financing needs of rural America while also presenting uncertainties and risks. See "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this report for more information about the uncertainties and risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic on Farmer Mac and its business.


We believe that these growth opportunities will be important in replacing income earned on our loans and other assets as they mature, pay down, or are reinvested at potentially lower spreads.

Operating Expense Outlook. Farmer Mac continues to expand its investments in human capital, technology, and business infrastructure to increase capacity and efficiency as it seeks to accommodate its growth opportunities and achieve its long-term strategic objectives. Accordingly, Farmer Mac expects the annualcontinued increases in its operating expenses to be above historical averages over the next several years. Specifically,years corresponding to business and revenue growth. We expect these efforts to continue and increase over the next 12 - 18 months as we innovate and grow our business while monitoring the growth in operating expenses commensurate with the growth in our revenue.

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During third quarter 2021, we closed on a strategic acquisition that enhanced our operations by expanding our internal loan servicing function and acquiring the loan servicing rights for a sizeable portion of our Farm & Ranch loan and USDA Securities portfolios. This acquisition will increase our interest income on our Farm & Ranch loans and USDA Securities that we service because there will not be any third-party central servicer retaining a central servicer fee on those assets. That increased interest income is expected to be partially offset by the increase in our operating expenses relating to our enhanced internal loan servicing operations. In the short term, we do not expect the effect on core earnings to be significant. In the medium to long term, the effect will depend on the size of our portfolio that we service and the long-run costs of our servicing operations.

Operations. On March 12, 2020, Farmer Mac believes that aggregateactivated its business continuity plan and has been operating expenses – compensation and employee benefits, general and administrative expenses, and regulatory fees – will increase by approximately 8% to 9% in 2019 relative to 2018, depending on the execution of various growth and strategic initiatives.

Agricultural Industry. The agricultural industry includes many diverse sectors that respond in different ways to changes in economic conditions. Those individual sectors often are affected differently, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively, by prevailing domestic and global economic factors and regional weather conditions. This results in cycles where one or more sectors may be under stress while others are not. The profitability of agricultural sectors is also affected by the demand for and supply of agricultural commodities and products on a domestic and global basis, which can vary largely as a result of global production trends, international trade policies, weather patterns, access to water supply, and harvest conditions.



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Net cash income, as reported by the USDA and oneuninterruptedly since then, with most of its benchmark measuresemployees working remotely throughout 2020 and 2021. Farmer Mac has provided guidance and support to all of economic activityits employees to ensure that they have the tools and knowledge needed to effectively work remotely, and Farmer Mac's technology platform and business continuity plan have been functioning as designed in support of all functions of the organization with no material disruption of business. As a secondary market participant in the agricultural industry, has declined significantlyand rural utilities lending space, Farmer Mac's business model is already based on a remote interface with its customers and vendors.

Agricultural Industry. Economic conditions throughout the agricultural, food, fuel, and fiber sectors were generally positive throughout 2021. According to USDA estimates, gross farm income increased by 10% in 2021 to a record high of $487.9 billion. Improved commodity prices for grains and animal proteins drove the increase in gross cash receipts, and the increase in gross income was more than enough to offset a 40% decline in direct government payments. The general price rally is largely a function of dwindling global supplies for most major crop commodities. Farm expenses also rose in 2021 for most producers, driven by rising feed, energy, and labor costs. However, growth in income outpaced growth in expense, and net cash farm income increased nearly 15% in 2021 to $134.2 billion, the highest level since reaching2013. Consumers returned to restaurants and food service establishments in 2021, with a cyclical peak41% annual increase in 2013. However, changesretail spending at food service and drinking places according to advance retail sales data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Combined with an annual 8.4% increase in retail spending at food and drinking stores (e.g., grocery), consumers have demonstrated the ability to absorb higher commodity prices in their food budgets in 2021.

The increase in farm income levels are largely localizedprofitability combined with low overall interest rates drove a rapid rise in land values and depend on producer regiona decrease in farm delinquencies and commodity production type. The USDA forecasts that aggregate net cash income levels decreased year-over-year in 2018 due to rising farm production expenses that were not offset by higher commodity quantities sold and stabilizing commodity prices. Farmland values appear to have held steady in 2018, even in the Midwest region where producers are most exposed to changes in the grain markets. Data released bybankruptcies. Land value survey data from the USDA indicates an averageshow a 7.0% increase in average farm real estate values of 2.7%from June 2020 to June 2021. Annual farm real estate value gains were highest in 2018the Northern Plains (9.4%) and the Southern Plains (9.0%), but also strong in Pacific states (8.6%) and the Corn Belt states (Illinois,(7.7%). The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago AgLetter reported an 18% gain in farmland values in the Seventh District (primarily Iowa, Indiana, Iowa,Illinois, and Wisconsin) between October 2020 and October 2021. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City show a similar rise in land values in the Tenth District (primarily Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio), but a decline of 1.4%Oklahoma). Historically, rising farm real estate values have paired with an increase in Northern Plains states (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota). In all other regions, farmland value averages are reported to be flat to increasing.real estate secured debt. While regional averages for farmland values provide a good barometer for the overall movement in U.S. farmland values, economic forces affecting land markets are highly localized, and some markets may experience greater volatility than state or national averages indicate.


Over

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In its first look at the past few decades,2022 farm economy, the U.S. agricultural industry has become increasingly connected to global trade, and agricultural export demand depends significantly on trading relationships in numerous foreign markets, as well as on foreign exchange rates. A slowdown in global economic growth orUSDA projects a tightening profitability outlook. The rapid rise of input costs and interest expense is likely to increase the cost of production in trade policies and agreements could also adversely affect the demand for certain U.S. agricultural exports, which may result in2022, putting downward pressure on commodity prices. For example, the series of reciprocal import tariffs placed on various agricultural products by China and the U.S. during 2018 has materially affected the market prices for these products, particularly soybeans produced in the U.S. Tariffs placed on imports of U.S. agricultural products into Mexico have also dampened price outlooks for other agricultural products, such as pork and dairy. In August 2018,overall net farm income. However, the USDA released initial details onprojects a potential $12 billion aid package for U.S. agricultural producers designed to help offset expected market losses resulting from recent trade disruptions. The USDA reports making initial payments to affected producers of nearly $5.9 billion, more than half of which is anticipated to assist soybean growersmodest increase in the form of cash payments in late 2018 and early 2019 through the USDA's Market Facilitation Program. The USDA announced in December 2018 that a final round of payments for the roughly $6 billion remaining in aid is expected to be delivered throughout the spring months of 2019. If fully realized, the Market Facilitation Program payments would constitute approximately 10% of net cash farm income which equatesby 1.4% in 2022 to approximately three-quarters$136.1 billion due to cash revenue rising slightly faster than cash expenses. Fertilizer prices spiked in 2021, with December prices paid by farmers 62% higher than 2020 levels. While fertilizer prices abated somewhat in early 2022, the elevated costs may have already been incurred as prepaid input expense. Interest expense is also seen rising in 2022 due to a combination of the expectedhigher debt levels and rising short-term borrowing costs. The decline in net cash farm income forecastedis modest historically, and most of the USDA's projected financial ratios show a robust food and farm economy in 2022. Farm equity is expected to rise for 2018. At the same time,third straight year, as forecasts for land values outpace the U.S. dollar strengthened by approximately 5%expected increase in debt utilization. The farm sector's overall working capital and interest expense coverage ratios are expected to reach their highest levels in eight years during 2018,2022.

Economic conditions are likely to bring mixed effects to credit demand in 2022. Strong asset appreciation and rising interest rates could signal a credit cycle expansion as measured byfinancial decision-makers look to lock in long-term economics for their appreciating farm and agribusiness assets. Farm profitability generally increases asset values and demand for the U.S. Dollar Index,asset class, which has decreasedalso contributes to increasing credit demand. The low interest rate environment in 2021 increased farmland mortgage refinancing and loan prepayment speeds throughout the competitiveness of U.S. agricultural exports and thereby diminishedyear. A reduction in loan refinancing is possible in 2022, as fewer borrowers will economically benefit from refinancing or restructuring their global demand and driven down producer profits. We believe that our portfolio is sufficiently diverse by product and production region to be able to withstand any short-term market volatility that may arise because of changes in trade policy or sentiment. However, a prolonged trade dispute between one or more primary agricultural markets without substantial offsetting relief could put significant financial stress on the U.S. agricultural industry, whichfarm debt. This could have an adverse effectmixed effects on mortgage portfolios, potentially lowering new sales and originations but also slowing portfolio prepayments and exits. Finally, a rising yield curve coupled with widening market credit spreads could increase opportunities for corporate and institutional lending, as Farmer Mac's portfolio.programs become more attractive at higher costs of capital. Combined, these factors are generally supportive of continued net portfolio growth in 2022.


In recent years, thePositive economic conditions improved portfolio performance in 2021, and they could continue to positively impact loan delinquencies and losses into 2022. Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquencies and credit losses in Farmer Mac's portfolio have remained low compared to historical averages. However, some indications of stress have emerged, as the volume of Farmer Mac's substandard assets has generally increased since 2015. To date,levels improved in fourth quarter 2021 relative to fourth quarter 2020. One-third of the fluctuationsloan volume past due 90-days or more in 90-day delinquenciesthird quarter 2021 cured or paid off by December 31, 2021. The overall delinquency rate fell from 0.58% of the Farm & Ranch operating segment as of September 30, 2021, to 0.48% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio by December 31, 2021, a significant improvement that follows the seasonal pattern historically observed during the fourth quarter of each year. Year-over-year, the delinquency rate fell by 6 basis points from 0.54% in fourth quarter 2020.

However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the potential for continued economic and weather-related stress increase the level of uncertainty inherent in substandard assets have not yet translated into risingthe agricultural credit losses. Farmer Mac believes that any losses associated withsector and could alter the trajectory of the current agricultural credit cycle will be moderated by the strengthcycle. Another virus resurgence, economic disruption, continued or worsening supply chain disruptions, or long-term damage to secured collateral from drought or wildfires could result in elevated loan delinquencies and diversitya higher percentage of its portfolio, which Farmer Mac believes is adequately collateralized.loans rated substandard. Farmer Mac believes that its portfolio remains sufficientlycontinues to be highly diversified, both geographically and by commodity and that its portfolio has been underwritten to high credit quality standards. Therefore, Farmer Mac therefore believes that its portfolio is well-positioned to endure reasonably foreseeable volatility in


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farmland valuesfrom cyclical and commodity prices. Farmer Mac also continues to closely monitor sector profitability, economic and weather conditions, and agricultural land value and geographic trends to tailor underwriting practices to changing conditions.external factors. For more information about the loan balances, loan-to-value ratios, 90-day delinquencies, and substandard asset rate for the Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio as of December 31, 2018,2021, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Risk—Loans and Guarantees."


Farmer Mac continues to monitor

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Exogenous factors facing farm and food producers can create uncertainty and market instability within the establishment and evolution of legislation and regulations, as well as the status of various international trade agreements and partnerships,sector. External market conditions that could affect farmers, ranchers, rural lenders,adversely impact the farm and rural Americafood sectors in general.2022 include supply chain disruptions, foreign trade and trade policy, and environmental conditions. The Agricultural Improvement Actlogistics of 2018, also referredgrowing, harvesting, processing, packaging, shipping, storing, and retailing food are complex and intertwined. Labor shortages and transportation disruptions created supply chain stoppages in 2020 and 2021, and they could again challenge producers in 2022. The U.S. agricultural sector has become increasingly dependent on foreign markets as a source of demand, making trade policy increasingly important to as the Farm Bill, was signed into law in December 2018. Many provisionsfarms and food. The USDA reports U.S. agricultural exports in the new Farm Bill arefiscal year 2021 at $173.5 billion, 35% of the total estimated gross farm income in 2021. The USDA's initial forecast for 2022 is a continuationmodest increase in export value, but this outcome could be influenced by foreign relations or foreign economic conditions should they worsen in markets important to exports or imported inputs. For example, U.S. sanctions against Belarus in 2021 create upward pressure on fertilizer prices, and tensions between Ukraine and Russia create uncertainty and volatility in global grain prices.

Severe weather conditions and long-term environmental change continue to shape agricultural sectors. The U.S. experienced 20 separate billion-dollar weather disasters in 2021, the second-highest level in the 40 years tracked by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration behind 2020. Many of existing federal agricultural policies in effect under the previous Farm Bill,those events affected agriculture, including those affectinga midwestern derecho, western wildfires, and western drought. Federal crop insurance commodity support programs,provides a strong mitigator against this risk, but farmers and other aspectsranchers face increasingly-severe weather incidents. Long and persistent drought conditions impacted western agriculture during much of 2021. Although drought conditions improved in fourth quarter 2021 and early weeks of 2022, 12% of the continental U.S. remained in exceptional or extreme drought as of February 1, 2022, according to data from the National Drought Mitigation Center. Extended periods of drought and dryness can reduce agricultural production. Weproductivity, cause lasting damage to permanent crops like fruit and tree nuts, and result in producers leaving some fields fallow due to lack of water. States also regulate water use, and state laws like California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will continue to monitorshape state-led efforts to manage water infrastructure and use. Agricultural production in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Utah is likely to experience the effects of any altered federal agricultural policies asgreatest impact from the USDA adopts final regulations implementing the new Farm Bill.

The Farm Bill also contains a provision2021 drought and future water management efforts. For loans in areas that amendscommonly experience exceptional drought (primarily in California), Farmer Mac's charter to expand the acreage exception to the loan amount limitation on Farm & Ranch loans from 1,000 acres to 2,000 acres, subject to FCA'sunderwriting process includes an assessment of the feasibility of the change. FCA's assessment must be submitted to Congress no later than June 18, 2019, and the amendment will become effective one year after this assessment is submitted if FCA indicates that the change is feasible. We will continue to evaluate the effect that the potential increase in acreage limitation may have on our business in the future.

Under the Farm Bill, the authorized limitanticipated long-term water availability for the amount of new guarantees issued byrelated property and how that impacts the USDA under the Consolidated Farmcollateral value and Rural Development Act, which are eligible for Farmer Mac's USDA Guarantees line of business, was increased from $3.026 billion to $7.0 billion for each government fiscal year through September 2023. Also, the limit for the size of individual loans to which these guarantees are applied was increased from $1.399 million to $1.75 million, which thereby increases the authorized amount of the USDA-guaranteed portion for an individual loan. These higher loan limits could result in increased new business volume in our USDA Guarantees line of business. However, the effects of the new limits may be offset by a continued slowdown in the issuance of new guarantees by the USDA, which could be further exacerbated by the U.S. federal government shutdown that lasted for several weeks in early 2019 or any future shutdowns.

Other legislation and regulations focused on groundwater management practices, including in California, may result in tighter restrictions on groundwater usage that could negatively affect agricultural producers in the future. As the Trump administration and the U.S. Congress continue their review of existing regulations and promote new legislative or regulatory proposals and policies, Farmer Mac will monitor the effects that any changes in legislation or regulation could have on Farmer Mac or its customers.

Farmer Mac's marketing and brand awareness initiatives directed towards the Farm & Ranch line of business focus on lenders that have demonstrated a commitment to agricultural lending based on their lending history. Farmer Mac conducts its outreach efforts to these lenders through direct personal contact, which is facilitated through Farmer Mac's frequent participation in state and national banking conferences, its alliances with the American Bankers Association and the Independent Community Bankers of America, and its business relationships with members of the FCS. Farmer Mac's initiatives to increase the awareness of Farmer Mac and its products within the agricultural lender community and the larger agricultural industry have included hosting events on relevant agricultural lending topics, participating on speaker


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panels at agriculture-related regional and national conferences, and distributing original content about conditions in the agricultural economy. Demand for Farmer Mac's secondary market tools also depends on the fluctuating needs of rural lenders as they seek to maintain liquidity and adequate capital levels.

Farmer Mac also directs marketing efforts towards the agricultural industry by trying to identify and develop relationships with potential issuers of AgVantage securities, including insurance company agricultural lenders, agricultural finance companies, and bank and non-bank agricultural lenders such as agricultural mortgage funds, who can pledge loans as collateral to obtain financing as part of Farmer Mac's Institutional Credit line of business. As part of these efforts, Farmer Mac has increased its focus on wholesale financing for institutional investors in agricultural assets that qualify as eligible collateral under Farmer Mac's charter. Farmer Mac has tailored a version of its AgVantage product to this type of issuer, which is referred to as the Farm Equity AgVantage product. Farmer Mac also offers other AgVantage products tailored to fund investors in agricultural mortgages. Farmer Mac directs its outreach efforts to these potential issuers through its business relationships within the agricultural community and through executive outreach to institutions whose profile presents opportunity to benefit from wholesale financing. As institutional investment in agricultural assets continues to grow, Farmer Mac believes that it is in a uniqueborrower's cash flow position to help increase access to capital for these types of counterparties and thereby provide a new source of capital to benefit rural America. Farmer Mac believes there is opportunity to expand this type of business as both the trend toward institutional investment in agricultural assets and awareness of Farmer Mac's AgVantage product offerings continue to grow.mitigate that risk. For more information about the AgVantage products,Farmer Mac's environmental risk mitigation requirements, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Institutional"Risk—Loans and Guarantees—Environmental Considerations."

Rural Infrastructure Industry. Economic conditions affecting the rural infrastructure industry tend to follow those in this report.the general economy. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, sales and the revenue from the sale of electricity to customers increased by 2.5% and 8.2%, respectively, in 2021 through November compared to 2020. This increase was driven by higher sales to residential markets, a rebound in sales to the industrial sector, and an increase in the retail price of electricity. Overall economic conditions continued to improve throughout 2021, with improved employment, credit, and retail sales activity, but COVID-19 variants and higher inflation continue to impact economic activity. Through December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac had not observed material degradation in the financial performance of its rural infrastructure portfolio.


Rural Utilities Industry. Prospects for loan growth within the rural utilitiesinfrastructure industry overall appear to be modestmoderate in the near term, due to generally flat demand for capital, as ongoing normal-course capital expenditures for large generation assets have decreasedrelated to maintaining and increased revenues for electrical cooperatives have driven a de-leveraging trend. Futureupgrading utility

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infrastructure continue at typical levels. Farmer Mac's future growth opportunities withinfor financing the rural utilitieselectric cooperative industry may be impactedaffected by the demand for electric power in rural areas, capital expenditures by electric cooperatives driven by regulatory or technological changes, the continuation of a low interest rate environment compared to historical rates, and competitive dynamics within the rural utilities cooperative finance industry. In December 2020, the coming years,Federal Communications Commission's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction awarded $9.2 billion in broadband-related operating cost subsidies to winning bidders. As RDOF auction winners submit plans to the retirement of coal generation assets combinedFCC and begin development, Farmer Mac could see increased lending activity for rural utilities providers. In addition to RDOF broadband, Farmer Mac could see an increase in financing opportunities to other telecommunications providers to rural areas with wireless broadband increasingly important to economic opportunity and precision agriculture.

The growth in renewable energy generation and deployment of energy storage technologies may help deepen Farmer Mac's relationships with existing customers through new business opportunities. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, renewable electricity capacity will grow by 48% in the next five years, compared to total electric capacity growth of only 10%. This growth may also broaden Farmer Mac's customer base with cooperative lenders focused on lending to renewable energy customers. In response to this growth, Farmer Mac has deployed new financing products tailored to the renewable energy sector, which represents a new market opportunity for Farmer Mac. Under this new initiative, Farmer Mac's total outstanding loan purchase balance of renewable energy financing transactions was $86.8 million as wellof December 31, 2021.

Weather is an ongoing source of uncertainty for the utilities sector. Drought, fires, and extreme storms can drive demand, outages, and damage to power and telecommunications facilities. The recent drought and wildfires in California have not materially impacted Farmer Mac's portfolio as transacting businessof December 31, 2021, nor has damage from Hurricane Ida. Farmer Mac continues to monitor the ongoing effects of the arctic freeze weather event that occurred during mid-February 2021 in the mid-south region, particularly in Texas, on our rural infrastructure portfolio. As of December 31, 2021, our rural infrastructure portfolio exposure in Texas was approximately $428.0 million and split between distribution and generation and transmission cooperatives. Many of these cooperatives were affected in some way by the arctic freeze, including obstacles in receiving fuel for power plants or the inability to obtain contracted electricity, which resulted in rolling blackouts across the state. In June 2021, the governor of Texas signed Texas Senate Bill 1580 into law allowing electric cooperatives impacted by the severe weather event to use securitization financing to recover the extraordinary costs and expenses incurred during the event. In January 2022, the first Texas electric cooperative announced plans to use securitization financing to recover these extraordinary costs. We believe that the current risk ratings applied to our rural infrastructure portfolio reflect any remaining financial stress resulting from the 2021 Texas freeze and elevated energy costs.

Legislative and Regulatory Outlook. Farmer Mac continues to monitor potential legislative and regulatory changes that could affect Farmer Mac or its stakeholders, including:

Section 1005 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 authorized the USDA to provide debt relief to socially disadvantaged producers who had outstanding principal balances on Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans as of January 1, 2021. In July 2021, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that ordered USDA to halt all payments under that debt relief program pending resolution of the constitutional objections raised against the program in ongoing litigation. Congress has proposed replacing Section 1005 of the American Rescue Plan with a new counterparty,program that provides debt relief to "economically distressed" and "at-risk" farmers. If enacted, this

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provision could lead to a short-term acceleration in the prepayment of the FSA guaranteed loans in Farmer Mac's USDA Securities portfolio.

Farmer Mac continues to monitor legislative developments that could lead to changes in the tax code that could affect Farmer Mac’s business. For example, an increase in the U.S. corporate tax rate (currently at 21%) has been proposed in recent years as a possible offset to increased spending on social programs. A proposed 1% excise tax on the fair market value of a corporation's stock repurchased in a taxable year has been considered as well. Farmer Mac has an existing stock buyback program that authorizes up to $9.8 million in repurchases of common stock that expires in March 2023.

The current farm bill is set to expire in 2023. The farm bill is an omnibus piece of legislation that may provideimpact several programs impacting farm profitability, the vitality of rural communities, and Farmer Mac’s charter. The House and Senate Agriculture Committees are expected to begin consideration of a new business opportunitiesfarm bill during 2022. Farmer Mac will continue to monitor this legislation for any impact it may have to Farmer Mac.Mac and farm profitability.


Agricultural exports from the United States were valued at more than $177 billion in the fiscal year 2021. The ability to produce food and fiber and transport it efficiently across the globe is critical for the U.S. food and agricultural sectors' competitiveness internationally. In 2021, Congress passed a $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill that provides for key investments to improve roads, bridges, freight rail, electric, broadband, ports, and waterways that are expected to support farmers and ranchers' profitability, competitiveness, and access to global markets.

The prudential regulator of Farmer Mac is expected to undergo significant changes to its board this calendar year. The three-member board of the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) currently has one vacant seat, a member whose term expired in 2018, and a third member whose term expires in May 2022. The two current board members continue to serve until their replacement has been confirmed the U.S. Senate. The Biden Administration is expected to nominate individuals to fill these seats in the future. Changes to the composition of the FCA board may affect Farmer Mac's regulatory environment.





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Balance Sheet Review


Assets.  Farmer Mac's total assetsThe following table summarizes the balance sheet as of December 31, 2018 were $18.7 billion, compared to $17.8 billion as of December 31, 2017.the periods indicated:

Table 25
As ofChange
December 31, 2021December 31, 2020$%
(in thousands)
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents$908,785 $1,033,941 $(125,156)(12)%
Investment securities, net of allowance3,882,590 3,898,724 (16,134)— %
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, net of allowance8,361,798 8,123,493 238,305 %
USDA Securities2,440,732 2,480,321 (39,589)(2)%
Loans, net of allowance8,300,619 7,248,990 1,051,629 15 %
Loans held in trusts, net of allowance948,059 1,286,156 (338,097)(26)%
Other302,908 283,876 19,032 %
Total assets$25,145,491 25,145,491 $24,355,501 $789,990 %
Liabilities
Notes Payable22,716,156 21,848,917 867,239 %
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties981,379 1,323,786 (342,407)(26)%
Other243,543 190,321 53,222 28 %
Total liabilities$23,941,078 $23,363,024 $578,054 %
Total equity1,204,413 992,477 211,936 21 %
Total liabilities and equity$25,145,491 $24,355,501 $789,990 %

Assets. The increase in total assets was primarily attributable to an increase in total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and total loans, net of allowance.new loan volume.


As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had $0.4 billion of cash and cash equivalents and $2.3 billion of investment securities, compared to $0.3 billion of cash and cash equivalents and $2.3 billion of investment securities as of December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had $8.1 billion of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, $5.5 billion of loans, net of allowance, and $2.2 billion of USDA Securities. This compares to $7.6 billion of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, $5.3 billion of loans, net of allowance, and $2.1 billion of USDA Securities as of December 31, 2017.

Liabilities.  Farmer Mac's total liabilities were $17.9 billion as of December 31, 2018, compared to $17.1 billion as of December 31, 2017. The increase in total liabilities was primarily attributabledue to an increase in total notes payable.payable, to fund the acquisition of loan volume.



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Equity.  As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had total equity of $752.6 million, compared to $708.1 million as of December 31, 2017. The increase in total equity was a resultprimarily due to the issuance of the Series G Preferred Stock, an increase in retained earnings.earnings, and an increase in accumulated other comprehensive income.


Risk Management


Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees.  Farmer Mac is exposed to credit risk resulting from the inability of borrowers to repay their loans along with a deficiency in the value of the collateral relative to the outstanding balance of the loan and the costs of liquidation.  Farmer Mac is exposed to credit risk on:
Agricultural Finance - Direct Credit Exposure
loans held;
loans underlying Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities; and
loans underlying LTSPCs.

Farmer Mac generally assumes 100% of the credit risk on loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs in the Farm & Ranch and Rural Utilities lines of business and loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure to the loans in non-AgVantage transactions but only indirect credit exposure to loans that secure AgVantage transactions because AgVantage securities represent a general obligation of an issuer that is, in turn, secured by eligible loans. Non-AgVantage transactions like loan purchases, LTSPCs, and "pass-through" guaranteed securities that represent beneficial interests in the underlying loans do not include a general obligation of a counterparty as a separate source of repayment. For the reasons described in more detail below, Farmer Mac excludes its assets in the USDA Guarantees line of business, the loans in the Rural Utilities line of business, and AgVantage securities in the Institutional Credit line of business from the loan-level credit risk metrics it discloses.


Farmer Mac's direct credit exposure to Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loans held and loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs as of December 31, 20182021 was $7.2$9.8 billion across 48 states. Farmer Mac has establishedapplies credit underwriting standards and methodologies to help assess exposures to loan purchases, which may include collateral valuation, financial metrics, and documentation standards forother appropriate borrower financial and credit information. For Corporate AgFinance loans, which are often larger loan exposures to agriculture production and agribusinesses that support agriculture production, food and fiber processing, and other supply chain production, and which may have risk profiles that differ from smaller agricultural real estate mortgage loans, Farmer Mac has implemented methodologies and believesparameters that these standards mitigate thehelp assess credit risk of loss from borrower defaults and provide guidance about the management, administration, and conduct of underwriting and appraisals to all participating and potential lenders.  These standards were developed based on industry practices for agricultural real estate mortgage loansthe appropriate sector, borrower construct, and are designed to assess the creditworthiness of the borrower, as well as the value of the collateral securing the loan.  Farmer Mac evaluates and adjusts these standards on an ongoing basis based on current and anticipated market conditions.transaction complexity. For more information about Farmer Mac's underwriting and collateral valuation standards for Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loans, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Farm & Ranch—Agricultural

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Finance—Underwriting and Collateral Valuation (Appraisal) Standards.Standards—Farm & Ranch" and "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Agricultural Finance—Underwriting and Collateral Standards—Corporate AgFinance."


Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquency measure includes loans 90 days or more past due, as well as loans in foreclosure and non-performing loans where the borrower is in bankruptcy. For Agricultural Finance mortgage loans to which Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure, Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquencies as of December 31, 2021, were $47.3 million (0.48% of the Agricultural Finance mortgage loan portfolio to Rural Utilitieswhich Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure), compared to $46.2 million (0.54% of the Agricultural Finance mortgage loan portfolio) as of December 31, 2020. Those 90-day delinquencies were comprised of 32 and 38 delinquent loans as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The increase in 90-day delinquencies was primarily driven by increased delinquencies in crops, permanent plantings, and livestock, partially offset by the payoff of a single delinquent loan in storage and processing. The top ten borrower exposures over 90 days delinquent represented over half of the 90-day delinquencies as of December 31, 2021. Farmer Mac believes that it remains adequately collateralized on its delinquent loans.

Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquency rate as of December 31, 2021 was below Farmer Mac's historical average. In the near-term, our delinquency rate may exceed our historical average due to the impact of adverse weather events and/or supply chain disruptions on the agricultural economy. Farmer Mac's average 90-day delinquency rate as a percentage of its Agricultural Finance mortgage loan portfolio over the last 15 years is approximately 1%. The highest 90-day delinquency rate observed during that period occurred in 2009 at approximately 2%, which coincided with increased delinquencies in loans within Farmer Mac's ethanol loan portfolio.

The following table presents historical information about Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquencies in the Agricultural Finance mortgage loan portfolio compared to the unpaid principal balance of all Agricultural Finance mortgage loans to which Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure:

Table 26
Agricultural Finance Mortgage Loans90-Day
Delinquencies
Percentage
 (dollars in thousands)
As of:   
December 31, 2021$9,811,749 $47,307 0.48 %
September 30, 20219,445,359 54,792 0.58 %
June 30, 20219,056,152 63,076 0.70 %
March 31, 20218,629,352 72,346 0.84 %
December 31, 20208,581,181 46,232 0.54 %
September 30, 20208,249,349 88,041 1.07 %
June 30, 20208,017,850 68,682 0.86 %
March 31, 20207,811,594 79,722 1.02 %
December 31, 20197,776,950 60,954 0.78 %

Across all of Farmer Mac's lines of business, 90-day delinquencies represented 0.20% of total outstanding business volume as of December 31, 2021, compared to 0.21% as of December 31, 2020 and 0.29% as of December 31, 2019.


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The following table presents outstanding Agricultural Finance mortgage loans and 90-day delinquencies as of December 31, 2021 by year of origination, geographic region, commodity/collateral type, original loan-to-value ratio, and range in the size of borrower exposure:


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Table 27
Agricultural Finance Mortgage Loans 90-Day Delinquencies as of December 31, 2021
 Distribution of Agricultural LoansAgricultural Loans
90-Day Delinquencies(1)
Percentage
 (dollars in thousands)
By year of origination:    
2011 and prior%$532,267 $2,906 0.55 %
2012%236,822 231 0.10 %
2013%331,265 1,107 0.33 %
2014%274,519 3,641 1.33 %
2015%427,958 10,110 2.36 %
2016%666,632 11,075 1.66 %
2017%685,753 5,074 0.74 %
2018%672,594 2,987 0.44 %
201910 %954,909 8,713 0.91 %
202023 %2,288,796 1,463 0.06 %
202128 %2,740,234 — 0.06 %
Total100 %$9,811,749 $47,307 0.48 %
By geographic region(2):
    
Northwest13 %$1,271,158 $7,169 0.56 %
Southwest32 %3,127,283 10,279 0.33 %
Mid-North27 %2,650,690 3,979 0.15 %
Mid-South15 %1,511,250 9,872 0.65 %
Northeast%408,053 7,296 1.79 %
Southeast%843,315 8,712 1.03 %
Total100 %$9,811,749 $47,307 0.48 %
By commodity/collateral type:   
Crops50 %$4,916,170 $32,427 0.66 %
Permanent plantings22 %2,180,623 3,567 0.16 %
Livestock19 %1,838,097 10,797 0.59 %
Part-time farm%485,342 516 0.11 %
Ag. Storage and Processing%377,220 — — %
Other— 14,297 — — %
Total100 %$9,811,749 $47,307 0.48 %
By original loan-to-value ratio:
0.00% to 40.00%17 %$1,694,247 $2,775 0.16 %
40.01% to 50.00%24 %2,342,658 16,428 0.70 %
50.01% to 60.00%35 %3,412,859 23,706 0.69 %
60.01% to 70.00%21 %2,058,146 4,398 0.21 %
70.01% to 80.00%(3)
%265,592 — — %
80.01% to 90.00%(3)
— %38,247 — — %
Total100 %$9,811,749 $47,307 0.48 %
By size of borrower exposure(4):
Less than $1,000,00034 %$3,326,506 $6,632 0.20 %
$1,000,000 to $4,999,99940 %3,897,862 26,068 0.67 %
$5,000,000 to $9,999,99915 %1,501,123 14,607 0.97 %
$10,000,000 to $24,999,99910 %999,255 — — %
$25,000,000 and greater%87,003 — — %
Total100 %$9,811,749 $47,307 0.48 %
(1)Includes loans held and loans underlying off-balance sheet Agricultural Finance Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs that are 90 days or more past due, in foreclosure, or in bankruptcy with at least one missed payment, excluding loans performing under either their original loan terms or a court-approved bankruptcy plan.
(2)Geographic regions:  Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY); Southwest (AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, UT); Mid-North (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, NE, ND, SD, WI); Mid-South (AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX); Northeast (CT, DE, KY, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV); Southeast (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN).
(3)Primarily part-time farm loans. Loans with an original loan-to-value ratio of greater than 80% are required to have private mortgage insurance.
(4)Includes aggregated loans to single borrowers or borrower-related entities.

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Another indicator that Farmer Mac considers in analyzing the credit quality of its Agricultural Finance mortgage loans is the level of internally-rated "substandard" assets, both in dollars and as a percentage of the outstanding portfolio. Assets categorized as "substandard" have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses, and there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not corrected. As of December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac's Agricultural Finance mortgage loans (to which it has direct credit exposure) comprising substandard assets were $246.7 million (2.5% of the portfolio), compared to $291.5 million (3.4% of the portfolio) as of December 31, 2018 was $1.6 billion across 39 states, of which $1.2 billion were2020. Those substandard assets comprised 274 loans to electric distribution cooperatives and $0.4 billion were loans to G&T cooperatives. Farmer Mac has developed different underwriting standards for rural utilities loans that depend on whether direct or indirect credit exposure is assumed on a loan and whether the borrower is an electric distribution cooperative or a G&T cooperative. See "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities—Underwriting." Asas of December 31, 2018, there were no delinquencies in Farmer Mac's portfolio of Rural Utilities2021 and 343 loans and Farmer Mac has not experienced any credit losses on Rural Utilities loans since Congress authorized


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Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business in 2008. Based on this performance, Farmer Mac excludes the loans in the Rural Utilities line of business from the credit risk metrics it discloses.

Farmer Mac has indirect credit exposure to the Farm & Ranch loans and Rural Utilities loans that secure AgVantage securities included in the Institutional Credit line of business. Farmer Mac's AgVantage securities are general obligations of institutions approved by Farmer Mac and are secured by current loans in an amount at least equal to the outstanding principal amount of the related security. Farmer Mac excludes the loans that secure AgVantage securities from the credit risk metrics it discloses because Farmer Mac has only indirect credit risk on those loans and because of the other characteristics of AgVantage securities that mitigate credit risk. Those characteristics include a general obligation of an issuing institution approved by Farmer Mac, the required collateralization level for the securities, the requirement for delinquent loans to be removed from the pool of pledged loans and replaced with current eligible loans, and in some cases, the requirement for the counterparty to comply with specified financial covenants for the life of the related AgVantage security. Asas of December 31, 2018,2020.

The decrease of $44.8 million in substandard assets during 2021 was primarily driven by credit upgrades in our off-balance sheet portfolio, partially offset by credit downgrades in our on-balance sheet portfolio. Substandard assets decreased as a percentage of the total on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet portfolios due to a combination of credit upgrades in the off-balance sheet portfolio and growth in both portfolios.

The percentage of substandard assets within the portfolio as of December 31, 2021 was below the historical average. Farmer Mac had not experienced anyMac's average substandard assets as a percentage of its Agricultural Finance mortgage loans over the last 15 years is approximately 4%. The highest substandard asset rate observed during the last 15 years occurred in 2010 at approximately 8%, which coincided with an increase in substandard loans within Farmer Mac's ethanol portfolio. If Farmer Mac's substandard asset rate increases from current levels, it is likely that Farmer Mac's provision to the allowance for loan losses and the reserve for losses will also increase.

Although some credit losses on any AgVantage securities and does not expectare inherent to incur any such losses in the future. See "Management's Discussion and Analysisbusiness of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Institutional" for more information about Farmer Mac's credit risk on AgVantage securities.

The credit exposure of Farmer Mac and Farmer Mac II LLC on USDA Securities, including those underlying Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities, is covered by the full faith and credit of the United States.  Therefore,agricultural lending, Farmer Mac believes that losses associated with the current agricultural credit cycle will be moderated by the strength and diversity of its portfolio, which Farmer Mac and Farmer Mac II LLC have little or no credit risk exposure in the USDA Guarantees line of business because of the USDA guarantee.  As of December 31, 2018, neither Farmer Mac nor Farmer Mac II LLC had experienced any credit losses on any business under the USDA Guarantees line of business, and neither expects to incur any such losses in the future.believes is adequately collateralized.


Loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business are all secured by first liens on agricultural real estate. Accordingly, Farmer Mac's exposure on a loan is limited to the difference between (1) the total of the accrued interest, advances, and the principal balance of a loan and (2) the value of the property less the cost to sell. Measurement of that excess or shortfall is the best predictor and determinant of loss, compared to other measures that evaluate the efficiency of a particular farm operator.  For example, debt service ratios depend on farm operator efficiency and leverage, which can vary widely within a geographic region or commodity type or based on an operator's business and farming skills. Thus, Farmer Mac considers a loan's original loan-to-value ratio as one of many factors in evaluating loss severity. This ratio is calculated by dividing the loan principal balance at the time of guarantee, purchase, or commitment by the lower of the appraised value or the purchase price at the date of loan origination or, when available, updated appraised value at the time of guarantee, purchase, or commitment.  Other factors Farmer Mac considers include, but are not limited to, other underwriting standards, commodity and farming forecasts, and regional economic and agricultural conditions.

Loan-to-value ratios depend on the market value of a property, as determined in accordance with Farmer Mac's collateral valuation standards. As of December 31, 20182021 and December 31, 2017,2020, the average unpaid loanprincipal balances for Agricultural Finance mortgage loans outstanding in the Farm & Ranch line of businessand to which Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure was $640,000$790,000 and $642,000,$742,000, respectively. Farmer Mac calculates the original loan-to-value"original loan-to-value" ratio of a loan by dividing the original loan principal balance by the original appraised property value. This calculation does not reflect any amortization of the original loan balance or any adjustment to the original appraised value to provide a current market value. The original loan-to-value ratio of any cross-collateralized loans is calculated on a consolidatedcombined basis rather than on a loan-by-loan basis. The weighted-average original loan-to-value


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ratio for Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loans purchased during 20182021 was 54%49%, compared to 50%54% for loans purchased during 2017.2020. The weighted-average original loan-to-value ratio for all Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loans held and all loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs was approximately 51%52% as of both December 31, 20182021 and December 31, 2017.2020. The weighted-average original loan-to-value ratio for all 90-day delinquencies was 52%51% and 50% as of both December 31, 2018 and2017.2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.


The weighted-average current loan-to-value ratio (the loan-to-valueloan to-value ratio based on original appraised value and current outstanding loan amount adjusted to reflect loan amortization since purchase)amortization) for Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loans held and loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs was approximately 45%47% and 46% as of both December 31, 20182021 and 2017.December 31, 2020, respectively.



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The following table presents the current loan-to-value ratios for the Agricultural Finance mortgage loans to which Farmer Mac maintains an allowancehas direct credit exposure, as disaggregated by internally assigned risk ratings:

Table 28
Agricultural Finance Mortgage Loans current loan-to-value ratio by internally assigned risk rating as of December 31, 2021
AcceptableSpecial MentionSubstandardTotal
(in thousands)
Current loan-to-value ratio(1):
0.00% to 40.00%$2,761,962 $52,503 $89,018 $2,903,483 
40.01% to 50.00%2,378,511 97,733 58,177 2,534,421 
50.01% to 60.00%2,484,515 90,934 57,317 2,632,766 
60.01% to 70.00%1,427,135 54,072 22,594 1,503,801 
70.01% to 80.00%188,280 22,260 17,123 227,663 
80.01% and greater6,359 805 2,451 9,615 
Total$9,246,762 $318,307 $246,680 $9,811,749 
(1)The current loan-to-value ratio is based on original appraised value (or most recently obtained appraisal, if available) and current outstanding loan amount adjusted to reflect loan amortization.


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The following table presents Farmer Mac's cumulative net credit losses relative to the cumulative original balance for loanall Agricultural Finance mortgage loans as of December 31, 2021 by year of origination, geographic region, and commodity/collateral type. The purpose of this information is to present information about realized losses relative to cover estimated probable losses on loans held and a reserve for losses to cover estimated probable losses on loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheetoriginal Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.purchases, guarantees, and commitments.

Table 29
Agricultural Finance Mortgage Loans Credit Losses Relative to Cumulative
Original Loans, Guarantees, and LTSPCs as of December 31, 2021
Cumulative Original Loans, Guarantees and LTSPCs Cumulative Net Credit Losses/(Recoveries) Cumulative Loss Rate
 (dollars in thousands)
By year of origination:   
2011 and prior$16,099,619 $33,785 0.21 %
20121,161,476 — — %
20131,470,293 — — %
20141,059,486 — — %
20151,227,120 (516)(0.04)%
20161,542,996 — — %
20171,641,538 4,311 0.26 %
20181,326,813 — — %
20191,533,503 — — %
20202,832,102 — — %
20213,048,399 — — %
Total$32,943,345 $37,580 0.11 %
By geographic region(1):
   
Northwest$4,323,709 $11,191 0.26 %
Southwest11,248,086 8,542 0.08 %
Mid-North8,263,325 17,165 0.21 %
Mid-South4,450,935 (613)(0.01)%
Northeast1,753,860 323 0.02 %
Southeast2,903,430 972 0.03 %
Total$32,943,345 $37,580 0.11 %
By commodity/collateral type:   
Crops$15,250,131 $2,887 0.02 %
Permanent plantings7,171,387 9,783 0.14 %
Livestock7,322,393 3,836 0.05 %
Part-time farm1,829,054 1,090 0.06 %
Ag. Storage and Processing1,206,989 19,984 1.66 %
Other163,391 — — %
Total$32,943,345 $37,580 0.11 %
(1)Geographic regions:  Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY); Southwest (AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, UT); Mid-North (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, NE, ND, SD, WI); Mid-South (AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX); Northeast (CT, DE, KY, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV); Southeast (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN).



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Analysis of portfolio performance indicates that commodity type is the primary determinant of Farmer Mac's exposure to loss on a given loan. The methodology thatfollowing tables present concentrations of Agricultural Finance mortgage loans by commodity type within geographic region and cumulative credit losses by origination year and commodity type:

Table 30
As of December 31, 2021
Agricultural Finance Mortgage Loans Concentrations by Commodity Type within Geographic Region
CropsPermanent
Plantings
LivestockPart-time
Farm
Ag. Storage and
Processing
OtherTotal
(dollars in thousands)
By geographic region(1):
Northwest$634,469 $190,687 $291,914 $105,312 $48,695 $81 $1,271,158 
6.5 %1.9 %3.0 %1.1 %0.5 %— %13.0 %
Southwest673,514 1,639,929 570,639 96,212 134,629 12,360 3,127,283 
6.9 %16.7 %5.8 %1.0 %1.4 %0.1 %31.9 %
Mid-North2,257,009 11,761 208,460 99,043 72,781 1,636 2,650,690 
23.0 %0.1 %2.1 %1.0 %0.7 %— %26.9 %
Mid-South835,252 72,925 495,756 64,200 43,086 31 1,511,250 
8.5 %0.7 %5.1 %0.7 %0.4 %— %15.4 %
Northeast197,876 43,229 79,836 54,097 33,015 — 408,053 
2.0 %0.4 %0.8 %0.6 %0.3 %— %4.1 %
Southeast318,050 222,092 191,492 66,478 45,014 189 843,315 
3.2 %2.3 %2.0 %0.7 %0.5 %— %8.7 %
Total$4,916,170$2,180,623$1,838,097$485,342$377,220$14,297$9,811,749
50.1 %22.1 %18.8 %5.1 %3.8 %0.1 %100.0 %
(1)Geographic regions:  Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY); Southwest (AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, UT); Mid-North (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, NE, ND, SD, WI); Mid-South (AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX); Northeast (CT, DE, KY, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV); Southeast (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN).


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Table 31
As of December 31, 2021
Agricultural Loans Cumulative Credit Losses by Origination Year and Commodity Type
CropsPermanent
Plantings
LivestockPart-time
Farm
Ag. Storage and
Processing
Total
(in thousands)
By year of origination:
2011 and prior$3,427 $9,783 $3,836 $1,066 $15,673 $33,785 
2012— — — — — — 
2013— — — — — — 
2014— — — — — — 
2015(540)— — 24 — (516)
2016— — — — — — 
2017— — — — 4,311 4,311 
2018— — — — — — 
2019— — — — — — 
2020— — — — — — 
2021— — — — — — 
Total$2,887 $9,783 $3,836 $1,090 $19,984 $37,580 

For more information about the credit quality of Farmer Mac uses to determineMac's Agricultural Finance mortgage loans and the level of itsassociated allowance for losses is described inplease refer to Note 2(i)8 and Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements. Management believes that this methodology produces a reasonable estimate of probable losses, as of the balance sheet date, for all loans held and loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs.

The following table summarizes the components of Farmer Mac's total allowance for losses as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:

Table 16

 As of December 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
 (in thousands)
Allowance for loan losses$7,017
 $6,796
Reserve for losses:   
Off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities215
 257
LTSPCs1,952
 1,813
Total allowance for losses$9,184
 $8,866


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The following table summarizes the changes in the components of Farmer Mac's total allowance for each year in the five-year period ended December 31, 2018:
Table 17

 Allowance
for Loan
Losses
 Reserve
for Losses
 Total
Allowance
for Losses
 (in thousands)
Balance as of January 1, 2014$6,866
 $6,468
 $13,334
Release of losses(961) (2,205) (3,166)
Charge-offs(86) 
 (86)
Recoveries45
 
 45
Balance as of December 31, 2014$5,864
 $4,263
 $10,127
Provision for/(release of) losses2,388
 (2,180) 208
Charge-offs(3,772) 
 (3,772)
Balance as of December 31, 2015$4,480
 $2,083
 $6,563
Provision for/(release of) losses1,065
 (63) 1,002
Charge-offs(130) 
 (130)
Balance as of December 31, 2016$5,415
 $2,020
 $7,435
Provision for losses1,708
 50
 1,758
Charge-offs(327) 
 (327)
Balance as of December 31, 2017$6,796
 $2,070
 $8,866
Provision for losses238
 97
 335
Charge-offs(17) 
 (17)
Balance as of December 31, 2018$7,017
 $2,167
 $9,184

Activity affecting the allowance for loan losses and reserve for losses is discussed in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Provision for and Release of Allowance for Loan Losses and Reserve for Losses." As of December 31, 2018,

Rural Infrastructure Finance - Direct Credit Exposure

Farmer Mac's total allowance for losses totaled $9.2 million, or 0.13% of the outstanding principal balance of Farm & Ranchdirect credit exposure to Rural Utilities loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, compared to $8.9 million, or 0.13%, as of December 31, 2017.

2021 was $2.9 billion across 45 states. For more information about Farmer Mac's underwriting and collateral valuation standards for Rural Utilities loans, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Infrastructure Finance—Underwriting and Collateral Standards." As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac individually evaluated $34.4 million of the $155.3 million of recorded investment in impaired assets for collateral shortfalls against updated appraised values, other updated collateral valuations, or discounted values. For the remaining $120.9 million of impaired assets for which updated valuations2021, there were not available, Farmer Mac evaluated them in the aggregate in consideration of their similar risk characteristics and historical statistics. Farmer Mac recorded specific allowances of $3.4 million for undercollateralized assets as of December 31, 2018. Farmer Mac's general allowances were $5.8 million as of December 31, 2018.

The charge-off recorded during 2018 related to one loan that was foreclosed and transitioned to REO during the year. The charge-offs recorded during 2017 were primarily related to two impaired crop loans (with one borrower) that were foreclosed and transitioned to REO during 2017. Farmer Mac had previously recorded a specific allowance of $0.2 million on these impaired crop loans as of December 31, 2016. In 2017, Farmer Mac sold the related properties for $5.4 million and recognized a $0.8 million gain on the sale of the REO.



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Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquency measure includes loans 90 days or more past due, as well as loans in foreclosure and non-performing loans where the borrower is in bankruptcy. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's 90-dayno delinquencies were $26.9 million (0.37% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio), compared to $48.4 million (0.71% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio) as of December 31, 2017. Those 90-day delinquencies were comprised of 47 delinquent loans as of December 31, 2018, compared to 51 delinquent loans as of December 31, 2017. The decrease in 90-day delinquencies compared to December 31, 2017 is primarily attributable to two permanent planting loans to one borrower totaling $15.3 million that became current during 2018. During 2018, Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquency rate remained flat or decreased across all major commodity groups. For the past several years, downward pressure on many agricultural commodity prices has resulted in lower income for producers of a wide range of commodities within the crop, livestock, and permanent planting sectors. However, 90-day delinquency rates in Farmer Mac's portfolio across these three commodity groups have remained relatively stable, with 90-day delinquency rates actually decreasing for crop and permanent planting loans in 2018 after rising in 2017. Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquencies have historically fluctuated from quarter to quarter, both in dollars and as a percentage of the outstanding Farm & Ranch portfolio, with higher levels generally observed at the end of the first and third quarters and lower levels generally observed at the end of the second and fourth quarters of each year as a result of the annual (January 1st) and semi-annual (January 1st and July 1st) payment terms of most Farm & RanchRural Utilities loans.

Farmer Mac believes that it remains adequately collateralized on its delinquent loans. Farmer Mac expects that over time its 90-day delinquency rate will revert closer to Farmer Mac's historical average, and possibly exceed it (which it did in third quarter 2017), due to macroeconomic factorsevaluates credit risk for these assets by reviewing a variety of borrower credit risk characteristics. These characteristics can include (but is not limited to) financial metrics, internal risk ratings, ratings assigned by ratings agencies, types of customers served, sources of power supply, and the cyclical nature of the agricultural economy. Farmer Mac's average 90-day delinquency rate as a percentage of its Farm & Ranch portfolio over the last 15 years is approximately 1%. The highest 90-day delinquency rate observed during that period occurred in 2009 at approximately 2%, which coincided with increased delinquencies in loans within Farmer Mac's then-held ethanol loan portfolio that Farmer Mac no longer holds.regulatory environment.


The following table presents historicalFarmer Mac’s portfolio of generation and transmission ("G&T") and distribution cooperative borrowers, as well as renewable energy loans, disaggregated by internally assigned risk ratings.


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Table 32
Rural Infrastructure Finance portfolio by internally assigned risk rating as of December 31, 2021
AcceptableSpecial MentionSubstandardTotal
(in thousands)
Distribution Cooperative$2,166,068 $— $— $2,166,068 
G&T Cooperative670,342 — 22,800 693,142 
Renewable Energy86,763 — — 86,763 
Rural Utilities Total$2,923,173 $— $22,800 $2,945,973 

For more information about the credit quality of Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquencies inRural Infrastructure Finance portfolio and the Farm & Ranch lineassociated allowance for losses please refer to Notes 8 and 12 of business comparedthe consolidated financial statements.

Other Considerations Regarding Credit Risk Related to the principal balance of all Farm & Ranch loans heldLoans and loansGuarantees

The credit exposure on USDA Securities, including those underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs:

Table 18
 Farm & Ranch Line of Business 90-Day
Delinquencies
 Percentage
 (dollars in thousands)
As of:     
December 31, 2018$7,233,971
 $26,881
 0.37%
September 30, 20187,072,018
 37,545
 0.53%
June 30, 20187,045,397
 43,076
 0.61%
March 31, 20186,932,002
 47,560
 0.69%
December 31, 20176,867,586
 48,444
 0.71%
September 30, 20176,557,030
 66,381
 1.01%
June 30, 20176,426,518
 41,901
 0.65%
March 31, 20176,240,467
 50,807
 0.81%
December 31, 20166,139,304
 21,038
 0.34%

When analyzing the overall risk profile of its lines of business, Farmer Mac considers more than the Farm & Ranch loan delinquency percentages provided above. The lines of business also include AgVantage securities and Rural Utilities loans held and underlying LTSPCs, neither of which have any delinquencies, andGuaranteed USDA Securities, which are backedis guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the United States.


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Across all of Therefore, Farmer Mac's linesMac believes that we have little or no credit risk exposure to the USDA Securities in the Agricultural Finance line of business 90-day delinquencies represented 0.14% of total outstanding business volume as of December 31, 2018, compared to 0.25% as of December 31, 2017. The following table presents outstanding Farm & Ranch loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and 90-day delinquencies as of December 31, 2018 by year of origination, geographic region, commodity/collateral type, original loan-to-value ratio, and range in the size of borrower exposure:

Table 19
Farm & Ranch 90-Day Delinquencies as of December 31, 2018
 Distribution of Farm & Ranch Line of Business Farm & Ranch Line of Business 
90-Day Delinquencies(1)
 Percentage
 (dollars in thousands)
By year of origination:       
2008 and prior10% $741,290
 $7,545
 1.02%
20091% 89,716
 
 %
20102% 146,446
 
 %
20113% 219,016
 5,955
 2.72%
20127% 517,573
 
 %
201310% 740,298
 2,327
 0.31%
20148% 586,369
 811
 0.14%
201510% 749,218
 486
 0.06%
201616% 1,116,555
 3,721
 0.33%
201718% 1,302,561
 6,036
 0.46%
201815% 1,024,929
 
 %
Total100% $7,233,971
 $26,881
 0.37%
By geographic region(2):
 
  
  
  
Northwest12% $855,596
 $8,383
 0.98%
Southwest31% 2,273,184
 4,530
 0.20%
Mid-North32% 2,296,073
 3,784
 0.16%
Mid-South12% 883,279
 2,475
 0.28%
Northeast5% 332,370
 7,027
 2.11%
Southeast8% 593,469
 682
 0.11%
Total100% $7,233,971
 $26,881
 0.37%
By commodity/collateral type:   
  
  
Crops52% $3,771,627
 $14,821
 0.39%
Permanent plantings21% 1,509,821
 3,194
 0.21%
Livestock19% 1,355,372
 4,059
 0.30%
Part-time farm7% 504,138
 4,807
 0.95%
Ag. Storage and Processing1% 85,181
 
 %
Other
 7,832
 
 %
Total100% $7,233,971
 $26,881
 0.37%
By original loan-to-value ratio(3):
       
0.00% to 40.00%19% $1,333,790
 $3,500
 0.26%
40.01% to 50.00%25% 1,811,166
 5,351
 0.30%
50.01% to 60.00%35% 2,530,484
 12,960
 0.51%
60.01% to 70.00%17% 1,244,823
 3,815
 0.31%
70.01% to 80.00%(4)
4% 289,427
 955
 0.33%
80.01% to 90.00%(4)
% 24,281
 300
 1.24%
Total100% $7,233,971
 $26,881
 0.37%
By size of borrower exposure(5):
       
Less than $1,000,00034% $2,431,296
 $8,889
 0.37%
$1,000,000 to $4,999,99938% 2,755,996
 12,447
 0.45%
$5,000,000 to $9,999,99913% 916,422
 5,545
 0.61%
$10,000,000 to $24,999,9998% 601,349
 
 %
$25,000,000 and greater7% 528,908
 
 %
Total100% $7,233,971
 $26,881
 0.37%


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(1)
Includes loans held and loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs that are 90 days or more past due, in foreclosure, or in bankruptcy with at least one missed payment, excluding loans performing under either their original loan terms or a court-approved bankruptcy plan.
(2)
Geographic regions:  Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY); Southwest (AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, UT); Mid-North (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, NE, ND, SD, WI); Mid-South (AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX); Northeast (CT, DE, KY, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV); Southeast (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN).
(3)
Farmer Mac calculates the original loan-to-value ratio of a loan by dividing the original loan principal balance by the original appraised property value. This calculation does not reflect any amortization of the original loan balance or any adjustment to the original appraised value to provide a current market value. The original loan-to-value ratio of any cross-collateralized loans is calculated on a consolidated basis rather than on a loan-by-loan basis.
(4)
Primarily part-time farm loans. Loans with an original loan-to-value ratio of greater than 80% are required to have private mortgage insurance.
(5)
Includes aggregated loans to single borrowers or borrower-related entities.

Another indicator that Farmer Mac considers in analyzing the credit quality of its Farm & Ranch portfolio is the level of internally-rated "substandard" assets, both in dollars and as a percentagebecause of the outstanding Farm & Ranch portfolio. Assets categorized as "substandard" have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses, and there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not corrected.USDA guarantee. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's substandard assets were $232.7 million (3.2% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio), compared to $221.3 million (3.2% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio) as of December 31, 2017. Those substandard assets were comprised of 318 loans as of December 31, 2018 and 307 loans as of December 31, 2017. Although Farmer Mac's substandard asset volume increased modestly from year-end 2017 in aggregate dollars, it remained stable as a percentage of the Farm & Ranch portfolio. As of December 31, 2018, substandard asset volume included several large exposures and represents a relatively diverse set of commodities.2021, Farmer Mac didhad not experience a significant changeexperienced any credit losses on any USDA Securities or Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities and does not expect to incur any such losses in the concentration of its substandard assets among commodities or geographic regions during 2018 as compared to 2017. Farmer Mac's average substandard assets as a percentage of its Farm & Ranchfuture. Because we do not expect credit losses on this portfolio, over the last 15 years is approximately 4%. Due to macroeconomic factors and the cyclical nature of the agricultural economy, Farmer Mac expects that over time its substandard asset rate will eventually revert closer to, and possibly exceed, Farmer Mac's historical average. The highest substandard asset rate observed during that period occurred in 2010 at approximately 8%, which coincided withdoes not provide an increase in substandard loans within Farmer Mac's then-held ethanol portfolio that Farmer Mac no longer holds. If Farmer Mac's substandard asset rate increases from current levels, it is likely that Farmer Mac's provision to the allowance for loan losses and the reserve for losses will also increase.

Although some credit losses are inherent to the business of agricultural lending, Farmer Mac believes that any losses associated with the current agricultural credit cycle will be moderated by the strength and diversity ofon its portfolio which Farmer Mac believes is adequately collateralized. See Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements for more information about credit quality indicators related to Farm & Ranch loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteedof USDA Securities.



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The following table presents Farmer Mac's cumulative net credit losses relative to the cumulative original balance for all Farm & Ranch loans purchased and loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities as of December 31, 2018 by year of origination, geographic region, and commodity/collateral type.  The purpose of this information is to present information about losses relative to original Farm & Ranch purchases, guarantees, and commitments.

Table 20
Farm & Ranch Credit Losses Relative to Cumulative
Original Loans, Guarantees, and LTSPCs as of December 31, 2018
 Cumulative Original Loans, Guarantees and LTSPCs  Cumulative Net Credit Losses/(Recoveries)  Cumulative Loss Rate
 (dollars in thousands)
By year of origination:     
2008 and prior$14,138,896
 $28,538
 0.20 %
2009542,233
 1,544
 0.28 %
2010664,111
 5
  %
2011778,333
 3,661
 0.47 %
20121,151,162
 
  %
20131,420,260
 
  %
2014982,847
 
  %
20151,107,874
 (540) (0.05)%
20161,415,489
 
  %
20171,512,886
 
  %
20181,164,700
 
  %
Total$24,878,791
 $33,208
 0.13 %
By geographic region(1):
 
  
  
Northwest$3,299,276
 $11,191
 0.34 %
Southwest8,701,647
 8,167
 0.09 %
Mid-North6,274,324
 12,830
 0.20 %
Mid-South2,950,259
 (211) (0.01)%
Northeast1,474,668
 259
 0.02 %
Southeast2,178,617
 972
 0.04 %
Total$24,878,791
 $33,208
 0.13 %
By commodity/collateral type: 
  
  
Crops$11,387,053
 $2,887
 0.03 %
Permanent plantings5,388,353
 9,368
 0.17 %
Livestock5,782,757
 3,877
 0.07 %
Part-time farm1,452,919
 1,403
 0.10 %
Ag. Storage and Processing711,821
 15,673
 2.20 %
Other155,888
 
  %
Total$24,878,791
 $33,208
 0.13 %
(1)
Geographic regions:  Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY); Southwest (AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, UT); Mid-North (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, NE, ND, SD, WI); Mid-South (AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX); Northeast (CT, DE, KY, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV); Southeast (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN).


Analysis of portfolio performance indicates that commodity type is the primary determinant of Farmer Mac's exposure to loss on a given loan. Within most commodity groups, certain geographic areas allow greater economies of scale or proximity to markets than others and therefore may result in more successful operations within the commodity group. Certain geographic areas also offer better growing conditions and market access than others, which may result in more versatile and more successful operators within a given commodity group.  Farmer Mac's board of directors has established policies on geographic and commodity concentration to maintain adequate diversification and measure concentration risk.


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In Farmer Mac's experience, the degree to which the collateral for a commodity group is single-use or highly improved is a more significant determinant of the probability of ultimate losses on a given loan than diversity of geographic location within a commodity group. Commodity groups that tend to be single-use or highly improved include permanent plantings (nut crops for example), agricultural storage and processing facilities (canola plants and grain processing facilities for example), and certain livestock facilities (dairy facilities for example). The versatility of a borrower's operation (and in the case of persisting adverse economic conditions, the borrower's ability to switch commodity groups) will more likely result in profitability for the borrower and therefore a lower risk of decreased value for the underlying collateral. Producers of agricultural commodities that require highly improved property are generally less able to adapt their operations when faced with adverse economic conditions. Also, in the event of a borrower's default, the prospective sale value of the collateral is more likely to decrease and the related loan may become undercollateralized. This analysis is consistent with corresponding commodity analyses, which indicate that Farmer Mac has experienced higher loss and collateral deficiency rates in permanent planting loans and agricultural storage and processing loans, for which the collateral is typically highly improved and specialized.

The following tables present concentrations of Farm & Ranch loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities by commodity type within geographic region and cumulative credit losses by origination year and commodity type:

Table 21
 As of December 31, 2018
 Farm & Ranch Concentrations by Commodity Type within Geographic Region
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
 (dollars in thousands)
By geographic region(1):
             
Northwest$400,639
 $139,817
 $238,037
 $76,705
 $
 $398
 $855,596
 5.5% 1.9% 3.3% 1.1% % % 11.8%
Southwest544,888
 1,148,175
 433,401
 85,691
 57,011
 4,018
 2,273,184
 7.5% 15.9% 5.9% 1.2% 0.8% 0.1% 31.4%
Mid-North1,947,100
 16,764
 186,603
 134,493
 8,491
 2,622
 2,296,073
 26.9% 0.2% 2.6% 1.9% 0.1% % 31.7%
Mid-South534,243
 8,022
 270,133
 62,000
 8,438
 443
 883,279
 7.4% 0.1% 3.7% 0.9% 0.1% % 12.2%
Northeast152,310
 32,284
 69,250
 74,094
 4,432
 
 332,370
 2.1% 0.5% 1.0% 1.0% 0.1% % 4.7%
Southeast192,447
 164,759
 157,948
 71,155
 6,809
 351
 593,469
 2.7% 2.3% 2.2% 0.9% 0.1% % 8.2%
Total$3,771,627
 $1,509,821
 $1,355,372
 $504,138
 $85,181
 $7,832
 $7,233,971
 52.1% 20.9% 18.7% 7.0% 1.2% 0.1% 100.0%
(1)
Geographic regions:  Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY); Southwest (AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, UT); Mid-North (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, NE, ND, SD, WI); Mid-South (AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX); Northeast (CT, DE, KY, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV); Southeast (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN).



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Table 22
 As of December 31, 2018

Farm & Ranch Cumulative Credit Losses by Origination Year and Commodity Type
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Total
 (in thousands)
By year of origination:           
2008 and Prior$3,329
 $9,184
 $3,803
 $1,403
 $10,819
 $28,538
200998
 184
 69
 
 1,193
 1,544
2010
 
 5
 
 
 5
2011
 
 
 
 3,661
 3,661
2012
 
 
 
 
 
2013
 
 
 
 
 
2014
 
 
 
 
 
2015(540) 
 
 
 
 (540)
2016
 
 
 
 
 
2017
 
 
 
 
 
2018
 
 
 
 
 
Total$2,887
 $9,368
 $3,877
 $1,403
 $15,673
 $33,208

Farmer Mac regularly conducts detailed, statistical stress tests of its portfolio for credit risk and compares those results to current and historical credit quality metrics and to the various statutory, regulatory, and Farmer Mac's board of directors' capital policy metrics. Farmer Mac's methodologies for pricing its guarantee and commitment fees, managing credit risk, and providing adequate allowances for losses consider all of the foregoing factors and information.


Farmer Mac requires approvedmany lenders to make representations and warranties about the conformity of eligible agriculturalAgricultural Finance mortgage loans and rural utilitiesRural Infrastructure Finance loans to Farmer Mac's standards, the accuracy of loan data provided to Farmer Mac, and other requirements related to the loans. Sellers who make these representations and warranties are responsible to Farmer Mac for breaches of those representations and warranties, andwarranties. Farmer Mac has the ability to require a seller to cure, replace, or repurchase a loan sold or transferred to Farmer Mac if any breach of a representation or warranty is discovered that was material to Farmer Mac's decision to purchase the loan or that directly or indirectly causes a default or potential loss on a loan sold or transferred by the seller to Farmer Mac. During the previous three years ended December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac has required one seller to repurchase a total of two loans aggregating $0.8 million for2021, there have been no breaches of representations and warranties made about those two loans, both of which repurchases occurred during first quarter 2016.by sellers that resulted in Farmer Mac requiring a seller to cure, replace, or repurchase a loan. In addition to relying on the representations and warranties of lenders,sellers, Farmer Mac also underwrites all of the agricultural real estateAgricultural Finance mortgage loans (other than rural housing and part-time farm mortgage loans) and rural utilitiesRural Infrastructure Finance loans thaton which it holds in its portfolio.has direct credit exposure. For rural housing and part-time farm mortgage loans, Farmer Mac relies on representations and warranties from the seller that those loans conform to Farmer Mac's specified underwriting criteria without exception.criteria. For more information about Farmer Mac's loan eligibility requirements and underwriting standards, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Agricultural Finance—Loan Eligibility," "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Agricultural Finance—Underwriting and Collateral Standards—Farm & Ranch—Loan Eligibility"Ranch," "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Agricultural Finance—Underwriting and Collateral Standards—Corporate AgFinance," and "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities—Loan Eligibility.Infrastructure Finance—Underwriting and Collateral Standards."


Under contracts with Farmer Mac and in consideration for servicing fees, Farmer Mac-approved central servicers service loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's requirements. Central servicersServicers are responsible to Farmer Mac for serious errors in the servicing of those loans. If a central servicer materially breaches the terms of its servicing agreement with Farmer Mac, such as failing to forward payments received or releasing collateral without

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Farmer Mac's consent, or experiences insolvency or bankruptcy, the servicer is responsible for any corresponding damages to Farmer Mac


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and, in most cases, Farmer Mac has the right to terminate the servicing relationship for a particular loan or the entire portfolio serviced by the central servicer. Farmer Mac also can proceed against the central servicer in arbitration or exercise any remedies available to it under law. During the previous three years ended December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac had not exercised any remedies or taken any formal action against any central servicers. For more information about Farmer Mac's servicing requirements, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Farm & Ranch—Agricultural Finance—Loan Servicing" and "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities—Infrastructure Finance—Lenders and Loan Servicing."


Environmental Considerations

For loans purchased by Farmer Mac in its Agricultural Finance line of business, Farmer Mac has outlined specific requirements for environmental compliance. Sellers seeking to sell Agricultural Finance mortgage loans to Farmer Mac must complete an environmental disclosure form and ensure that properties securing these loans are in full compliance with applicable permitting requirements and have necessary access to proper waste disposal. Farmer Mac requires sellers to make representations and warranties that it has physically inspected the property prior to sale to ensure that the borrower has handled any hazardous materials on the property (including the waters adjacent) only as necessary to operate the property and in compliance with applicable environmental laws. Farmer Mac also requires sellers to monitor each borrower's continuing compliance with environmental laws and regulations by performing annual inspections throughout the life of the loan. Farmer Mac also requires that each mortgage note prohibit the use, disposal, storage, or release of hazardous substances on the property except for small amounts appropriate for the maintenance of the property.

For Agricultural Finance mortgage loans secured by irrigated property, Farmer Mac requires the seller to prepare an analysis for water rights and water sustainability for the borrower's operation for the life of the loan. This analysis must include pump and well tests for groundwater sources and legally-documented easements or agreements for off-site water sources. For loans secured by properties where water availability may be a concern (primarily California), Farmer Mac's underwriting process includes an assessment of anticipated long-term water availability for the related property and how that impacts the collateral value and borrower's cash flow position to mitigate that risk. As part of this process, Farmer Mac may conduct, or require the seller to conduct, an in-depth groundwater availability analysis.

Credit Risk – InstitutionalCounterparty Risk.  Farmer Mac is exposed to credit risk arising from its business relationships with other institutions, including:which include:
 
issuers of AgVantage securities;
approved lenders and servicers; and
interest rate swap counterparties.


Farmer Mac approves AgVantage counterparties and manages institutional credit risk related to those AgVantage counterparties by requiring them to meet Farmer Mac's standards for creditworthiness for the particular counterparty type and transaction. The required collateralization level is established when the AgVantage facility is entered into with the counterparty and does not change during the life of the AgVantage securities issued under the facility.facility without Farmer Mac's consent. In AgVantage transactions, the corporate obligor is typically required to remove from the pool of pledged collateral any loanloans that becomes more than 30 daysbecome and remain (within specified parameters) delinquent in the payment of principal or interest and to

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substitute an eligible loanloans that isare current in payment or pay down the AgVantage securities to maintain the minimum required collateralization level. 

In the event of a default on the general obligation,an AgVantage security, Farmer Mac would have recourse to the pledged collateral and have rights to the ongoing borrower payments of principal and interest. As a result, Farmer Mac has indirect credit exposure to the Agricultural Finance mortgage loans and Rural Utilities loans that secure AgVantage securities. For Farm Equity AgVantage counterparties and smallerthat are institutional real estate investors or financial funds orand other similar entities, Farmer Mac also typically requires that the counterparty generally (1) maintain a higher collateralization level, through either a higher overcollateralization percentage or lower loan-to-value ratio thresholds and higher overcollateralization than required for traditional AgVantage securities and (2) comply with specified financial covenants for the life of the related AgVantage security to avoid default. As of December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac had not experienced any credit losses on any AgVantage securities. For a more detailed description of AgVantage securities, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Institutional Credit—Agricultural Finance—Other Products – Agricultural Finance—AgVantage Securities" and "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Infrastructure Finance—Other Products – Rural Infrastructure Finance—AgVantage Securities."


The unpaid principal balance of outstanding on-balance sheet AgVantage securities secured by loans eligible for the Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance line of business totaled $5.3 billion as of December 31, 2018 and $5.1 billion as of December 31, 2017.2021 and $5.2 billion as of December 31, 2020. The unpaid principal balance of on-balance sheet AgVantage securities secured by loans eligible for the Rural UtilitiesInfrastructure Finance line of business totaled $2.8$3.0 billion as of December 31, 20182021 and $2.5$2.6 billion as of December 31, 2017.2020. The unpaid principal balance of outstanding off-balance sheet AgVantage securities totaled $0.3 billion as of December 31, 2018 and $0.3 billion$2.8 million as of December 31, 2017.2021 and $4.4 million as of December 31, 2020.


The following table provides information about the issuers of AgVantage securities as well asand the required collateralization levels for those transactions as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:December 31, 2020:



Table 33
 As of December 31, 2021As of December 31, 2020
CounterpartyBalanceRequired CollateralizationBalanceRequired Collateralization
 (dollars in thousands)
AgVantage:
CFC$3,036,017 100%$2,570,249 100%
MetLife2,050,000 103%2,375,000 103%
Rabo AgriFinance2,550,000 110%2,050,000 110%
Other(1)
492,464 106% to 125%744,110 106% to 125%
Total outstanding$8,128,481  $7,739,359  

(1)Consists of AgVantage securities issued by 13 and 10 different issuers as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.
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Table 23
  As of December 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
Counterparty Balance Credit Rating Required Collateralization Balance Credit Rating Required Collateralization
  (dollars in thousands)
AgVantage:            
CFC(1)
 $3,070,455
 A 100% $2,800,188
 A 100%
MetLife 2,550,000
 AA- 103% 2,550,000
 AA- 103%
Rabo AgriFinance 2,075,000
 None 110% 2,075,000
 None 106%
Other(2)
 407,572
 
(3) 
 106% to 125% 199,959
 
(3) 
 106% to 125%
Farm Equity AgVantage(4)
 279,790
 None 110% 279,731
 None 110%
Total outstanding $5,312,362
     $5,104,690
    
(1)
Includes $300.0 million related to a revolving floating rate AgVantage facility. Farmer Mac receives a fixed fee based on the full dollar amount of the facility.
(2)
Consists of AgVantage securities issued by 6 different issuers as of both December 31, 2018 and 2017.
(3)
Consists of AgVantage securities from 6 different issuers without a credit rating as of both December 31, 2018 and 2017.
(4)
Consists of AgVantage securities from 5 different issuers as of both December 31, 2018 and 2017.


Farmer Mac manages institutional credit risk related to lenders and servicers by requiring those institutions to meet Farmer Mac's standards for creditworthiness. Farmer Mac monitors the financial condition of those institutions by evaluating financial statements and bank credit rating agency reports.  For more information about Farmer Mac's lender eligibility requirements, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Farm & Ranch—Approved Agricultural Finance—Lenders" and "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities—Approved Lenders.Infrastructure Finance—Lenders and Loan Servicing."


Farmer Mac manages institutional credit risk related to its interest rate swap counterparties through collateralization provisions contained in each of its swap agreements that variesvary based on the market value of its swapsswap portfolio with each counterparty. Furthermore, Farmer Mac and its interest rate swap counterparties are

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required to fully collateralize their derivatives positions without any minimum threshold for cleared swap transactions, as well as for non-cleared swap transactions entered into after March 1, 2017 (the effective date of new rules that established zero threshold requirements for the exchange of variation margin between Farmer Mac and its swap dealer counterparties in such transactions).2017. Farmer Mac transacts interest rate swaps with multiple counterparties to reduce any counterparty credit exposure concentration. Farmer Mac also uses the clearing process forMac's usage of cleared derivatives has increased over time as has its exposure to clearinghouses. The usage of cleared swap transactions as another mechanism for managing its derivative counterparty risk.reduces Farmer Mac's exposure to individual counterparties with the central clearinghouse acting to settle the change in value of contracts on a daily basis. Credit risk related to interest rate swap contracts is discussed in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Interest Rate Risk" and Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements.


Credit RiskOther Investments. As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac had $0.4$0.9 billion of cash and cash equivalents and $2.3$3.9 billion of investment securities. The management of the credit risk inherent in these investments is governed by Farmer Mac's internal policies as well as theFCA's Liquidity and Investment Regulations, which establish criteria for investments that are eligible for Farmer Mac's investment portfolio, including limitations on asset class, dollar amount, issuer concentration, and credit quality.Regulations. In addition to establishing a portfolio of highly liquid investments as an available source of cash, the goals of Farmer Mac's investment policies are designed to minimize Farmer Mac's exposure to financial market volatility, preserve capital, and support Farmer Mac's access to the debt markets.


On September 13, 2018, FCA adopted a final rule to amend the Liquidity and Investment Regulations to comply with Section 939A of the Dodd-Frank Act by removing references and requirements relating to credit ratings and replacing them with other standards of creditworthiness. Previously, the Liquidity and


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Investment Regulations and Farmer Mac's policies generally required each investment or issuer of an investment to be highly rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.  The amendments to the Liquidity and Investment Regulations and Farmer Mac's internal policies now require that investments held in Farmer Mac's investment portfolio meet the following creditworthiness standards: (1) at a minimum, at least one obligor of the investment must have a very strong capacity to meet financial commitments for the life of the investment, even under severely adverse or stressful conditions, and generally present a very low risk of default; (2) if the obligor whose capacity to meet financial commitments is being relied upon to meet the standard set forth in subparagraph (1) is located outside of the United States, the investment must also be fully guaranteed by a U.S. government agency; and (3) the investment must exhibit low credit risk and other risk characteristics consistent with the purpose or purposes for which it is held.


The Liquidity and Investment Regulations and Farmer Mac's internal policies also establish concentration limits, which are intended to limit exposure to any single entity, issuer, or obligor. The amendments to the Liquidity and Investment Regulations changed the limit for Farmer Mac's total credit exposure to any single entity, issuer, or obligor of securities from 25% to 10% of Farmer Mac's regulatory capital ($73.7($121.7 million as of December 31, 2018)2021). However, Farmer Mac's current policy limits this total credit exposure to 5% of its regulatory capital ($36.860.8 million as of December 31, 2018)2021). These exposure limits do not apply to obligations of U.S. government agencies or GSEs, although Farmer Mac's current policy restricts investing more than 100% of regulatory capital in the senior non-convertible debt securities of any one GSE.


Before their amendment,Although the Liquidity and InvestmentInvestments Regulations also establisheddo not establish limits on the maximum amount, expressed as a percentage of Farmer Mac's investment portfolio, that couldcan be invested in each eligible asset class. Although the amended Liquidity and Investments Regulations eliminated these limits,class, Farmer Mac's internal policies set forth asset class limits as part of Farmer Mac's overall risk management framework.


Interest Rate Risk.  Farmer Mac is subject to interest rate risk on all interest-earning assets retained on its balance sheet because of possible timing differences in the cash flows due to maturity, paydown, or repricing of the assets and related liabilities.  This risk is primarily related to loans held, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities (excluding AgVantage securities), and USDA Securities due to the ability of borrowers to prepay their loans before the scheduled maturities, thereby increasing the risk of asset and liability cash flow mismatches.debt together with financial derivatives. Cash flow mismatches in adue to changing interest rate environmentrates can reduce the earnings of Farmer Mac if assets repayprepay sooner than expected and the resulting cash flows must be reinvested in lower-yielding investments when Farmer Mac's funding costs cannot be correspondingly reduced, orreduced. Alternatively, Farmer Mac could realize a decline in income if assets repay more slowly than expected

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originally forecasted and the associated maturing debt must be replaced by higher-cost debt. As discussed below, Farmer Mac manages thisdebt issuances at higher interest rate risk by funding assets purchased with liabilities matching the duration and cash flow characteristics of the assets purchased.rates.


Interest Rate Risk Management


The goal of interest rate risk management at Farmer Mac is to create and maintainmanage the balance sheet in a portfoliomanner that generates stable earnings and value across a variety of interest rate environments. Recognizing that interest rate sensitivitysensitivities may change with the passage of time and as interest rates change, Farmer Mac regularly assesses this exposure regularly and, if necessary, readjustsadjusts its portfolio of interest-earning assets, debt, and liabilities by:financial derivatives.



Farmer Mac's objective is to maintain its exposure to interest rate risk within appropriate limits, as approved by Farmer Mac's board of directors. Farmer Mac's management-level Asset and Liability Committee ("ALCO") provides oversight, establishes guidelines, and approves strategies to maintain interest rate risk within the board-established limits.
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purchasing assets in the ordinary course of business;
refinancing existing liabilities; or
using financial derivatives to alter the characteristics of existing assets or liabilities.


Farmer Mac's primary strategy for managing interest rate risk is to fund asset purchases with liabilitiesdebt that together with financial derivatives have similar duration and convexity characteristics and help mitigate impacts from interest rate changes across the yield curve. As part of this debt issuance strategy, Farmer Mac seeks to issue debt securities across a variety of maturities that together with financial derivatives closely align the forecasted debt and financial derivative cash flow characteristics so that they will perform similarly as interest rates change. To match these characteristics, flows with forecasted asset cash flows.

Farmer Mac issues discount notes and both callable and non-callable medium-term notes across a spectrum of maturities. Farmer Mac issues callablematurities to execute its debt issuance strategy. Callable debt is issued to offset themitigate prepayment risk associated with some loans. By using a blend of liabilities that includes callable debt, the interest rate sensitivities of the liabilities tend to increase or decreasecertain interest-earning assets held on balance sheet. In general, as interest rates change in a manner similardecline, prepayments typically increase, and Farmer Mac is able to changes in theeconomically extinguish certain callable debt issuances. In addition, Farmer Mac enters into financial derivatives, primarily interest rate sensitivities of the assets. Farmer Mac also uses financial derivativesswaps, to better match the durations of Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities, thereby reducing overall sensitivity to changing interest rate sensitivity.rates.


Taking into consideration the prepayment provisions and the default probabilities associated with its loanportfolio of interest-earning assets, Farmer Mac usesincorporates behavioral prepayment models when projecting and valuing cash flows associated with these assets. BecauseIn recognition that borrowers' behaviors in various interest rate environments may change over time, Farmer Mac periodically evaluates the effectiveness of these models compared to actual prepayment experience and adjusts and refines the models as necessary to improve the precision of future prepayment forecasts.


Yield maintenance provisions and other prepayment penalties contained in certain agricultural real estate mortgage loans and most rural utilities loans reduce, but do not eliminate, prepayment risk.  Those provisions require borrowers to make an additional payment when they prepay their loans, thus compensating Farmer Mac for the shortened duration of the prepaid loan.  As of December 31, 2018, approximately 2% of the total outstanding balance of loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business where Farmer Mac either owned the loan or the beneficial interest in the underlying loan had yield maintenance provisions or other forms of prepayment protection (together covering 5% of all loans with fixed interest rates).  Of the Farm & Ranch loans purchased in 2018, 5% had yield maintenance or another form of prepayment protection. As of December 31, 2018, none of Farmer Mac's USDA Securities had yield maintenance provisions and 4% contained other prepayment penalties.  Of the USDA Securities purchased in 2018, 9% contained various forms of prepayment penalties.  As of December 31, 2018, 68% of the Rural Utilities loans owned by Farmer Mac had yield maintenance provisions. All of the Rural Utilities loans purchased in 2018 contained prepayment penalties.

Farmer Mac's purchases of eligible loan assets expose Farmer Mac to interest rate risk arising primarily from uncertainty as to when the borrowers will repay the outstanding principal balance on the related loans. Generally, the values of Farmer Mac's eligible loan assets, and the debt issued to fund these assets, increase when interest rates decline, and their values decrease as interest rates rise. Furthermore, changesChanges in interest rates may affect loan prepayment ratesthe timing of asset prepayments which may, in turn, affectimpact durations and values of the loans.assets. Declining interest rates generally increase prepayment rates,results in increased prepayments, which shortens the duration of these assets, while rising interest rates tend to slow loangenerally results in lower prepayments, thereby extending the duration of the loans.assets.



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Farmer Mac is also subject to interest rate risk on loans that Farmer Macand securities it has committed to acquire but has not yet purchased other(other than delinquent loans purchased through LTSPCs or loans designated for securitization under a forward purchase agreement.agreement). When Farmer Mac commits to purchase these loans,assets, it is exposed to interest rate risk between the time it commits to purchase the loans and the time it issues debt to fund the purchase of thosethese loans.

Farmer Mac manages the interest rate risk exposure related to these loans by usingentering into exchange-traded futures contracts involving U.S. Treasury securities and/or forward sale contracts on the debt securities ofand other GSEs.financial

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derivatives. Similarly, when Farmer Mac uses U.S. Treasury futures contracts as a hedge againstcommits to sell certain assets, the level of interest rates, while forward sale contracts on GSE securities reduce itsassociated interest rate exposure to changes in bothis primarily managed with exchange-traded futures contracts involving U.S. Treasury ratessecurities and spreads on Farmer Mac debt and certain Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities. Issuing debt to fund the loans as investments does not fully eliminate interest rate risk due to the possible timing differences in the cash flows of the assets and related liabilities, as discussed above.other financial derivatives.


Farmer Mac's $0.4$0.9 billion of cash and cash equivalents mature within three months and are generally funded with discount notesdebt having similar maturities. As of December 31, 2018, $2.192021, $2.9 billion of the $2.26$3.9 billion of investment securities (97%(74%) were floating rate securities with rates that adjust within one year or fixed rate securities with original maturities between three months and one year. ThoseFarmer Mac's floating rate investment securities are funded with effectively floating rate debt that closely matches the rate adjustment datesfrequency of the associated investments. The fixed rate investment securities are generally funded in a manner consistent with Farmer Mac's overall funding strategy that approximates a duration and convexity match.


Interest Rate Risk Metrics


Farmer Mac regularly stress testsevaluates and conducts interest rate shock simulations on its portfolio for interest rate riskof financial assets, debt, and usesfinancial derivatives and examines a variety of metrics to quantify and manage its exposure to interest rate risk. These metrics include sensitivity to interest rate movements ofon the market value of equity ("MVE") and projectedforecasted net effective spread ("NES") as well as a duration gap analysis.

MVE represents management's estimate of the present value of all future cash flows from its current portfolio of on- and off-balance sheet assets, liabilities, and financial derivatives, discounted at current interest rates and appropriate spreads. However, MVE is not indicative of the market value of Farmer Mac as a going concern because these market values are theoretical and do not reflect future business activities. The MVE sensitivity analysis is used to measuremeasures the degree to which the market values of Farmer Mac's assets, liabilities, and liabilitiesfinancial derivatives are estimated to change for a given change in interest rates. Because this analysis evaluates the impact of interest rate movements on the value of all future cash flows, this measure provides an evaluation of Farmer Mac's long-term interest rate risk.


Farmer Mac's NES simulation represents the difference between projected income over the next twelve months from the current portfolio of interest-earning assets and interest expense produced by the related funding, including associated financial derivatives. Farmer Mac's NES simulation may be affectedimpacted by changes in market interest rates resulting from timing differences between maturities and re-pricing characteristics of funded assets and liabilities.debt together with the associated financial derivatives. The direction and magnitude of any such effect depends on the direction and magnitude of the change in interest rates across the yield curve as well as the composition of Farmer Mac's portfolio. The NES forecastsimulation represents an estimate of the net effective spread income that Farmer Mac's current portfolio is expected to produce over a twelve-month horizon. As a result, the NES simulation sensitivity statistics provide a short-term view of Farmer Mac's NES income sensitivity to interest rate sensitivity.shocks.


Duration is a measure of a financial instrument's fair value sensitivity to small changes in interest rates. Duration gap is calculated using the difference between thenet estimated durations of Farmer Mac's interest-earning assets, debt, and liabilities. Because duration is a measure of market value sensitivity, durationfinancial derivatives. Duration gap summarizesquantifies the extent to which estimated marketfair value sensitivities are matched for interest-earning assets, debt and liabilities are matched.financial derivatives. Duration gap provides a relatively concise measure of the interest rate risk inherent in Farmer Mac's outstanding portfolio.



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A positive duration gap denotes that the duration of Farmer Mac's interest-earning assets is greater than the duration of its liabilities.debt and financial derivatives. A positive duration gap indicates that with small changes in interest rate movements the marketfair value change of Farmer Mac's interest-earning assets is more sensitive to small interest rate movements than is the marketfair value change of its liabilities.debt and financial derivatives. Conversely, a negative duration gap indicates that with small changes in interest rate movements the fair value change of Farmer Mac's

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interest-earning assets are less sensitive tothan the fair value change of its debt and financial derivatives. A duration gap of zero indicates that with small changes in interest rate movements than arethe fair value change of Farmer Mac's interest-earning assets is effectively offset by the fair value change of its liabilities.debt and financial derivatives.


Each of the interest rate risk metrics is producedquantified using asset/liability models and is derived based on management's best estimates of factors such as projectedforward interest rates across the yield curve, interest rate volatility, and prepayment speeds.timing of asset prepayments and callable debt redemptions. Accordingly, these metrics should be understood asare estimates rather than as precise measurements. Actual results may differ to the extent there are material changes to Farmer Mac's financial asset portfolio or changes in funding or hedging strategies undertaken to mitigate unfavorable sensitivities to interest rate changes.


The following schedule summarizes the results of Farmer Mac's MVE and NES sensitivity analysis as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017December 31, 2020 to an immediate and instantaneous uniform or "parallel" shift in the yield curve:


Table 2434
 Percentage Change in MVE from Base Case
Interest Rate Scenario(1)
As of December 31, 2021
As of December 31, 2020(1)
+100 basis points3.7 %4.9 %
-100 basis points(0.1)%(0.2)%
 Percentage Change in NES from Base Case
Interest Rate ScenarioAs of December 31, 2021
As of December 31, 2020(1)
+100 basis points6.6 %3.9 %
-100 basis points(0.1)%— %
  Percentage Change in MVE from Base Case
Interest Rate Scenario As of December 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
+100 basis points (0.7)% (1.1)%
-100 basis points (5.9)% (5.4)%
(1)The down 100 basis points shock scenario was replaced in 2020 with a proportional shock relative to 50% of the 3-month Treasury bill rate, with the approval of the Financial Risk Committee of the Board of Directors. The replacement down shock scenario was negative 2 basis point as of December 31, 2021 and negative 4 basis points as of December 31, 2020.


  Percentage Change in NES from Base Case
Interest Rate Scenario As of December 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
+100 basis points 3.0 % 4.4 %
-100 basis points (3.0)% (3.7)%


As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac's effective duration gap was negative 0.81.5 months, compared to negative 0.91.6 months as of December 31, 2017.  During 2018, interest2020. Farmer Mac updated its duration gap measure to interest-earning assets, debt, and financial derivatives as of December 31, 2020. Interest rates within the yield curve increased significantly. Despite thissignificantly during 2021 with the 2-year and 10-year U.S. Treasury Note yield-to-maturity increasing by approximately 61 basis points and 59 basis points, respectively, versus year-end 2020. This rate movement contributed to extending the duration of Farmer Mac’s overall interest rate sensitivity remained stableMac's funded assets compared to its debt and at relatively low levels during 2018.financial derivatives, thereby narrowing Farmer Mac's duration gap.


Financial Derivatives Transactions


The economic effects of financial derivatives are included in Farmer Mac's MVE, NES, and duration gap analyses. Farmer Mac enters into the following types of financial derivative transactions principally to protect against risk from the effects of market price or interest rate movements on the value of interest-earning assets, future cash flows, credit exposure, and debt issuance, and not for trading or speculative purposes:

"pay-fixed" interest rate swaps, in which Farmer Mac pays fixed rates of interest to, and receives floating rates of interest from, counterparties;
"receive-fixed" interest rate swaps, in which Farmer Mac receives fixed rates of interest from, and pays floating rates of interest to, counterparties; and

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"basis swaps," in which Farmer Mac pays variablefloating rates of interest based on one index to, and receives variablefloating rates of interest based on anothera different index from, counterparties.counterparties; and

exchange-traded futures contracts involving U.S. Treasury securities.



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As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac had $9.9$17.5 billion combined notional amount of interest rate swaps, with terms ranging from less than one year to twenty-fivejust over thirty years, of which $3.8$7.0 billion were pay-fixed interest rate swaps, $4.3$8.8 billion were receive-fixed interest rate swaps, and $1.8$1.6 billion were basis swaps.


Farmer Mac enters into interest rate swap contractsswaps to synthetically adjust the characteristics of its debt to match more closely match the cash flow and duration characteristics of its loans and otherinterest-earning assets thereby reducing interest rate risk and often deriving an overall lower effective costwith those of borrowing than would otherwise be available toits debt. For example, Farmer Mac in the conventional debt market.  Specifically,transacts pay-fixed interest rate swaps synthetically convert the variable cash flows relatedand issues floating rate debt to the forecasted issuance of short-term debt into effectively create fixed rate medium-term notesfunding that matchapproximately matches the anticipated duration and interest rate characteristics of the corresponding assets.fixed rate assets being funded. Farmer Mac evaluates the overall cost of using the swap marketinterest rate swaps in conjunction with debt issuance as a funding alternative to duration-matched debt and usesenters into interest rate swaps to manage specific interest rate risks for specific transactions. across the balance sheet.

Certain financial derivatives are designated as fair value hedges of fixed rate assets classified as available for sale or liabilities to protect against fair value changes in the assets or liabilities related to a benchmark interest rate (e.g., LIBOR)LIBOR or Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”)). Furthermore,Also, certain financial derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges to mitigate the volatility of future interest rate payments on floating rate debt.

Farmer Mac has used callable interest rate swaps (in conjunction with the issuance of short-term debt) as an alternative to callable medium-term notes with equivalently structured maturities and call options.  The call options on the swaps are designed to match the prepayment options on those assets without prepayment protection.  The blended durations of the swaps are also designed to match the duration of the related assets over their estimated lives.  If the assets prepay, the swaps can be called and the short-term debt repaid; if the assets do not prepay, the swaps remain outstanding and the short-term debt is rolled over, effectively providing fixed rate callable funding over the lives of the related assets.  Thus, the economics of the assets are closely matched to the economics of the interest rate swap and funding combination.


As discussed in Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements, all financial derivatives are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value as derivative assets or as derivative liabilities. Changes in the fair values of undesignated financial derivatives are reported in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" in the consolidated statements of operations. For financial derivatives designated in fair value hedge accounting relationships, changes in the fair values of the hedged items primarily fixed rate AgVantage securities and fixed rate medium-term notes, related to the risk being hedged are reported in "Net interest income" in the consolidated statements of operations. Interest accruals on derivatives designated in fair value hedge accounting relationships are also recorded in "Net interest income" in the consolidated statements of operations. For financial derivatives designated in cash flow hedge accounting relationships, the unrealized gain or loss on the derivative is recorded in other comprehensive income. Because the hedging instrument is an interest rate swap and the hedged forecasted transactions are future interest payments on variablefloating rate debt, amounts recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income are reclassified to "Total interest expense" in conjunction with the recognition of interest expense on the debt. All of Farmer Mac's financial derivativesinterest rate swap transactions are conducted under standard collateralized agreements that limit Farmer Mac's potential credit exposure to any counterparty. As of both December 31, 2018,2021 and December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had $1.4 million ofno uncollateralized net exposures to three counterparties. Asbased on the mark-to-market value of December 31, 2017, the portfolio of interest rate swaps

Re-funding and repricing risk

Farmer Mac had uncollateralizedis subject to re-funding and repricing risk on any floating rate assets that are not funded to contractual maturity. Re-funding and repricing risk arises from potential changes in funding costs resulting from a funding strategy whereby Farmer Mac issues floating rate debt across a variety of maturities to fund floating rate or synthetically floating rate assets that on average may have longer maturities. Changes in Farmer Mac's funding costs relative to the benchmark market index rate to which the assets are indexed can cause changes to net exposures of $0.5 millioninterest income when debt matures and is reissued at then current interest rates to three counterparties.


continue funding those assets.


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Basis Risk


In addition, to being exposed to the risk of asset and liability cash flow mismatches, Farmer Mac is exposed to the risk related to changes in its cost of funds relative to floating rate market indexes (such as LIBOR) on some of the floating rate assets it holds. This exposure is referred to as "basis risk." Somemany of Farmer Mac's floating rate assets reset on rate adjustment dates basedmay prepay before the contractual maturity date. Farmer Mac is subject to re-funding and repricing risk on a portion of its fixed rate assets as a result of its use of pay-fixed receive-floating interest rate swaps that effectively convert the required funding needed from fixed rate to floating rate. These fixed rate market index, while the related debt that Farmer Mac issued to fund those assets until their maturities may be refinanced based on Farmer Mac’s cost of funds at a particular time. Basis risk arises from the potential variability between the rates at which thoseare then effectively synthetically floating rate assets reset and the rates at which that require floating rate funding.

Farmer Mac can issue debt to fund those assets. Farmer Mac can fund thesemeet floating rate assetsfunding needs in several ways, including:


issuing short-term fixed rate discount notes with maturities that match the reset period of the assets;
issuing floating rate medium-term notes with maturities and reset frequencies that match the maturities of the assets;assets being funded;
issuing non-maturity matched, floating rate medium-term notes;notes with reset frequencies that match the assets being funded; or
issuing non-maturity matched, fixed-ratefixed rate discount notes or medium-term notes swapped to floating rate to match the interest rate reset dates of the assets as an alternative source of effectivelyassets.

To meet certain floating rate funding.

funding needs, Farmer Mac primarily uses the last two options identified in the list above to fund these floatingfrequently issues shorter-term floating-rate medium-term notes or fixed rate assets because this funding strategy is usually the most effective way to provide anmedium-term notes paired with a received-fixed interest rate match, maintainswap because these funding alternatives generally provide a suitable liquidity profile, and lower Farmer Mac’s cost of funds.funding while generating an effective interest rate match. As funding for these floating rate assets matures, Farmer Mac seeks to refinance the debt associated with these assets in a similar fashion to achieve an appropriate interest rate risk sensitivity match forin the remaining lifecontext of the assets. Farmer Mac's overall debt issuance and liquidity management strategies.

However, for example, if the rates onfunding cost of Farmer Mac’s discount notes or medium-term notes deteriorateincreased relative to LIBORthe benchmark market index of the associated assets during the time between when these floating rate assets were first funded and when Farmer Mac refinancesrefinanced the associated debt, Farmer Mac iswould be exposed to a commensurate reduction in itsof net effective spread on the associated assets.spread. Conversely, if the ratesfunding cost on Farmer Mac’s discount notes or medium-term notes improvedecreased relative to LIBORthe benchmark market index during that time, Farmer Mac would benefit from a commensurate increase in its net effective spread on those assets.

Farmer Mac is also subject to basis risk on some of its fixed rate assets as a result of its use of pay-fixed interest rate swaps, combined with a series of discount note or medium-term note issuances, as an alternative source of effectively fixed rate funding. This risk arises because the rates at which Farmer Mac refinances its funding for some fixed rate assets through the issuance of discount notes or medium-term notes may vary from the agreed-upon rates based on the floating rate market index received by Farmer Mac on the associated swaps. In these cases, for example, if the rates on Farmer Mac's discount notes or medium-term notes were to deteriorate relative to LIBOR, Farmer Mac would be exposed to a commensurate reduction in its net interest income and net effective spread. Conversely, if the rates on Farmer Mac's discount notes or medium-term notes were to improve relative to LIBOR, Farmer Mac would benefit from a commensurate increase in its net interest income and net effective spread.


To mitigate this basisFarmer Mac's debt issuance strategy targets balancing liquidity risk and re-funding and repricing risk while maintaining an appropriate liability management profile that is consistent with Farmer Mac's risk tolerance. Farmer Mac regularly adjusts its funding strategies to mitigate the effects of interest rate variability and seeks to issue debtmaintain an effective mixture of sufficient maturity to reducefunding structures in the frequencycontext of required refinancing of that debt over the life of the associated asset. its overall liability management and liquidity management strategies.

As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac held $6.2$5.3 billion of floating rate assets in its lines of business and its investment portfolio that reset based on floating rate market indexes, primarily one-month and three-month LIBOR.indices, such as LIBOR or SOFR. As of the same date, Farmer Mac also had $3.8$7.0 billion of interest rate swaps outstanding where Farmer Mac pays a fixed rate of interest and receives a floating rate of interest.interest, primarily LIBOR or SOFR.




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Farmer Mac's short-term funding costs relative to LIBOR have varied throughout 2018. For the first half of the year, funding costs relative to LIBOR were at levels generally more favorable than Farmer Mac’s historical experience. As of December 31, 2018, these levels had deteriorated to levels less favorable than Farmer Mac's historical experience. Farmer Mac adjusts its funding strategies to mitigate the effects of this variability from time to time and seeks to maintain an effective funding cost.

Discontinuation of LIBOR


As described in "Risk Factors—Market Risk,"Risk" in Part I, Item 1A, Farmer Mac faces risks associated with the reform, replacement, or discontinuation of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate and the transition to an alternative benchmark interest rate. We are currentlyFarmer Mac is evaluating the potential effect on our business of the

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replacement of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate, including the possibility of SOFR as a dominant replacement. replacement benchmark interest rates.

As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac held $5.1$3.6 billion of floating rate assets in its lines of business and its investment portfolio, $3.6had issued $1.1 billion of floating rate debt, and $9.8had entered into $13.7 billion notional amount of interest rate swaps, each of which reset based on LIBOR. In addition, Farmer Mac'sour Non-Cumulative Series C Preferred Stock will be indexed to LIBOR aftercurrently pays a fixed rate of interest until July 17, 2024. It becomes redeemable at our option on July 18, 2024 and thereafter pays interest at a floating rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus 3.260%.

The market transition away from LIBOR and towards SOFR, or any other alternative benchmark interest rate indices that may be developed is expected to be complicated and may require significant work, possibly requiring the development of term and credit adjustments to accommodate for differences between the benchmark interest rates.rate indices. The transition may also result in different financial performance for previously bookedexisting transactions, require different hedging strategies, or require renegotiation of previously bookedexisting transactions. As of December 31, 2021, we had $0.6 billion outstanding in medium-term notes based on SOFR, a potential alternative benchmark interest rate index.


Liquidity and Capital Resources


Farmer Mac's primary sources of funds to meet its liquidity and funding needs are the proceeds of its debt issuances, guarantee and commitment fees, net effective spread, loan repayments, and maturities of AgVantage and investment securities. Farmer Mac regularly accesses the debt capital markets for funding, and Farmer Mac has maintained access to the debt capital markets at favorable interest rates throughout 20172021 and 2018. 2020. Farmer Mac funds its purchases of eligible loan assets, USDA Securities, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and investment assets and finances its operations primarily by issuing debt obligations of various maturities in the debt capital markets. As of December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac had outstanding discount notes of $2.2 billion, medium-term notes that mature within one year of $4.8 billion, and medium-term notes that mature after one year of $15.8 billion.

Assuming continued access to the debt capital markets, Farmer Mac believes it has sufficient liquidity and capital resources to support its operations for the next 12 months and for the foreseeable future. Farmer Mac also has a liquidity contingency funding plan to manage unanticipated disruptions in its access to the debt capital markets. That plan involves borrowing through repurchase agreement arrangements and the sale of liquid assets. Farmer Mac must maintain a minimum of 90 days of liquidity under the Liquidity and Investment Regulations. UnderRegulations prescribed for Farmer Mac by FCA. In accordance with the methodology for calculating available days of liquidity prescribed byunder those regulations, Farmer Mac maintained ana monthly average of 190280 days of liquidity during 2018throughout 2021 and had 205367 days of liquidity as of December 31, 2018.
Debt Issuance.  Farmer Mac funds its purchases of eligible loan assets and investment assets and finances its operations primarily by issuing debt obligations of various maturities through a network of dealers in the public capital markets.  Farmer Mac works to enhance its funding operations by undertaking extensive debt investor relations initiatives, including conducting non-deal roadshows with institutional investors, making periodic dealer sales force presentations, and speaking at fixed income investor conferences throughout the United States. Debt obligations issued by Farmer Mac include discount notes and fixed and floating rate medium-term notes, including callable notes. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had outstanding discount notes of $1.6 billion, medium-term notes that mature within one year of $6.2 billion, and medium-term notes that mature after one year of $8.5 billion.

Farmer Mac's board of directors has authorized the issuance of up to $20.0 billion of discount notes and medium-term notes (of which $16.2 billion was outstanding as of December 31, 2018), subject to periodic review of the adequacy of that level relative to Farmer Mac's borrowing requirements. Farmer Mac invests the proceeds of its debt issuances in purchases of loans, USDA Securities, Farmer Mac Guaranteed


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Securities, and investment assets in accordance with policies established by its board of directors and subject to regulations established by FCA.

Liquidity.  The funding and liquidity needs of Farmer Mac's lines of business are driven by the purchase and retention of eligible loans, USDA Securities, and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities (including AgVantage securities); the maturities of Farmer Mac's discount notes and medium-term notes; and payment of principal and interest on Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.  Farmer Mac's primary sources of funds to meet these needs are the proceeds of its debt issuances, fees for its guarantees and commitments, net effective spread, loan repayments, and maturities of AgVantage securities.2021.
 
Farmer Mac maintains cash, cash equivalents (including U.S. Treasury securities and other short-term money market instruments), and other investment securities that can be drawn upon for liquidity needs. Farmer Mac's current policies authorize liquidity investments in:

obligations of or fully guaranteed by the United States or a U.S. government agency;
obligations of or fully guaranteed by GSEs;
municipal securities;
international and multilateral development bank obligations;
money market instruments;
diversified investment funds;
asset-backed securities;

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corporate debt securities; and
mortgage-backed securities.


The following table presents these assets as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:December 31, 2020:


Table 2535
 As of December 31, 2021As of December 31, 2020
 (in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents$908,785 $1,033,941 
Investment securities:  
Guaranteed by U.S. Government and its agencies1,579,452 1,935,056 
Guaranteed by GSEs2,282,655 1,944,497 
Asset-backed securities19,254 19,171 
Total$4,790,146 $4,932,665 

The objective of the investment portfolio as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 was to provide a level of liquidity that mitigates enterprise risk, provides a reliable source of short-term and long-term liquidity, to prepare for the possibility of future volatility in the debt capital markets, and to support program asset growth.
 As of December 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
 (in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents$425,256
 $302,022
Investment securities: 
  
Guaranteed by U.S. Government and its agencies1,216,911
 1,331,490
Guaranteed by GSEs1,013,281
 893,843
Asset-backed securities32,692
 35,104
Total$2,688,140
 $2,562,459

Capital Requirements. Farmer Mac is subject to the following statutory capital requirements – minimum, critical, and risk-based. Farmer Mac must comply with the higher of the minimum capital requirement and the risk-based capital requirement. The minimum capital requirement is expressed as a percentage of on-balance sheet assets and off-balance sheet obligations. The critical capital requirement is equal to one-half of the minimum capital amount. Farmer Mac's statutory charter does not specify the required level of risk-based capital but directs FCA to establish a risk-based capital stress test for Farmer Mac, using specified stress test parameters. Certain enforcement powers are given to FCA depending on Farmer Mac's compliance with these capital standards. As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac was in compliance with its statutory capital requirements and was classified as within "level I"1" (the highest compliance level).


In accordance with FCA's rule on capital planning, Farmer Mac's board of directors has adopted a policy for maintaining a sufficient level of "Tier 1" capital (consisting of retained earnings, paid-in capital, common stock, and qualifying preferred stock). That policy restricts Tier 1-eligible dividends and any discretionary bonus payments if Tier 1 capital falls below specified thresholds. As of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ratio was 13.4%14.7% and 12.6%14.1%, respectively, asrespectively. The increase in our Tier 1 capital ratio was due to that fact that capital growth, which reflects the issuance of the Series G Preferred Stock, outpaced the growth in risk-weighted assets during 2018.2021. As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac was in compliance with its capital adequacy policy. Farmer Mac does not expect its compliance on an ongoing basis with FCA's rule on capital planning, including Farmer Mac's policy on Tier 1 capital, to materially affect Farmer Mac's operations or financial condition.


For more information about the capital requirements applicable to Farmer Mac, its capital adequacy policy, and FCA's rule on capital planning, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Capital Standards." See Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements for more information about Farmer Mac's capital position.




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Contractual ObligationsDiscount and Medium-term Notes.  The following table presents the amount and timing of Farmer Mac's known, fixed, and determinable contractualdiscount and medium-term note obligations by payment date as of December 31, 2018.2021. The payment amounts represent those amounts contractually due to the recipientinvestor (including return of discount and interest on debt) and do not include unamortized premiums or discounts or other similar carrying value adjustments.



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Table 2636
One Year
or Less
One to
Three Years
Three to
Five Years
Over Five
Years
Total
 (in thousands)
Discount notes(1)
$2,168,288 $— $— $— $2,168,288 
Medium-term notes(1)
4,819,159 6,738,000 4,935,827 4,114,997 20,607,983 
Interest payments on fixed rate medium-term notes(2)
180,554 275,464 188,425 323,262 967,705 
Interest payments on floating rate medium-term notes(3)
7,008 10,547 7,767 5,676 30,998 
 One Year
or Less
 One to
Three Years
 Three to
Five Years
 Over Five
Years
 Total
 (in thousands)
Discount notes(1)
$1,594,662
 $
 $
 $
 $1,594,662
Medium-term notes(1)
6,171,308
 5,321,325
 1,744,555
 1,437,475
 14,674,663
Interest payments on fixed rate medium-term notes(2)
188,664
 242,661
 127,139
 162,696
 721,160
Interest payments on floating rate medium-term notes(3)
89,141
 50,782
 17,496
 23,896
 181,315
Operating lease obligations(4)
1,944
 3,914
 4,016
 1,311
 11,185
Purchase obligations(5)
1,965
 1,343
 
 
 3,308
(1)Future events, including additional issuance of discount notes and medium-term notes and refinancing of those notes, could cause actual payments to differ significantly from these amounts. For more information regarding discount notes and medium-term notes, see Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.
(1)
Future events, including additional issuance of discount notes and medium-term notes and refinancing of those notes, could cause actual payments to differ significantly from these amounts.  For more information regarding discount notes and medium-term notes, see Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.
(2)
Interest payments on callable medium-term notes are calculated based on contractual maturity. Future calls of these notes could cause actual interest payments to differ significantly from the amounts presented.
(3)
Calculated using the effective interest rates as of December 31, 2018.  As a result, these amounts do not reflect the effects of changes in the contractual interest rates effective on future interest rate reset dates.
(4)
Includes amounts due under non-cancellable operating leases for office space and office equipment. See Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements for more information about Farmer Mac's minimum lease payments for office space.
(5)
Includes minimum amounts due under non-cancellable agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding and specify all significant terms.  These agreements include, among others, agreements for the provision of consulting services, information technology support, equipment maintenance, and financial analysis software and services.  The amounts actually paid under these agreements will likely be higher due to the variable components of some of these agreements under which the ultimate obligation owed is determined by reference to actual usage or hours worked.  The table does not include amounts due under agreements that are cancellable without penalty or further payment as of December 31, 2018 and therefore do not represent enforceable and legally binding obligations.  The table also does not include payments that are based on a varying outstanding loan volume (such as servicing fees), as those payments are not known, fixed, and determinable contractual obligations.

(2)Interest payments on callable medium-term notes are calculated based on maturity. Future calls of these notes could cause actual interest payments to differ significantly from the amounts presented.
(3)Calculated using the effective interest rates as of December 31, 2021. As a result, these amounts do not reflect the effects of changes in the interest rates effective on future interest rate reset dates.

Farmer Mac enters into financial derivatives contracts under which it either receives cash from counterparties, or is required to pay cash to them, depending on changes in interest rates. Financial derivatives are carried on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value, representing the net present value of expected future cash payments or receipts based on market interest rates as of the balance sheet date adjusted for the consideration of credit risk of Farmer Mac and its counterparties. The fair values of the contracts change daily as market interest rates change. Because the financial derivative liabilities recorded on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 20182021 do not represent the amounts that may ultimately be paid under the financial derivative contracts, those liabilities are not included in the table of contractual obligations presented above. More information about financial derivatives is included in Note 2(g)2(f) and Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements.




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Contingent Liabilities.  In conducting its loan purchase activities, Farmer Mac enters into mandatory delivery commitments to purchase agricultural real estate mortgage loans and USDA Securities. In conducting its LTSPC activities, Farmer Mac commits, subject to the applicable LTSPC agreement, to a future purchase of one or more loans from identified pools of eligible loans that met Farmer Mac's standards when the applicable transaction was entered into and Farmer Mac assumed the credit risk on the loans. The following table presents these significant commitments:


Table 2737
 As of December 31,
 20212020
 (in thousands)
LTSPCs$3,191,061 $2,881,856 
Mandatory commitments to purchase loans and USDA Securities78,449 125,811 
 As of December 31,
 2018 2017
 (in thousands)
LTSPCs(1)
$3,163,059
 $3,141,684
Mandatory commitments to purchase loans and USDA Securities37,077
 54,347
(1)
As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, includes $17.0 million and $20.0 million, respectively, related to one-year loan purchase commitments on which Farmer Mac receives a nominal unused commitment fee.


For more information about Farmer Mac's commitments to purchase loans, see Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements.


Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 


Farmer Mac offers approved lenders two credit enhancement alternatives to increase their liquidity or lending capacity while retaining the cash flow benefits of their loans: (1) Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, whichSecurities; and (2) LTSPCs. Both products are available through each of the Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, Rural Utilities, and Institutional Credit lines of business; and (2) LTSPCs, which are available through the Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance and Rural UtilitiesInfrastructure Finance lines of business. For securitization trusts where Farmer Mac is the primary beneficiary, the trust assets and liabilities are included on Farmer Mac's consolidated balance sheet. For

106





securitization trusts where Farmer Mac is not the primary beneficiary and in the event of de-consolidation, both of these alternatives create off-balance sheet obligations for Farmer Mac. See Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements for more information about consolidation and Farmer Mac's off-balance sheet business activities.



128




As of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,2020, outstanding off-balance sheet LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities totaled $4.0$3.8 billion and $4.0$3.3 billion, respectively. The following table presents the balance of outstanding LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:2020:


Table 2838
Outstanding Balance of LTSPCs and
Off-Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
 As of December 31,
 20212020
 (in thousands)
Agricultural Finance:  
Corporate AgFinance:
Unfunded Loan Commitments$47,070 $10,466 
Farm & Ranch:
LTSPCs and unfunded commitments2,587,154 2,314,965 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities578,358 378,610 
Total Agricultural Finance obligations3,212,582 2,704,041 
Rural Infrastructure:
Rural Utilities:
LTSPCs and Unfunded Loan Commitments556,837 556,425 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities2,755 4,412 
Renewable Energy:
Unfunded Loan Commitments— — 
Total Rural Infrastructure obligations559,592 560,837 
Total off-balance sheet$3,772,174 $3,264,878 
Outstanding Balance of LTSPCs and
Off-Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
 As of December 31,
 2018 2017
 (in thousands)
Farm & Ranch obligations:   
LTSPCs(1)
$2,509,787
 $2,335,342
Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities(1)
135,862
 333,511
Total Farm & Ranch obligations2,645,649
 2,668,853
USDA Guarantees obligations:   
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities367,684
 254,217
Rural Utilities obligations:   
LTSPCs(2)
653,272
 806,342
Institutional Credit obligations:   
AgVantage Securities9,898
 11,556
Revolving floating rate AgVantage facility(3)
300,000
 300,000
Total Institutional Credit obligations309,898
 311,556
Total off-balance sheet$3,976,503
 $4,040,968
(1)
During fourth quarter 2018, Farmer Mac repurchased the 100% participation interests in loans underlying a pool of $134.1 million in Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at par, thereby redeeming the corresponding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from their sole security holder. Farmer Mac repurchased these participation interests at the request of the sole security holder in exchange for the termination of the participation interests and the reconveyance of all beneficial interest in the loans to the sole security holder that owned the loans in which the participation interests had been issued. The resulting pool of Farm & Ranch loans was concurrently added under LTSPCs. The commitment fee Farmer Mac receives on these loans added under LTSPCs is the same as the guarantee fee Farmer Mac had been earning on the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.
(2)
As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, includes $17.0 million and $20.0 million, respectively, related to one-year loan purchase commitments on which Farmer Mac receives a nominal unused commitment fee.
(3)
During both 2018 and 2017, $100.0 million of this facility was drawn and later repaid. Farmer Mac receives a fixed fee based on the full dollar amount of the facility. If the counterparty draws on the facility, the amounts drawn will be in the form of AgVantage securities, and Farmer Mac will earn interest income on those securities.


See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees" and Notes 2(d)2(c), 2(f)2(d), 5 and 12 to the consolidated financial statements for more information about Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and Notes 2(o)2(m) and 12 to the consolidated financial statements for more information about LTSPCs.



Regulatory Matters

The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, known as the "Farm Bill," was signed into law on December 20, 2018 and contains provisions that affect or may affect Farmer Mac, as discussed in more detail below.

The Farm Bill amended Farmer Mac's charter to increase the acreage limitation from 1,000 acres or more to 2,000 acres or more of agricultural real estate that must secure an eligible Farm & Ranch loan for which the Congressionally-authorized maximum loan size adjusted for inflation is applicable (currently $13.1 million). This amendment is subject to FCA's assessment about the feasibility of such a change.


129



FCA is required to submit a report on its assessment of this change to Congress by no later than June 18, 2019. If FCA's assessment indicates that it is feasible to increase the acreage limitation to 2,000 acres or more of agricultural real estate, the change to Farmer Mac's charter will become effective one year after the date that FCA submits its report to Congress. If FCA's assessment determines that it is not feasible to increase the acreage limitation, then the current limitation will remain in place. In addition to this feasibility assessment, Congress expressed interest in FCA's opinion on alternatives other than the increased acreage limitation in relation to a maximum loan size that would adequately address any safety and soundness issues. We will continue to evaluate the effect that the increase in acreage limitation or any other related proposal by FCA may have on our business in the future. FCA must also conduct a study that analyzes and compares the financial risks inherent in loans made, held, securitized, or purchased by FCS banks and associations and Farmer Mac, and how such risks are required to be capitalized under statutes and regulations currently in effect. The Farm Bill also amended Farmer Mac's charter to repeal obsolete provisions and to make technical corrections.The Farm Bill also added a new subsection to the Farm Credit Act of 1971 to clarify that no funds from the administrative accounts of the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation or from the Farm Credit System Insurance Fund may be used to provide assistance to Farmer Mac or to support any activities related to Farmer Mac.

The Farm Bill increased the authorized limits for the amount of new guarantees issued by the USDA under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, which are eligible for Farmer Mac's USDA Guarantees line of business, and for the size of individual loans to which these guarantees are applied. For more information about the changes to these authorized limits, as well as their implications for Farmer Mac, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Outlook."

The Farm Bill requires the Government Accountability Office ("GAO") to conduct two studies related to FCS institutions, including Farmer Mac. Specifically, the GAO must conduct a study to determine whether FCS institutions have sufficient authority and resources to meet the agricultural credit needs of Native American tribes and their members. The GAO must submit a written report to Congress within 90 days of enactment of the law presenting the findings of this study. If the GAO finds that FCS institutions do not have the ability to meet these agricultural credit needs, it must propose legislative and other recommendations that it determines would result in a system under which these needs are met in an equitable and effective manner. The GAO must also conduct a study assessing the availability of credit and related services, as well as any barriers limiting their availability, provided by FCS institutions, commercial banks, and life insurance companies, to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The GAO must submit a written report to Congress within 120 days of enactment of the law presenting the findings of this study and providing recommendations on how FCS institutions and other agricultural credit providers can improve outreach to these farmers and ranchers regarding the availability of credit and related services. We will continue to monitor any developments that could affect Farmer Mac as a result of the preparation and completion of these GAO studies.


Other Matters


The expected effects of recently issued accounting pronouncements on the consolidated financial statements are presented in Note 2(q) to the consolidated financial statements.None.





130107







Supplemental Information


The following tables present quarterly and annual information about new business volume, repayments, and outstanding business volume:


Table 2939
New Business Volume
Agricultural FinanceRural Infrastructure Finance
Farm & RanchCorporate AgFinanceRural UtilitiesRenewable EnergyTotal
(in thousands)
For the quarter ended:
December 31, 2021$2,075,540 $411,838 $631,338 $12,594 $3,131,310 
September 30, 20211,791,662 122,043 609,745 4,152 2,527,602 
June 30, 2021925,950 159,958 410,666 3,441 1,500,015 
March 31, 20211,087,897 186,393 171,546 23,484 1,469,320 
December 31, 2020907,316 242,394 145,416 44,313 1,339,439 
September 30, 20201,059,891 212,829 52,300 10,000 1,335,020 
June 30, 20201,069,693 279,021 358,866 — 1,707,580 
March 31, 2020768,700 165,128 392,668 10,000 1,336,496 
December 31, 2019721,248 311,756 242,900 10,000 1,285,904 
For the year ended:
December 31, 2021$5,881,049 $880,232 $1,823,295 $43,671 $8,628,247 
December 31, 20203,805,600 899,372 949,250 64,313 5,718,535 



New Business Volume
 Farm & Ranch USDA Guarantees Rural Utilities Institutional Credit  
 Loans LTSPCs USDA Securities Loans LTSPCs AgVantage Total
 (in thousands)
For the quarter ended:             
December 31, 2018$285,008
 $80,840
 $90,297
 $3,000
 $
 $585,814
 $1,044,959
September 30, 2018192,628
 64,100
 116,339
 
 
 1,085,953
 1,459,020
June 30, 2018224,101
 126,066
 129,960
 
 
 825,203
 1,305,330
March 31, 2018259,111
 159,065
 123,525
 8,645
 
 813,337
 1,363,683
December 31, 2017204,917
 282,809
 100,024
 15,000
 
 234,753
 837,503
September 30, 2017298,274
 102,774
 131,298
 70,000
 
 290,995
 893,341
June 30, 2017312,217
 55,899
 169,261
 25,000
 
 1,296,757
 1,859,134
March 31, 2017314,137
 113,261
 131,101
 27,341
 
 561,407
 1,147,247
December 31, 2016243,692
 117,265
 129,343
 10,800
 20,000
 247,154
 768,254
              
              
For the year ended:             
December 31, 2018960,848
 430,071
 460,121
 11,645
 
 3,310,307
 5,172,992
December 31, 20171,129,545
 554,743
 531,684
 137,341
 
 2,383,912
 4,737,225
108




131







Table 40
Repayments of Assets
Agricultural FinanceRural Infrastructure Finance
Farm & RanchCorporate AgFinanceRural UtilitiesRenewable EnergyTotal
(in thousands)
For the quarter ended:
Scheduled$928,663 $205,778 $816,802 $18,526 $1,969,769 
Unscheduled318,024 48,042 — — 366,066 
December 31, 2021$1,246,687 $253,820 $816,802 $18,526 $2,335,835 
Scheduled$725,713 $406,285 $95,443 $4,043 $1,231,484 
Unscheduled374,287 — 201 — 374,488 
September 30, 2021$1,100,000 $406,285 $95,644 $4,043 $1,605,972 
Scheduled$380,684 $139,774 $225,257 $4,704 $750,419 
Unscheduled409,393 3,921 1,652 — 414,966 
June 30, 2021$790,077 $143,695 $226,909 $4,704 $1,165,385 
Scheduled$721,090 $120,621 $100,482 $2,671 $944,864 
Unscheduled501,651 82,090 2,279 — 586,020 
March 31, 2021$1,222,741 $202,711 $102,761 $2,671 $1,530,884 
Scheduled$365,732 $197,108 $405,597 $561 $968,998 
Unscheduled400,809 27,850 1,610 — 430,269 
December 31, 2020$766,541 $224,958 $407,207 $561 $1,399,267 
Scheduled$569,820 $74,038 $211,152 $279 $855,289 
Unscheduled531,062 1,489 — — 532,551 
September 30, 2020$1,100,882 $75,527 $211,152 $279 $1,387,840 
Scheduled$523,721 $109,543 $67,708 $240 $701,212 
Unscheduled448,900 50,737 3,935 — 503,572 
June 30, 2020$972,621 $160,280 $71,643 $240 $1,204,784 
Scheduled$320,488 $94,775 $165,467 $— $580,730 
Unscheduled326,078 8,318 — — 334,396 
March 31, 2020$646,566 $103,093 $165,467 $— $915,126 
Scheduled$220,004 $94,130 $489,876 $198 $804,208 
Unscheduled244,303 17,747 34,063 — 296,113 
December 31, 2019$464,307 $111,877 $523,939 $198 $1,100,321 
For the year ended:
Scheduled$2,756,150 $872,458 $1,237,984 $29,944 $4,896,536 
Unscheduled1,603,355 134,053 4,132 — 1,741,540 
December 31, 2021$4,359,505 $1,006,511 $1,242,116 $29,944 $6,638,076 
Scheduled$1,779,761 $475,464 $849,924 $1,080 $3,106,229 
Unscheduled1,706,849 88,394 5,545 — 1,800,788 
December 31, 2020$3,486,610 $563,858 $855,469 $1,080 $4,907,017 
Table 30

Repayments of Assets by Line of Business
 Farm & Ranch USDA Guarantees Rural Utilities Institutional Credit  
 Loans Guaranteed Securities LTSPCs USDA Securities Loans LTSPCs AgVantage Total
 (in thousands)
For the quarter ended:               
Scheduled$36,006
 $8,331
 $35,682
 $24,793
 $6,321
 $16,062
 $568,277
 $695,472
Unscheduled56,299
 9,257
 33,319
 21,135
 20,538
 
 
 140,548
December 31, 2018$92,305
 $17,588
 $69,001
 $45,928
 $26,859
 $16,062
 $568,277
 $836,020
                
Scheduled$73,476
 $5,677
 $21,742
 $28,135
 $25,640
 $8,286
 $1,102,798
 $1,265,754
Unscheduled77,492
 4,562
 47,159
 35,068
 3,476
 
 9,760
 177,517
September 30, 2018$150,968
 $10,239
 $68,901
 $63,203
 $29,116
 $8,286
 $1,112,558
 $1,443,271
                
Scheduled$33,075
 $8,391
 $31,067
 $36,983
 $353
 $8,699
 $759,223
 $877,791
Unscheduled86,426
 8,273
 69,539
 66,601
 51,306
 
 
 282,145
June 30, 2018$119,501
 $16,664
 $100,606
 $103,584
 $51,659
 $8,699
 $759,223
 $1,159,936
                
Scheduled$110,733
 $14,085
 $70,057
 $40,811
 $26,507
 $
 $392,310
 $654,503
Unscheduled73,502
 4,929
 81,204
 43,189
 14,952
 120,022
 
 337,798
March 31, 2018$184,235
 $19,014
 $151,261
 $84,000
 $41,459
 $120,022
 $392,310
 $992,301
                
Scheduled$25,848
 $14,371
 $36,806
 $22,381
 $315
 $13,621
 $231,717
 $345,059
Unscheduled49,229
 6,941
 43,975
 24,385
 4,876
 
 
 129,406
December 31, 2017$75,077
 $21,312
 $80,781
 $46,766
 $5,191
 $13,621
 $231,717
 $474,465
                
Scheduled$61,961
 $6,735
 $21,409
 $24,163
 $27,191
 $39,816
 $100,571
 $281,846
Unscheduled49,894
 5,861
 124,676
 45,192
 457
 
 
 226,080
September 30, 2017$111,855
 $12,596
 $146,085
 $69,355
 $27,648
 $39,816
 $100,571
 $507,926
                
Scheduled$21,687
 $9,116
 $41,821
 $35,169
 $
 $9,885
 $1,166,922
 $1,284,600
Unscheduled51,442
 10,737
 47,262
 46,776
 
 
 4,000
 160,217
June 30, 2017$73,129
 $19,853
 $89,083
 $81,945
 $
 $9,885
 $1,170,922
 $1,444,817
                
Scheduled$70,394
 $16,184
 $48,375
 $36,322
 $26,909
 $8,934
 $161,451
 $368,569
Unscheduled114,811
 11,985
 64,486
 39,457
 814
 
 102,059
 333,612
March 31, 2017$185,205
 $28,169
 $112,861
 $75,779
 $27,723
 $8,934
 $263,510
 $702,181
                
Scheduled$20,566
 $15,209
 $21,546
 $21,325
 $
 $15,929
 $311,739
 $406,314
Unscheduled47,156
 10,767
 111,137
 34,477
 4,427
 
 2,240
 210,204
December 31, 2016$67,722
 $25,976
 $132,683
 $55,802
 $4,427
 $15,929
 $313,979
 $616,518
                
For the year ended:               
Scheduled$253,290
 $36,484
 $158,548
 $130,722
 $58,821
 $33,047
 $2,822,608
 $3,493,520
Unscheduled293,719
 27,021
 231,221
 165,993
 90,272
 120,022
 9,760
 938,008
December 31, 2018$547,009
 $63,505
 $389,769
 $296,715
 $149,093
 $153,069
 $2,832,368
 $4,431,528
                
Scheduled$179,890
 $46,406
 $148,411
 $118,035
 $54,415
 $72,256
 $1,660,661
 $2,280,074
Unscheduled265,376
 35,524
 280,399
 155,810
 6,147
 
 106,059
 849,315
December 31, 2017$445,266
 $81,930
 $428,810
 $273,845
 $60,562
 $72,256
 $1,766,720
 $3,129,389






132109







Table 41
Outstanding Business Volume
Agricultural FinanceRural Infrastructure Finance
Farm & RanchCorporate AgFinanceRural UtilitiesRenewable EnergyTotal
(in thousands)
As of:
December 31, 2021$16,094,639 $1,537,834 $5,895,227 $86,763 $23,614,463 
September 30, 202115,565,589 1,379,816 6,080,691 92,695 23,118,791 
June 30, 202114,873,926 1,664,059 5,566,591 92,585 22,197,161 
March 31, 202114,738,052 1,647,796 5,382,835 93,848 21,862,531 
December 31, 202014,872,894 1,664,115 5,314,051 73,035 21,924,095 
September 30, 202014,737,485 1,646,679 5,575,841 29,283 21,989,288 
June 30, 202014,778,474 1,509,378 5,734,694 19,562 22,042,108 
March 31, 202014,681,403 1,390,637 5,447,470 19,802 21,539,312 
December 31, 201914,559,268 1,328,602 5,220,270 9,802 21,117,942 


Table 3142
On-Balance Sheet Outstanding Business Volume
Fixed Rate5- to 10-Year ARMs & Resets1-Month to 3-Year ARMsTotal Held in Portfolio
(in thousands)
As of:
December 31, 2021$13,228,675 $2,896,014 $3,695,269 $19,819,958 
September 30, 202112,921,572 2,872,499 3,818,550 19,612,621 
June 30, 202111,800,429 2,878,637 4,254,625 18,933,691 
March 31, 202111,454,321 2,824,551 4,410,661 18,689,533 
December 31, 202011,330,414 2,816,840 4,511,964 18,659,218 
September 30, 202010,879,372 2,811,547 5,013,640 18,704,559 
June 30, 202010,793,629 2,845,266 5,076,445 18,715,340 
March 31, 202010,296,598 2,818,869 4,996,478 18,111,945 
December 31, 201910,045,712 2,863,199 4,702,577 17,611,488 



Lines of Business - Outstanding Business Volume
 Farm & Ranch USDA Guarantees Rural Utilities Institutional Credit  
 Loans Guaranteed Securities LTSPCs USDA Securities Loans LTSPCs AgVantage Total
 (in thousands)
As of:   ��           
December 31, 2018$4,588,322
 $135,862
 $2,509,787
 $2,515,620
 $938,843
 $653,273
 $8,382,817
 $19,724,524
September 30, 20184,420,619
 287,594
 2,363,805
 2,471,251
 962,702
 669,335
 8,365,280
 19,540,586
June 30, 20184,378,958
 297,833
 2,368,606
 2,418,115
 991,819
 677,621
 8,391,885
 19,524,837
March 31, 20184,274,359
 314,497
 2,343,146
 2,391,739
 1,043,477
 686,320
 8,325,905
 19,379,443
December 31, 20174,198,733
 333,511
 2,335,342
 2,352,214
 1,076,291
 806,342
 7,904,878
 19,007,311
September 30, 20174,068,893
 354,823
 2,133,314
 2,298,956
 1,066,482
 819,963
 7,901,842
 18,644,273
June 30, 20173,882,474
 367,419
 2,176,625
 2,237,013
 1,024,130
 859,779
 7,711,418
 18,258,858
March 31, 20173,643,386
 387,272
 2,209,809
 2,149,697
 999,130
 869,664
 7,585,583
 17,844,541
December 31, 20163,514,454
 415,441
 2,209,409
 2,094,375
 999,512
 878,598
 7,287,686
 17,399,475
110


Table 32
On-Balance Sheet Outstanding Business Volume
 Fixed Rate 5- to 10-Year ARMs & Resets 1-Month to 3-Year ARMs Total Held in Portfolio
 (in thousands)
As of:       
December 31, 2018$8,325,347
 $2,717,505
 $4,705,169
 $15,748,021
September 30, 20187,945,007
 2,629,612
 4,986,987
 15,561,606
June 30, 20187,551,149
 2,594,399
 5,398,021
 15,543,569
March 31, 20187,507,581
 2,498,985
 5,432,923
 15,439,489
December 31, 20177,158,014
 2,499,203
 5,309,126
 14,966,343
September 30, 20176,921,477
 2,447,923
 5,426,757
 14,796,157
June 30, 20176,722,463
 2,406,120
 5,226,982
 14,355,565
March 31, 20175,373,283
 2,330,819
 5,255,146
 12,959,248
December 31, 20165,346,011
 2,274,535
 4,888,291
 12,508,837




133







The following table presents the quarterly net effective spread (a non-GAAP measure) by segment:


Table 3343
Net Effective Spread(1)
Agricultural FinanceRural Infrastructure FinanceTreasury
Farm & RanchCorporate AgFinanceRural UtilitiesRenewable EnergyFundingInvestmentsNet Effective Spread
DollarsYieldDollarsYieldDollarsYieldDollarsYieldDollarsYieldDollarsYieldDollarsYield
(dollars in thousands)
For the quarter ended:
December 31, 2021(2)
$28,998 0.99 %$6,321 1.84 %$2,521 0.19 %$356 1.53 %$15,979 0.28 %$158 0.01 %$54,333 0.94 %
September 30, 202128,914 1.06 %7,163 1.80 %2,067 0.16 %236 1.09 %17,386 0.31 %159 0.01 %55,925 0.99 %
June 30, 202129,163 1.06 %6,676 1.65 %1,759 0.14 %378 1.80 %18,449 0.33 %126 0.01 %56,551 1.01 %
March 31, 202126,461 0.98 %6,921 1.67 %1,720 0.14 %249 1.28 %18,394 0.33 %114 0.01 %53,859 0.97 %
December 31, 2020(1)
25,596 0.95 %6,237 1.53 %1,838 0.15 %123 1.20 %20,585 0.37 %143 0.01 %54,522 0.98 %
September 30, 202023,735 0.89 %5,786 1.45 %2,022 0.16 %75 1.19 %20,034 0.37 %150 0.01 %51,802 0.96 %
June 30, 202021,597 0.83 %4,997 1.36 %1,701 0.14 %47 0.93 %19,449 0.37 %(1,322)(0.13)%46,469 0.89 %
March 31, 202019,230 0.76 %4,421 1.32 %1,315 0.11 %58 1.51 %19,150 0.39 %(11)— %44,163 0.89 %
December 31, 201920,677 0.83 %4,049 1.33 %1,411 0.12 %22 1.07 %19,868 0.41 %(36)— %45,991 0.95 %
(1)Farmer Mac excludes the Corporate segment in the presentation above because the segment does not have any interest-earning assets.
(2)See Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements for a reconciliation of GAAP net interest income by segment to net effective spread by segment for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.































 Net Effective Spread by Line of Business  
 Farm & Ranch USDA Guarantees Rural Utilities Institutional Credit Corporate 
Net Effective Spread(1)
 Dollars Yield Dollars Yield Dollars Yield Dollars Yield Dollars Yield Dollars Yield
 (dollars in thousands)
For the quarter ended:                       
December 31, 2018(2)
$13,288
 1.79% $4,630
 0.85% $2,833
 1.19% $15,751
 0.80% $2,353
 0.36% $38,855
 0.93%
September 30, 201813,887
 1.91% 4,627
 0.86% 2,877
 1.18% 15,642
 0.78% 2,044
 0.30% 39,077
 0.93%
June 30, 201813,347
 1.86% 4,398
 0.83% 2,923
 1.15% 15,220
 0.76% 274
 0.04% 36,162
 0.86%
March 31, 201812,540
 1.80% 4,400
 0.82% 2,950
 1.12% 14,824
 0.78% 2,387
 0.36% 37,101
 0.91%
December 31, 2017(2)
12,396
 1.80% 4,979
 0.93% 3,057
 1.14% 14,800
 0.78% 2,235
 0.35% 37,467
 0.93%
September 30, 201711,303
 1.73% 4,728
 0.90% 2,765
 1.07% 14,455
 0.78% 2,725
 0.41% 35,976
 0.91%
June 30, 201711,158
 1.77% 4,551
 0.87% 2,669
 1.06% 14,467
 0.81% 2,489
 0.36% 35,334
 0.91%
March 31, 201710,511
 1.77% 4,561
 0.89% 2,568
 1.04% 12,615
 0.82% 2,271
 0.32% 32,526
 0.90%
December 31, 201610,131
 1.75% 5,152
 1.04% 2,530
 1.02% 11,636
 0.78% 1,999
 0.26% 31,448
 0.88%
111
(1)
Net effective spread is a non-GAAP measure. Effective in fourth quarter 2017, Farmer Mac revised its methodology for calculating net effective spread to also include the net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives. All prior period information has been recast to reflect the revised net effective spread methodology. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures—Net Effective Spread" for more information about net effective spread.
(2)
See Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements for a reconciliation of GAAP net interest income by line of business to net effective spread by line of business for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.






























134







The following table presents quarterly core earnings (a non-GAAP measure) reconciled to net income attributable to common stockholders:


Table 3444
Core Earnings by Quarter End
December 2021September 2021June 2021March 2021December 2020September 2020June 2020March 2020December 2019
(in thousands)
Revenues:
Net effective spread$54,333 $55,925 $56,551 $53,859 $54,522 $51,802 $46,469 $44,163 $45,991 
Guarantee and commitment fees4,637 4,322 4,334 4,240 4,652 4,659 4,943 4,896 5,432 
Gain on sale of mortgage loans6,539 — — — — — — — — 
Other241 687 301 451 512 453 1,048 674 100 
Total revenues65,750 60,934 61,186 58,550 59,686 56,914 52,460 49,733 51,523 
Credit related expense/(income):
(Release of)/provision for losses(1,428)255 (983)(31)2,973 1,200 51 3,831 2,851 
REO operating expenses— — — — — — — — — 
Losses/(gains) on sale of REO— — — — 22 — — (485)— 
Total credit related expense/(income)(1,428)255 (983)(31)2,995 1,200 51 3,346 2,851 
Operating expenses:
Compensation and employee benefits11,246 10,027 9,779 11,795 9,497 8,791 8,087 10,127 6,732 
General and administrative8,492 6,330 6,349 6,336 6,274 5,044 5,295 5,363 5,773 
Regulatory fees812 750 750 750 750 725 725 725 725 
Total operating expenses20,550 17,107 16,878 18,881 16,521 14,560 14,107 16,215 13,230 
Net earnings46,628 43,572 45,291 39,700 40,170 41,154 38,302 30,172 35,442 
Income tax expense9,809 9,152 9,463 8,520 8,470 8,297 8,016 6,598 7,526 
Preferred stock dividends6,792 6,774 5,842 5,269 5,269 5,166 3,939 3,431 3,432 
Core earnings$30,027 $27,646 $29,986 $25,911 $26,431 $27,691 $26,347 $20,143 $24,484 
Reconciling items:
(Losses)/gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes$(1,213)$(1,864)$(3,721)$1,695 $(1,758)$(4,149)$8,700 $(6,484)$4,469 
Gains/(losses) on hedging activities due to fair value changes1,476 (2,093)(2,097)(271)3,827 (5,245)(2,676)(5,925)(220)
Unrealized (losses)/gains on trading assets(76)36 (61)(14)223 (258)(20)106 172 
Net effects of amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets consolidated at fair value71 23 20 16 (77)97 35 40 
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives(429)(351)109 1,165 1,583 233 720 (1,300)1,339 
Issuance costs on the retirement of preferred stock— — — — — (1,667)— — — 
Income tax effect related to reconciling items36 892 1,208 (544)(798)1,957 (1,419)2,856 (1,218)
Net income attributable to common stockholders$29,892 $24,289 $25,444 $27,958 $29,431 $18,659 $31,687 $9,399 $29,066 

Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Core Earnings by Quarter End
 December 2018 September 2018 June 2018 March 2018 December 2017 September 2017 June 2017 March 2017 December 2016
                  
Revenues:                 
Net effective spread$38,855
 $39,077
 $36,162
 $37,101
 $37,467
 $35,976
 $35,334
 $32,526
 $31,448
Guarantee and commitment fees5,309
 5,170
 5,171
 5,083
 5,157
 4,935
 4,942
 5,316
 5,158
Other(129) 110
 111
 428
 69
 274
 107
 485
 545
Total revenues44,035
 44,357
 41,444
 42,612
 42,693
 41,185
 40,383
 38,327
 37,151
                  
Credit related expense/(income):                 
Provision for/(release of) losses166
 (3) 582
 (410) 464
 384
 466
 444
 512
REO operating expenses
 
 
 16
 
 
 23
 
 
Losses/(gains) on sale of REO
 41
 (34) 
 (964) (32) (757) 5
 
Total credit related expense/(income)166
 38
 548
 (394) (500) 352
 (268) 449
 512
                  
Operating expenses:                 
Compensation and employee benefits7,167
 6,777
 6,936
 6,654
 5,247
 5,987
 6,682
 6,317
 5,949
General and administrative5,829
 4,350
 5,202
 4,326
 4,348
 3,890
 3,921
 3,800
 4,352
Regulatory fees687
 625
 625
 625
 625
 625
 625
 625
 625
Total operating expenses13,683
 11,752
 12,763
 11,605
 10,220
 10,502
 11,228
 10,742
 10,926
                  
Net earnings30,186
 32,567
 28,133
 31,401
 32,973
 30,331
 29,423
 27,136
 25,713
Income tax expense6,431
 6,891
 5,477
 6,259
 11,796
 10,268
 10,307
 8,844
 9,189
Net (loss)/income attributable to non-controlling interest(1)

 
 
 
 
 
 (150) (15) 28
Preferred stock dividends3,296
 3,295
 3,296
 3,295
 3,296
 3,295
 3,296
 3,295
 3,296
Core earnings$20,459
 $22,381
 $19,360
 $21,847
 $17,881
 $16,768
 $15,970
 $15,012
 $13,200
                  
Reconciling items:                 
(Losses)/gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes(96) 3,625
 6,709
 (2,279) (261) 995
 801
 8,683
 17,906
(Losses)/gains on hedging activities due to fair value changes(853) 1,051
 1,687
 2,564
 (3) 1,742
 1,420
 (3,878) (673)
Unrealized gains/(losses) on trading assets57
 (3) 11
 16
 60
 
 (2) (82) (474)
Amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets consolidated at fair value67
 (38) 196
 (686) (129) (954) (117) (127) (40)
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives(312) 546
 232
 1,242
 632
 862
 232
 948
 2,150
Re-measurement of net deferred tax asset due to enactment of new tax legislation
 
 
 
 (1,365) 
 
 
 
Income tax effect related to reconciling items238
 (1,088) (1,855) (180) (105) (926) (816) (1,941) (6,604)
Net income attributable to common stockholders$19,560
 $26,474
 $26,340
 $22,524
 $16,710
 $18,487
 $17,488
 $18,615
 $25,465
(1)
As of May 1, 2017, Farmer Mac transferred its entire 65% ownership interest in AgVisory back to the limited liability company.



135




Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk


Farmer Mac is exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates.  Farmer Mac manages this market risk by entering into various financial transactions, including financial derivatives, and by monitoring and

112





measuring its exposure to changes in interest rates. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Interest Rate Risk" for more information about Farmer Mac's exposure to interest rate risk and its strategies to manage that risk.  For information about Farmer Mac's use of financial derivatives and related accounting policies, see Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements.



Item 8.Financial Statements

Item 8.Financial Statements

Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting


The management of Farmer Mac is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision of Farmer Mac's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of Farmer Mac's financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.


Farmer Mac's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that: (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of Farmer Mac; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of Farmer Mac are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of Farmer Mac; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of Farmer Mac's assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.


Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.


Under the supervision and with the participation of Farmer Mac's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Farmer Mac's management assessed the effectiveness of Farmer Mac's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018.2021. In making this assessment, Farmer Mac's management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013). Based on its evaluation under the COSO criteria, management concluded that Farmer Mac's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 20182021 was effective.  


Farmer Mac's independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, has audited the effectiveness of Farmer Mac's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018,2021, as stated in their report appearing below.




136113










Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm


To the Board of Directors and Stockholders
of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation:Corporation


Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting


We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation and its subsidiaries (the "Company"“Company”) as of December 31, 20182021 and 20172020, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018,2021, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018,2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).


In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017, 2020, and the results of itsoperations and itscash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018 2021in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018,2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework(2013)issued by the COSO.


Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for credit losses in 2020.

Basis for Opinions


The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management'sManagement’s Report on Internal ControlsControl over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.


We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.


Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and

114





performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well


137



as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.


Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting


A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.


Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.



Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Valuation of Available-for-sale AgVantage Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities

As disclosed by management, the Company guarantees and purchases general obligations of lenders and other financial institutions that are secured by pools of the types of loans eligible for purchase under Farmer Mac's Agricultural Finance or Rural Infrastructure Finance lines of business, which are referred to as AgVantage securities. As described in Notes 5 and 13 to the consolidated financial statements, the total unpaid principal balance of available-for-sale AgVantage securities as of December 31, 2021 was $6.1 billion, and the fair value of the available-for-sale AgVantage securities of December 31, 2021 was $6.3

115





billion. The fair value of AgVantage securities is estimated using a discounted cash flow model. The significant unobservable input used is the discount rate commensurate with the risks involved.

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the valuation of available-for-sale AgVantage securities is a critical audit matter are (i) the high degree of audit effort in performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence related to the discount rate assumption used by management in the valuation of the available-for-sale AgVantage securities, and (ii) the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the valuation of available-for-sale AgVantage securities, including controls over the model, data and assumption. These procedures also included, among others, (i) the involvement of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge to assist in developing an independent range of prices for a sample of available-for-sale AgVantage securities, and (ii) comparing management’s estimate to the independently developed range to evaluate the reasonableness of management’s estimate. Developing the independent range of prices involved testing the completeness and accuracy of data provided by management and independently developing the discount rate assumption.





/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
McLean, VAWashington, District of Columbia
February 21, 201928, 2022


We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2010.





138116







FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
As of
 December 31, 2021December 31, 2020
 (in thousands)
Assets:  
Cash and cash equivalents$908,785 $1,033,941 
Investment securities:  
Available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $3,834,714 and $3,843,666, respectively)3,836,391 3,853,692 
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost44,970 45,032 
Other investments1,229 — 
Total Investment Securities3,882,590 3,898,724 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:  
Available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $6,135,807 and $6,594,992, respectively)6,328,559 6,947,701 
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost2,033,239 1,175,792 
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities8,361,798 8,123,493 
USDA Securities:  
Trading, at fair value4,401 6,695 
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost2,436,331 2,473,626 
Total USDA Securities2,440,732 2,480,321 
Loans:  
Loans held for investment, at amortized cost8,314,096 7,261,933 
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost948,623 1,287,045 
Allowance for losses(14,041)(13,832)
Total loans, net of allowance9,248,678 8,535,146 
Financial derivatives, at fair value19,139 17,468 
Interest receivable (includes $10,418 and $16,401, respectively, related to consolidated trusts)177,355 186,429 
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable45,538 37,113 
Deferred tax asset, net15,558 18,321 
Prepaid expenses and other assets45,318 24,545 
Total Assets$25,145,491 $24,355,501 
Liabilities and Equity:  
Liabilities:  
Notes payable$22,716,156 $21,848,917 
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties981,379 1,323,786 
Financial derivatives, at fair value34,248 29,892 
Accrued interest payable (includes $9,619 and $14,370, respectively, related to consolidated trusts)83,992 92,738 
Guarantee and commitment obligation43,926 35,535 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses79,427 28,879 
Reserve for losses1,950 3,277 
Total Liabilities23,941,078 23,363,024 
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)00
Equity:  
Preferred stock:  
      Series C, par value $25 per share, 3,000,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding73,382 73,382 
Series D, par value $25 per share, 4,000,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding96,659 96,659 
Series E, par value $25 per share, 3,180,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding77,003 77,003 
Series F, par value $25 per share, 4,800,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding116,160 116,160 
Series G, par value $25 per share, 5,000,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding121,327 — 
Common stock:  
Class A Voting, $1 par value, no maximum authorization, 1,030,780 shares outstanding1,031 1,031 
Class B Voting, $1 par value, no maximum authorization, 500,301 shares outstanding500 500 
Class C Non-Voting, $1 par value, no maximum authorization, 9,235,205 shares and 9,205,897 shares outstanding, respectively9,235 9,206 
Additional paid-in capital125,993 122,899 
Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss), net of tax3,853 (13,923)
Retained earnings579,270 509,560 
Total Equity1,204,413 992,477 
Total Liabilities and Equity$25,145,491 $24,355,501 
 As of
 December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
 (in thousands)
Assets:   
Cash and cash equivalents$425,256
 $302,022
Investment securities: 
  
Available-for-sale, at fair value2,217,852
 2,215,405
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost45,032
 45,032
Total Investment Securities2,262,884
 2,260,437
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities: 
  
Available-for-sale, at fair value5,974,497
 5,471,914
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost2,096,618
 2,126,274
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities8,071,115
 7,598,188
USDA Securities: 
  
Trading, at fair value9,999
 13,515
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost2,166,174
 2,117,850
Total USDA Securities2,176,173
 2,131,365
Loans: 
  
Loans held for investment, at amortized cost4,004,968
 3,873,755
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost1,517,101
 1,399,827
Allowance for loan losses(7,017) (6,796)
Total loans, net of allowance5,515,052
 5,266,786
Real estate owned, at lower of cost or fair value128
 139
Financial derivatives, at fair value7,487
 7,093
Interest receivable (includes $19,783 and $17,373, respectively, related to consolidated trusts)180,080
 155,278
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable40,366
 39,895
Deferred tax asset, net6,369
 2,048
Prepaid expenses and other assets9,418
 29,023
Total Assets$18,694,328
 $17,792,274
    
Liabilities and Equity: 
  
Liabilities: 
  
Notes payable: 
  
Due within one year$7,757,050
 $8,089,826
Due after one year8,486,647
 7,432,790
Total notes payable16,243,697
 15,522,616
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties1,528,957
 1,404,945
Financial derivatives, at fair value19,633
 26,599
Accrued interest payable (includes $17,125 and $14,631, respectively, related to consolidated trusts)96,743
 75,402
Guarantee and commitment obligation38,683
 38,400
Accounts payable and accrued expenses11,891
 14,096
Deferred tax liability, net
 
Reserve for losses2,167
 2,070
Total Liabilities17,941,771
 17,084,128
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 6)

 

Equity: 
  
Preferred stock: 
  
Series A, par value $25 per share, 2,400,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding58,333
 58,333
Series B, par value $25 per share, 3,000,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding73,044
 73,044
      Series C, par value $25 per share, 3,000,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding73,382
 73,382
Common stock: 
  
Class A Voting, $1 par value, no maximum authorization, 1,030,780 shares outstanding1,031
 1,031
Class B Voting, $1 par value, no maximum authorization, 500,301 shares outstanding500
 500
Class C Non-Voting, $1 par value, no maximum authorization, 9,137,550 shares and 9,087,670 shares outstanding, respectively9,138
 9,088
Additional paid-in capital118,822
 118,979
Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax24,956
 51,085
Retained earnings393,351
 322,704
Total Equity752,557
 708,146
Total Liabilities and Equity$18,694,328
 $17,792,274
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.




139117







FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

For the Year Ended December 31,For the Years Ended December 31,
2018 2017 2016 202120202019
(in thousands, except per share amounts) (in thousands, except per share amounts)
Interest income:     Interest income:
Investments and cash equivalents$55,179
 $34,586
 $27,042
Investments and cash equivalents$18,660 $42,144 $81,522 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities290,953
 203,796
 150,281
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities163,547 227,691 333,896 
Loans198,152
 162,150
 134,577
Loans242,582 233,699 229,675 
Total interest income544,284
 400,532
 311,900
Total interest income424,789 503,534 645,093 
Total interest expense369,848
 242,885
 171,626
Total interest expense204,014 312,946 471,958 
Net interest income174,436
 157,647
 140,274
Net interest income220,775 190,588 173,135 
Provision for loan losses(238) (1,708) (1,065)
Net interest income after provision for loan losses174,198
 155,939
 139,209
Non-interest income:     
Release of/(provision for) lossesRelease of/(provision for) losses860 (7,805)(3,504)
Net interest income after release of/(provision for) lossesNet interest income after release of/(provision for) losses221,635 182,783 169,631 
Non-interest income/(expense):Non-interest income/(expense):
Guarantee and commitment fees13,976
 14,114
 14,868
Guarantee and commitment fees12,669 12,549 13,666 
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives(3,687) 753
 2,311
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives(3,348)(246)5,282 
Gains/(losses) on trading securities81
 (24) 1,460
Gain on sale of mortgage loansGain on sale of mortgage loans6,539 — — 
(Losses)/gains on trading securities(Losses)/gains on trading securities(115)50 326 
Gains/(losses) on sale of available-for-sale investment securities
 89
 (9)Gains/(losses) on sale of available-for-sale investment securities253 — (236)
(Losses)/gains on sale of real estate owned(7) 1,748
 15
Gains on sale of real estate ownedGains on sale of real estate owned— 463 — 
Release of/(provision for) reserve for lossesRelease of/(provision for) reserve for losses1,327 (250)
Other income1,377
 832
 1,823
Other income2,069 3,487 1,904 
Non-interest income11,740
 17,512
 20,468
Non-interest income19,394 16,053 20,945 
Non-interest expense:     
Operating expenses:Operating expenses:
Compensation and employee benefits27,534
 24,233
 22,772
Compensation and employee benefits42,847 36,502 28,762 
General and administrative19,707
 15,959
 15,109
General and administrative27,507 21,976 20,311 
Regulatory fees2,562
 2,500
 2,463
Regulatory fees3,062 2,925 2,788 
Real estate owned operating costs, net16
 23
 39
Real estate owned operating costs, net— — 64 
Provision for/(release of) reserve for losses97
 50
 (63)
Non-interest expense49,916
 42,765
 40,320
Operating expensesOperating expenses73,416 61,403 51,925 
Income before income taxes136,022
 130,686
 119,357
Income before income taxes167,613 137,433 138,651 
Income tax expense27,942
 46,369
 42,057
Income tax expense35,353 28,785 29,105 
Net income108,080
 84,317
 77,300
Net income132,260 108,648 109,546 
Less: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest
 165
 34
Net income attributable to Farmer Mac108,080
 84,482
 77,334
Preferred stock dividends(13,182) (13,182) (13,182)Preferred stock dividends(24,677)(17,805)(13,940)
Loss on retirement of preferred stockLoss on retirement of preferred stock— (1,667)(1,956)
Net income attributable to common stockholders$94,898
 $71,300
 $64,152
Net income attributable to common stockholders$107,583 $89,176 $93,650 
     
Earnings per common share and dividends:     
Earnings per common share:Earnings per common share:
Basic earnings per common share$8.91
 $6.73
 $6.12
Basic earnings per common share$10.00 $8.31 $8.76 
Diluted earnings per common share$8.83
 $6.60
 $5.97
Diluted earnings per common share$9.92 $8.27 $8.69 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.



118
140







FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 (in thousands)
Net income$108,080
 $84,317
 $77,300
Other comprehensive income before taxes:     
Net unrealized (losses)/gains on available-for-sale securities(29,980) 20,012
 (6,694)
Net changes in held-to-maturity securities(6,067) (9,329) 71,120
Net unrealized gains on cash flow hedges2,938
 2,046
 4,463
Other comprehensive (loss)/income before tax(33,109) 12,729
 68,889
Income tax benefit/(expense) related to other comprehensive (loss)/income6,953
 (4,455) (24,112)
Other comprehensive (loss)/income net of tax(26,156) 8,274
 44,777
Comprehensive income81,924
 92,591
 122,077
Less: comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interest
 165
 34
Comprehensive income attributable to Farmer Mac$81,924
 $92,756
 $122,111
For the Years Ended December 31,
 202120202019
 (in thousands
Net income$132,260 $108,648 $109,546 
Other comprehensive income/(loss) before taxes:
Net unrealized gains/(losses) on available-for-sale securities8,867 37,291 (22,831)
Net changes in held-to-maturity securities(8,451)(12,677)(13,415)
Net unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges22,084 (21,780)(15,801)
Other comprehensive income/(loss) before tax22,500 2,834 (52,047)
Income tax (expense)/benefit related to other comprehensive income/(loss)(4,724)(596)10,930 
Other comprehensive income/(loss) net of tax17,776 2,238 (41,117)
Comprehensive income$150,036 $110,886 $68,429 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.



119
141







FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY
Accumulated
AdditionalOther
Preferred StockCommon StockPaid-InComprehensiveRetainedTotal
SharesAmountSharesAmountCapitalIncome/(Loss)EarningsEquity
(in thousands)
Balance as of January 1, 20198,400 $204,759 10,669 $10,669 $118,822 $24,956 $393,351 $752,557 
Net Income— — — — — — 109,546 109,546 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax— — — — — (41,117)— (41,117)
Cash dividends:
Preferred stock— — — — — — (13,940)(13,940)
Common stock (cash dividend of $0.70 per share)— — — — — — (29,954)(29,954)
Issuance of Series D Preferred Stock4,000 96,659 — — — — — 96,659 
Redemption of Series B Preferred Stock(3,000)(73,044)— — — — — (73,044)
Loss on retirement of preferred stock— — — — — — (1,956)(1,956)
Issuance of Class C Common Stock— — 43 43 44 — — 87 
Stock-based compensation cost— — — — 2,258 — — 2,258 
Other stock-based award activity— — — — (1,820)— — (1,820)
Balance as of December 31, 20199,400 $228,374 10,712 $10,712 $119,304 $(16,161)$457,047 $799,276 
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of current
expected credit loss standard
— — — — — — (2,099)(2,099)
Balance as of January 1, 20209,400 $228,374 10,712 $10,712 $119,304 $(16,161)$454,948 $797,177 
Net Income— — — — — — 108,648 108,648 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax— — — — — 2,238 — 2,238 
Cash dividends:
Preferred stock— — — — — — (17,805)(17,805)
Common stock (cash dividend of $0.80 per share)— — — — — — (34,333)(34,333)
Issuance of Series E Preferred Stock3,180 77,003 — — — — — 77,003 
Issuance of Series F Preferred Stock4,800 116,160 — — — — — 116,160 
Redemption of Series A preferred stock(2,400)(58,333)— — — — — (58,333)
Loss on retirement of preferred stock— — — — — — (1,667)(1,667)
Issuance of Class C Common Stock— — 29 29 56 — — 85 
Repurchase of Class C Common Stock— — (4)(4)— — (231)(235)
Stock-based compensation cost— — — — 4,128 — — 4,128 
Other stock-based award activity— — — — (589)— — (589)
Balance as of December 31, 202014,980 $363,204 10,737 $10,737 $122,899 $(13,923)$509,560 $992,477 
Net Income— — — — — — 132,260 132,260 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax— — — — — 17,776 — 17,776 
Cash dividends:
Preferred stock— — — — — — (24,677)(24,677)
Common stock (cash dividend of $0.88 per share)— — — — — — (37,873)(37,873)
Issuance of Series G Preferred Stock5,000 121,327 — — — — — 121,327 
Issuance of Class C Common Stock— — 29 29 116 — — 145 
Stock-based compensation cost— — — — 4,310 — — 4,310 
Other stock-based award activity— — — — (1,332)— — (1,332)
Balance as of December 31, 202119,980 $484,531 10,766 $10,766 $125,993 $3,853 $579,270 $1,204,413 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

120
           Accumulated      
         Additional Other      
 Preferred Stock Common Stock Paid-In Comprehensive Retained Non-controlling Total
 Shares Amount Shares Amount Capital Income/(Loss) Earnings Interest Equity
 (in thousands)
Balance as of January 1, 20168,400
 $204,759
 10,687
 $10,687
 $117,862
 $(11,019) $231,228
 $203
 $553,720
Net income/(loss):                 
Attributable to Farmer Mac
 
 
 
 
 
 77,334
 
 77,334
Attributable to non-controlling interest
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (34) (34)
Other comprehensive income, net of tax
 
 
 
 
 44,777
 
 
 44,777
Cash dividends:                 
Preferred stock
 
 
 
 
 
 (13,182) 
 (13,182)
Common stock
 
 
 
 
 
 (10,885) 
 (10,885)
Issuance of Class C Common Stock
 
 159
 159
 534
 
 
 
 693
Repurchase of Class C Common Stock
 
 (307) (307) 
 
 (8,781) 
 (9,088)
Stock-based compensation cost
 
 
 
 3,343
 
 
 
 3,343
Other stock-based award activity
 
 
 
 (3,084) 
 
 
 (3,084)
Redemption of interest in subsidiary - non-controlling interest
 
 
 
 
 
 
 53
 53
Balance as of December 31, 20168,400
 $204,759
 10,539
 $10,539
 $118,655
 $33,758
 $275,714
 $222
 $643,647
Net income/(loss):                 
Attributable to Farmer Mac
 
 
 
 
 
 84,482
 
 84,482
Attributable to non-controlling interest
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (165) (165)
Other comprehensive income, net of tax
 
 
 
 
 8,274
 
 
 8,274
Reclassification of stranded tax effects due to enactment of new tax legislation
 
 
 
 
 9,053
 (9,053) 
 
Cash dividends:                 
Preferred stock
 
 
 
 
 
 (13,182) 
 (13,182)
Common stock
 
 
 
 
 
 (15,257) 
 (15,257)
Issuance of Class C Common Stock
 
 80
 80
 231
 
 
 
 311
Stock-based compensation cost
 
 
 
 2,701
 
 
 
 2,701
Other stock-based award activity
 
 
 
 (2,608) 
 
 
 (2,608)
Redemption of interest in subsidiary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (57) (57)
Balance as of December 31, 20178,400
 $204,759
 10,619
 $10,619
 $118,979
 $51,085
 $322,704
 $
 $708,146
                  
Balance as of December 31, 20178,400
 $204,759
 10,619
 $10,619
 $118,979
 $51,085
 $322,704
 $
 $708,146
Cumulative effect from change in hedge accounting
 
 
 
 
 27
 471
 
 498
Balance as of January 1, 20188,400
 $204,759
 10,619
 $10,619
 $118,979
 $51,112
 $323,175
 $
 $708,644
Net income:                 
Attributable to Farmer Mac
 
 
 
 
 
 108,080
 
 108,080
Other comprehensive income, net of tax
 
 
 
 
 (26,156) 
 
 (26,156)
Cash dividends:                 
Preferred stock
 
 
 
 
 
 (13,182) 
 (13,182)
Common stock
 
 
 
 
 
 (24,722) 
 (24,722)
Issuance of Class C Common Stock
 
 50
 50
 7
 
 
 
 57
Stock-based compensation cost
 
 
 
 2,518
 
 
 
 2,518
Other stock-based award activity
 
 
 
 (2,682) 
 
 
 (2,682)
Balance as of December 31, 20188,400
 $204,759
 10,669
 $10,669
 $118,822
 $24,956
 $393,351
 $
 $752,557





FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOW
For the Years Ended December 31,
 202120202019
 (in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities: 
Net income$132,260 $108,648 $109,546 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Net amortization of deferred gains, premiums, and discounts on loans, investments, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and USDA Securities17,314 8,343 (10,399)
Amortization of debt premiums, discounts, and issuance costs6,780 21,319 50,052 
Net change in fair value of trading securities, hedged assets, and financial derivatives203,758 (256,466)(220,080)
Gain on sale of real estate owned— (463)— 
Gain on the sale of available-for-sale investment securities(253)— — 
Gain on the sale of mortgage loans(6,539)— — 
Total (release)/provision for allowance for losses(2,187)8,055 3,501 
Excess tax benefits related to stock-based awards292 (440)449 
Deferred income taxes(1,960)(2,406)789 
Other— — 236 
Stock-based compensation expense4,311 4,128 2,258 
Purchases of loans held for sale— (59,150)— 
Proceeds from the sale of loans held for sale— 15,000 — 
Proceeds from repayment of loans purchased as held for sale46,968 59,370 54,195 
Net change in:
Interest receivable6,945 11,054 (19,080)
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable(34)164 (59)
Other assets(9,830)(3,348)(2,744)
Accrued interest payable(8,746)(14,221)10,216 
Custodial deposit liability44,955 — — 
Other liabilities2,378 5,866 1,421 
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities436,412 (94,547)(19,699)
Cash flows from investing activities: 
Purchases of available-for-sale investment securities(2,004,911)(2,852,658)(2,166,376)
Purchases of other investment securities(1,229)— — 
Purchases of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities(4,380,901)(2,074,701)(2,691,104)
Purchases of loans held for investment(3,029,668)(3,167,198)(2,234,715)
Purchases of defaulted loans(8,713)(6,272)(469)
Proceeds from repayment of available-for-sale investment securities1,740,000 1,961,895 1,425,402 
Proceeds from repayment of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities4,027,726 2,517,957 2,190,702 
Proceeds from repayment of loans purchased as held for investment1,889,408 1,715,663 758,192 
Proceeds from sale of loans previously classified as held for investment301,393 — — 
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale investment securities257,524 — 12,367 
Proceeds from sale of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities113,175 165,054 321,414 
Proceeds from sale of real estate owned— 4,169 — 
Net cash used in investing activities(1,096,196)(1,736,091)(2,384,587)
Cash flows from financing activities: 
Proceeds from issuance of discount notes61,112,365 68,548,733 64,642,545 
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes11,173,147 13,509,754 10,195,775 
Payments to redeem discount notes(60,743,066)(68,960,492)(64,079,322)
Payments to redeem medium-term notes(10,586,370)(10,414,765)(7,970,126)
Payments to third parties on debt securities of consolidated trusts(480,272)(504,807)(181,493)
Proceeds from common stock issuance117 56 44 
Retirement of preferred stock— (60,000)(75,000)
Proceeds from preferred stock issuance, net of stock issuance costs121,327 193,163 96,659 
Tax payments related to share-based awards(1,305)(560)(1,777)
Purchases of common stock— (235)— 
Dividends paid on common and preferred stock(61,315)(50,649)(43,894)
Net cash provided by financing activities534,628 2,260,198 2,583,411 
Net change in cash and cash equivalents(125,156)429,560 179,125 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period1,033,941 604,381 425,256 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period$908,785 $1,033,941 $604,381 


121





Cash paid during the period for:
Interest198,593 283,335 365,526 
Income taxes36,300 30,000 23,100 
Non-cash activity:
Loans acquired and securitized as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities113,175 165,054 321,414 
Consolidation of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities from off-balance sheet to loans held for investment in consolidated trusts and to debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties113,175 165,054 263,561 
Reclassification of defaulted loans from loans held for investment in consolidated trusts to loans held for investment24,690 47,036 5,479 
Reclassification of loans held for sale to loans held for investment— 44,150 — 
Reclassification of loans held for investment to loans held for sale301,551 — — 
Net assets obtained in securitization15,369 — — 
Capitalized interest1,259 1,348 — 
(Recovery)/charge-off from the allowance for losses(1,054)5,759 — 
Loan payoff not yet received(7,500)— — 
Purchases of securities - traded, not yet settled1,980 — — 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.



122
142





FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 (in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities:     
Net income$108,080
 $84,317
 $77,300
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:   
  
Net amortization of deferred gains, premiums, and discounts on loans, investments, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and USDA Securities(1,104) 1,739
 1,828
Amortization of debt premiums, discounts and issuance costs30,207
 22,858
 31,757
Net change in fair value of trading securities, hedged assets, and financial derivatives(23,747) (11,187) (15,086)
Losses/(gains) on sale of real estate owned7
 (1,748) (15)
Total provision for losses335
 1,758
 1,002
Excess tax benefits related to stock-based awards946
 860
 
Deferred income taxes2,625
 3,221
 4,103
Other
 11
 9
Stock-based compensation expense2,517
 2,702
 3,343
Purchases of loans held for sale(25,000) 
 
Proceeds from the sale of loans held for sale25,000
 
 
Proceeds from repayment of trading investment securities
 
 2,212
Proceeds from repayment of loans purchased as held for sale92,060
 70,630
 70,087
Net change in:     
Interest receivable(25,866) (32,468) (9,922)
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable(188) 94
 1,318
Other assets(6,435) 3,641
 43,560
Accrued interest payable21,341
 25,702
 2,079
Other liabilities(747) 2,881
 (884)
Net cash provided by operating activities200,031
 175,011
 212,691
Cash flows from investing activities: 
  
  
Purchases of available-for-sale investment securities(1,221,392) (979,671) (1,753,423)
Purchases of held-to-maturity investment securities
 (45,032) 
Purchases of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities(3,470,832) (2,913,514) (2,579,980)
Purchases of loans held for investment(947,495) (1,266,926) (1,016,515)
Purchases of defaulted loans(9,231) (5,981) (2,516)
Proceeds from repayment of available-for-sale investment securities1,242,310
 1,326,779
 1,725,045
Proceeds from repayment of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities2,813,041
 1,063,178
 1,834,672
Proceeds from repayment of loans purchased as held for investment611,344
 435,356
 402,897
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale investment securities
 10,218
 186,769
Proceeds from sale of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities382,929
 519,219
 609,347
Proceeds from sale of real estate owned116
 8,099
 295
Net cash used by investing activities(599,210) (1,848,275) (593,409)
Cash flows from financing activities: 
  
  
Proceeds from issuance of discount notes41,726,788
 51,980,890
 95,036,368
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes7,692,845
 8,600,860
 6,519,115
Payments to redeem discount notes(41,891,576) (54,064,438) (97,918,539)
Payments to redeem medium-term notes(6,834,057) (4,675,300) (4,083,450)
Excess tax benefits related to stock-based awards
 
 1,428
Payments to third parties on debt securities of consolidated trusts(131,058) (101,218) (82,209)
Proceeds from common stock issuance7
 238
 553
Tax payments related to share-based awards(2,631) (2,536) (4,103)
Common stock repurchased
 
 (9,286)
Investment in subsidiary - non-controlling interest
 
 53
Dividends paid on common and preferred stock(37,905) (28,439) (24,067)
Net cash provided/(used) by financing activities522,413
 1,710,057
 (564,137)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents123,234
 36,793
 (944,855)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period302,022
 265,229
 1,210,084
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period$425,256
 $302,022
 $265,229
  The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.



143



FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1.ORGANIZATION

1.ORGANIZATION

The Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation ("Farmer Mac") is a stockholder-owned, federally chartered instrumentality of the United States established under Title VIII of the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended (12 U.S.C. §§ 2279aa et seq.), which is sometimes referred to as Farmer Mac's charter. Farmer Mac was originally created by the United States Congress to provide a secondary market for a variety of loans made to borrowers in rural America. This secondary market is designed to increase the availability of long-term credit at stable interest rates to America's rural communities and to provide rural borrowers with the benefits of capital markets pricing and product innovation.  Since Farmer Mac's inception, Congress has expanded Farmer Mac's charter to authorize Farmer Mac to create the USDA Guarantees line of business and to purchase, and guarantee securities backed by, loans made by cooperative lenders to finance electrification and telecommunications systems in rural areas.


Farmer Mac's main secondary market activities are:include:


purchasing eligible loans directly from lenders;
providing advances against eligible loans by purchasing obligations secured by those loans;
securitizing assets and guaranteeing the payment of principal and interest on the resulting securities that represent interests in, or obligations secured by, pools of eligible loans; and
issuing long-term standby purchase commitments ("LTSPCs") for eligible loans.


As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the total outstanding balance in all of Farmer Mac'sMac conducts its secondary market activities through two lines of business was $19.7 billion and $19.0 billion, respectively.

Under the Farm & Ranch line of business, Farmer Mac purchases eligible mortgage loans secured by first liens on agricultural real estate, which includes part-time farms and rural housing ("Farm & Ranch loans").  Farmer Mac also guarantees securities representing interests in pools of mortgage loans eligible for the Farm & Ranch line of business, which are referred to as "Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities."  Farmer Mac also commits to purchase, subject to the applicable LTSPC agreement, eligible Farm & Ranch mortgage loans. To be eligible, loans must meet Farmer Mac's credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other specified standards.  As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, outstanding loans held by Farmer Mac, loans that either backed off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities or were subject to LTSPCs, and other Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities totaled $7.2 billion and $6.9 billion, respectively.

Under the USDA Guarantees line of business, Farmer Mac II LLC, a subsidiary of Farmer Mac, purchases the portions of certain agricultural, rural development, business and industry, and community facilities loans guaranteed by the United States Department of Agriculture under the Consolidated Farm— Agricultural Finance and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. §§ 1921 et seq.).  USDA-guaranteed portions are referred to and presented on the consolidated balance sheets as "USDA Securities."  Farmer Mac II LLC also purchases USDA Securities in exchange for issuing securities to third parties backed byInfrastructure Finance. For more information about those USDA Securities, which are then also guaranteed by Farmer Mac. These issued securities are referred to and presented on the consolidated balance sheets as Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, outstanding Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities and USDA Securities totaled $2.5 billion and $2.4 billion, respectively.  



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Farmer Mac's authorized activities under the Rural Utilities line of business are similar to those conducted under the Farm & Ranch line of business – purchases of, and guarantees of securities backed by, eligible rural utilities loans, as well as the issuance of LTSPCs for pools of eligible rural utilities loans ("Rural Utilities loans").  To be eligible, loans must meet Farmer Mac's credit underwriting and other specified standards. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the aggregate outstanding principal balance of Rural Utilities loans held or subject to LTSPCs was $1.6 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively.

Under the Institutional Credit line of business, Farmer Mac guarantees and purchases general obligations of lenders that are secured by pools of loans that would be eligible under Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, or Rural Utilities lines of business. AgVantage® is a registered trademark of Farmer Mac used to designate Farmer Mac's guarantees of securities related to these general obligations of lenders that are secured by pools of eligible loans and that comprise the Institutional Credit line of business.  As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, outstanding securities held or guaranteed by Farmer Mac in its Institutional Credit line of business totaled $8.4 billion and $7.9 billion, respectively.

Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities, and AgVantage Securities are collectively referred to as "Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities."  The assets collateralizing Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities include (1) loans or loan participation interests eligible for purchase under either the Farm & Ranch or Rural Utilities lines of business or (2) USDA Securities eligible for purchase underand the USDA Guarantees line of business.  Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on the resulting Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.  Farmer Mac may retain Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities in its portfolio or sellsegments within them, to third parties.see Note 14 - Business Segments.


Farmer Mac's two principal sources of revenue are:
2.SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
interest income earned on assets held on balance sheet, net of related funding costs and interest payments and receipts on financial derivatives; and
guarantee and commitment fees received in connection with outstanding Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs.

Farmer Mac funds its purchases of eligible loan assets and liquidity investment assets primarily by issuing debt obligations of various maturities in the public capital markets.  As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had $1.6 billion of discount notes and $14.6 billion of medium-term notes outstanding.  The proceeds of debt issuance are invested in loan purchases, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and liquidity investment assets in accordance with policies established by Farmer Mac's board of directors that comply with regulations promulgated by the Farm Credit Administration ("FCA").


2.SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES


The accounting and reporting policies of Farmer Mac conform with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America ("generally accepted accounting principles" or "GAAP"). The
preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities (including, but not limited to, the allowance for loan losses, reserve for losses, other-than-temporary impairment of investment securities, and fair value measurements) as of the date of the
consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting
period. Actual results could differ


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from those estimates. The following are the significant accounting
policies that Farmer Mac follows in preparing and presenting its consolidated financial statements:


(a)Principles of Consolidation

(a) Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Farmer Mac and its two2 subsidiaries during the year: (1) Farmer Mac Mortgage Securities Corporation, ("FMMSC"), whose principal activities are to facilitate the purchase and issuance of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities; and (2) Farmer Mac II LLC, whose principal activity is the operation of substantially all of the business related to the USDA GuaranteesSecurities included in the Agricultural Finance line of business – primarily the acquisition of USDA Securities.business. The consolidated financial statements also include the accounts of VIEs in which Farmer Mac determined itself to be the primary beneficiary. The accounts of Contour Valuation Services, LLC (which began doing business as AgVisory during first quarter 2016) ("AgVisory"), Farmer Mac's former majority-owned subsidiary, are also included through June 30, 2017. Farmer Mac redeemed its ownership interest in AgVisory on May 1, 2017.



(b)Cash and Cash Equivalents and Statements of Cash Flows

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(b)Cash and Cash Equivalents

Farmer Mac considers highly liquid investment securities with maturities at the time of purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

The following table sets forth information regarding certain cash and non-cash transactions for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016:

Table 2.1

 For the Years Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 (in thousands)
Cash paid during the period for:     
Interest$268,728
 $161,060
 $110,609
Income taxes30,882
 39,500
 29,500
Non-cash activity:     
Real estate owned acquired through loan liquidation128
 5,400
 
Loans acquired and securitized as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities382,929
 519,219
 609,347
Consolidation of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities from off-balance sheet to loans held for investment in consolidated trusts and to debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties255,080
 363,475
 511,393
Purchases of securities - traded not yet settled(1,400) 1,400
 
Transfers of available-for-sale USDA Securities to held-to-maturity
 
 1,980,327
Transfers of available-for-sale Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities to held-to-maturity
 
 32,824

On October 1, 2016, Farmer Mac transferred $2.0 billion of USDA(c)Investment Securities, and $32.8 million of Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity to reflect Farmer Mac’s positive intent and ability to hold these securities until maturity or payoff. Farmer Mac transferred these securities at fair value as of the date of the transfer, which resulted in a cost basis adjustment of unrealized appreciation in the amount of $73.1 million for the USDA Securities, and $0.7 million for the Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities. The accumulated unrealized appreciation was retained in accumulated other comprehensive income in the amount of $73.8 million. Farmer Mac accounts for held-to-maturity


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securities at amortized cost. Both the cost basis adjustment and accumulated unrealized appreciation are being amortized as adjustments to the yield on the held-to-maturity USDA Securities over the remaining contractual term of the transferred securities.
(c)Investment Securities, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and USDA Securities


Securities for which Farmer Mac has the intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as held-to-maturity and are carried at amortized cost. Securities for which Farmer Mac does not have the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as available-for-sale or trading and are carried at estimated fair value. Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income in stockholders' equity. For securities classified as trading, unrealized gains and losses are included in earnings. Gains and losses on the sale of available-for-sale and trading securities are determined using the specific identification cost method.


Farmer Mac determines the fair value of investment securities using quoted market prices, when available, and evaluates the securities for other-than-temporary impairment.available. Farmer Mac determines the fair values of certain investment securities for which quoted market prices are not available, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and USDA Securities based on the present value of the associated expected future cash flows. In estimating the present value of the expected future cash flows, management is required to make estimates and assumptions. The key estimates and assumptions include discount rates and collateral repayment rates.  Premiums, discounts, and other deferred costs are amortized to interest income using the effective interest method.  


Farmer Mac generally receives compensation when loans with yield maintenance provisions underlying Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities prepay. These yield maintenance payments mitigate Farmer Mac's exposure to reinvestment risk and are calculated such that, when reinvested with the prepaid principal, they should generate substantially the same cash flows that would have been generated had the loans not prepaid. Yield maintenance payments are recognized as interest income in the consolidated statements of operations upon receipt.


Interest Income Recognition on IO-FMGS
(d)Loans


Farmer Mac recognizes interest income for its IO-FMGS by applying the effective yield methodology required by GAAP for financial assets that are either not of high credit quality at the time of acquisition or can be contractually prepaid or otherwise settled in such a way that Farmer Mac would not recover substantially all of its recorded investment. The amount of periodic interest income recognized is determined by applying the IO-FMGS effective interest rate to its amortized cost basis (or “reference amount”). At the time of acquisition, the effective interest rate is calculated by solving for the single discount rate that equates the present value of Farmer Mac's best estimate of the amount and timing of the cash flows expected to be collected from the IO-FMGS to its purchase cost. To prepare its best estimate of cash flows expected to be collected, Farmer Mac develops a number of assumptions about the future performance of the pool of mortgage loans that serve as collateral, including assumptions about the timing and amount of prepayments and credit losses. In each subsequent quarterly reporting period, the amount and timing of cash flows expected to be collected from the IO-FMGS are re-estimated based upon current information and events.


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(d)Loans

Loans for which Farmer Mac has the positive intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future are classified as held for investment and reported at their unpaid principal balance, net of unamortized purchase discounts or premiums. Loans for which Farmer Mac does not have the positive intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future are classified as held for sale and reported at the lower of cost or fair value determined on a pooled basis. Farmer Mac de-recognizes sold loans, and recognizes any associated gain or loss, when they have been legally isolated from Farmer Mac, the buyer has the right to pledge or exchange them, and Farmer Mac does not maintain effective control over them. When Farmer Mac consolidates a trust, it recognizes the loans underlying the trust in the consolidated balance sheets as "Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost." See Note 2(p)2(o) for more information on the accounting policy related to consolidation.


Non-accrual Loans


Non-accrual loans are loans for which it is probable that Farmer Mac will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement and include all loans 90 days or more past due. When a loan becomes 90 days past due, interest accrual on the loan is discontinued and interest


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previously accrued is reversed against interest income in the current period. The interest on such loans is accounted for on the cash basis until a loan qualifies for return to accrual status. Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest payments contractually due are collected and certain performance criteria are met.


Troubled Debt Restructuring ("TDR")


A modification to the contractual terms of a loan that results in granting a concession to a borrower experiencing financial difficulties is considered a TDR. Farmer Mac has granted a concession when, as a result of the restructuring, it does not expect to collect all amounts due in a timely manner, including interest accrued at the original contract rate. In making its determination of whether a borrower is experiencing financial difficulties, Farmer Mac considers several factors, including whether (1) the borrower has declared or is in the process of declaring bankruptcy, (2) there is substantial doubt as to whether the borrower will continue to be a going concern, and (3) the borrower can obtain funds from other sources at an effective interest rate at or near a current market interest rate for debt with similar risk characteristics. Farmer Mac evaluates TDRs similarly to other impaired loans for purposes of the allowance for losses.


(e)Securitization of Loans

Asset securitization(e)Securitization

Securitization involves the transfer of financial assets to another entity in exchange for cash and/or beneficial interests in the assets transferred. Farmer Mac or third parties transfer agricultural real estate mortgage loans, Rural Utilities loans, or rural utilities loansUSDA securities into trusts that are used as vehicles for the securitization of the transferred loans.financial assets. The trusts issue Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities that are beneficial interests in the assets of the trusts, to either Farmer Mac or third partythird-party investors. Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on the securities issued by the trusts and receives guarantee fees as compensation for its guarantee. Farmer Mac recognizes guarantee fees on the accrual basis over the terms of the Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, which generally coincide with the terms of the underlying loans. As such, no guarantee fees are unearned at the end of any reporting period.  


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Farmer Mac is required to perform under its guarantee obligation when the underlying loans for the off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities do not make their scheduled installment payments. When a loan underlying an Agricultural Finance Guaranteed Security becomes 90 days or more past due, Farmer Mac may, in its sole discretion, repurchase the loan from the trust and generally does repurchase such loans, thereby reducing the principal balance of the outstanding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Security. When Farmer Mac purchases a delinquent loan underlying a Farmer Mac Guaranteed Security, Farmer Mac stops accruing the guarantee fee upon loan purchase.


(f)Real Estate Owned

Real estate owned ("REO") consists of real estate acquired throughIf Farmer Mac repurchases a loan liquidation andthat is recorded at fair value less estimated selling costs at acquisition.  Fair value is determined by appraisal or other appropriate valuation method.  Any excesscollateral for a Farmer Mac Guaranteed Security, Farmer Mac would have the right to enforce the terms of the recordedloan, and in the event of a default, would have access to the underlying collateral. Farmer Mac typically recovers its investment in the defaulted loans purchased either through borrower payments, loan payoffs, payments by third parties, or foreclosure and sale of the collateral securing the loans.

Farmer Mac has recourse to the USDA for any amounts advanced for the timely payment of principal and interest on Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities. That recourse is the USDA guarantee, a full-faith-and-credit obligation of the United States that becomes enforceable if a lender fails to repurchase the USDA-guaranteed portion from its owner within 30 days after written demand from the owner when (a) the borrower under the guaranteed loan is in default not less than 60 days in the payment of any principal or interest due on the USDA-guaranteed portion, or (b) the lender has failed to remit to the owner the payment made by the borrower on the USDA-guaranteed portion or any related loan subsidy within 30 days after the lender's receipt of the payment.

Transfers of Financial Assets

Farmer Mac accounts for transfers of financial assets as sales when it has surrendered control over the related assets. Whether control has been relinquished requires, among other things, an evaluation of relevant legal considerations and an assessment of the nature and extent of Farmer Mac's continuing involvement with the assets transferred. Gains and losses stemming from transfers reported as sales are included in “Gain on sale of mortgage loans” in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Assets obtained and liabilities incurred in connection with transfers reported as sales are initially recognized in the consolidated balance sheets at fair value.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, Farmer Mac executed a structured securitization of a $299.4 million pool of Farm & Ranch loans. The securitization consisted of two classes of securities, Class A and Class B. The Class A securities are backed by 92.5% of the pool and is guaranteed by Farmer Mac. The Class B Tranche is backed by the remaining 7.5% of the pool. Credit losses on the entire pool are first allocated to the Class B securities. As a result of the transaction, Farmer Mac recognized the following:

1.A guarantee asset and liability related to the guarantee fees and the obligation to stand ready to perform on the guarantee to the Class A security holders.
2.A servicing asset related to Farmer Mac’s role as Master and Central Servicer. Farmer Mac will earn a related servicing fee.
3.A retained interest-only strip (IO-FMGS) security.

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The above assets and liabilities were initially recorded on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value. For more information on fair value less estimated selling costs is chargedmeasurement see Footnote 13.

The securitization trust used to effect this transaction was a variable interest entity that Farmer Mac does not consolidate. See Table 2.4 below for more information about these trusts.

Gains or losses arising from securitization are recorded as the allowance for loan losses.  Afterdifference between the acquisition, management continuestransferred loans’ carrying values and the sum of (a) the initial fair value of the assets or liabilities received and (b) net cash proceeds. For the year ended December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac recorded $6.5 million in gains attributable to perform periodic valuationssecuritization activity. These gains were reported in “Gain on sale of real estate owned.  Declinesmortgage loans” in the net realizable value (fair value less estimated selling costs) are charged through income and presented in "Real estate owned operating costs, net" on the consolidated statements of operations.



(g)Financial Derivatives

(f)Financial Derivatives

Farmer Mac enters into financial derivative transactions principally to protect against risk from the effects of market price or interest rate movements on the value of certain assets, future cash flows or debt issuance, not for trading or speculative purposes. Farmer Mac enters into interest rate swap contracts principally to adjust the characteristics of its short-term debt to match more closely the cash flow and


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duration characteristics of its longer-term loans and other assets, and also to adjust the characteristics of its long-term debt to match more closely the cash flow and duration characteristics of its short-term assets, thereby reducing interest rate risk and, often times, deriving an overall lower effective cost of borrowing than would otherwise be available to Farmer Mac in the conventional debt market. Farmer Mac is required to recognize certain contracts and commitments as derivatives when the characteristics of those contracts and commitments meet the definition of a derivative under GAAP.


Accounting for financial derivatives differs depending on whether a derivative is designated in a hedge accounting relationship. Derivative instruments designated in fair value hedge accounting relationships mitigate exposure to changes in the fair value of assets or liabilities. Derivative instruments designated in cash flow hedge accounting relationships mitigate exposure to the variability in expected future cash flows or other forecasted transactions. In order to qualify for fair value or cash flow hedge accounting treatment, documentation must indicate the intention to designate the derivative as a hedge of a specific asset, or liability, or a future cash flow. Effectiveness of the hedge is assessed before the end of the quarter of inception and monitored over the life of the hedging relationship.


Beginning in first quarter 2018, changesChanges in the fair values of financial derivatives not designated as cash flow or fair value hedges arewere reported in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" in the consolidated statements of operations. For financial derivatives designated in fair value hedge accounting relationships, changes in the fair values of hedged items related to the risk being hedged are reported in "Net interest income" in the consolidated statements of operations. Interest accruals on derivatives designated in fair value hedge relationships are also recorded in "Net interest income" in the consolidated statements of operations. For financial derivatives designated in cash flow hedge relationships, the unrealized gain or loss on the derivative is recorded in other comprehensive income. Because the hedging instrument is an interest rate swap and the hedged forecasted transactions are future interest payments on variable rate debt, amounts recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income are reclassified to "Total interest expense" in conjunction with the recognition of interest expense on the debt. Before 2018, gains and losses on financial derivatives were included in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" whether or not they were designated in hedge accounting relationships.


Farmer Mac has made an accounting policy election to measure the credit risk of its derivative financial instruments that are subject to netting provisions on a net basis by counterparty portfolio. See Notes 6 and 13 for more information on financial derivatives.


(h)Notes Payable


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(g)Notes payable are classified as due within one year or due after one year based on the length of time remaining to their contractual maturities.  Payable

Debt issuance costs and premiums and discounts are deferred and amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method over the contractual life of the related debt.


(i)Allowance for Loan Losses and Reserve for Losses

(h)Allowance for Losses and Reserve for Losses

Current Expected Credit Loss ("CECL")

On January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac adopted Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. Under CECL, Farmer Mac's allowance for credit losses represents the difference between the carrying amount of the related financial instruments and the present value of their expected cash flows discounted at their effective interest rates, as of the respective balance sheet date. Under CECL, Farmer Mac's reserve for credit losses represents the difference between the outstanding amount of off-balance sheet credit exposures and the present value of their expected cash flows discounted at their effective interest rates.

Farmer Mac maintains an allowance for credit losses to cover current expected credit losses as of the balance sheet date for on-balance sheet investment securities, loans held for investment, and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities (collectively referred to as "allowance for losses"). Additionally, Farmer Mac maintains a reserve for credit losses to cover current expected credit losses as of the balance sheet date for off-balance sheet loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities (collectively referred to as "reserve for losses"). Both the allowance for losses and reserve for losses are based on historical information and reasonable and supportable forecasts.  

Farmer Mac has never experienced a credit loss in its Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business. Upon the adoption of CECL, Farmer Mac measures its expected credit losses for the expected life of all financial instruments, including its Rural Infrastructure Finance loans. To estimate expected credit losses on these loans, Farmer Mac relies upon industry historical credit loss data from ratings agencies and publicly available information as disclosed in the securities filings of other major lenders who serve the utilities industry.

The allowance for losses increases through periodic provisions for loan losses that are charged against net interest income and the reserve for losses increases through provisions for losses that are charged to non-interest expense. Both the allowance for losses and reserve for losses are decreased by charge-offs for realized losses, net of recoveries.  Releases from the allowance for losses or reserve for losses occur when the estimate of expected credit losses as of the end of a period is less than the estimate at the beginning of the period.

The total allowance for losses consists of the allowance for losses and the reserve for losses.

Charge-offs, under CECL

Farmer Mac records a charge-off from the allowance for losses when either a) a loan, or a portion of a loan, is deemed uncollectible; or b) a loss has been confirmed through the receipt of assets, generally the underlying collateral, in full satisfaction of the loan. The charge-off equals the excess of the recorded investment in the loan over the fair value of the collateral less estimated selling costs.


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Estimation Methodology, under CECL

Farmer Mac bases its methodology for determining its current estimate of expected losses on a statistical model, which incorporates credit loss history and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Farmer Mac's estimation methodology includes the following key components:
An economic model for each portfolio, including Agricultural Finance loans (Corporate AgFinance and Farm & Ranch), Rural Infrastructure Finance loans (Rural Utilities and Renewable Energy), and AgVantage Securities;
A migration matrix for each portfolio that reasonably predicts the movement of each financial asset among various risk categories over the course of each asset's expected life (the migration matrix forms the basis for our estimate of the probability of default of each financial asset);
A loss-given-default ("LGD") model that reasonably predicts the amount of loss that Farmer Mac would incur upon the default of each financial asset;
An economic factor forecast that updates the migration matrix model and the LGD model with current assumptions for the economic indicators that Farmer Mac has determined are most correlated with or relevant to the performance of each portfolio of assets (including Gross Domestic Product ("GDP"), credit spreads, unemployment rates, land values, and commodity prices); and
A discounted cash flow analysis, which relies upon each of the above model outputs, plus the contractual terms of each financial asset, and the effective interest rate of each financial asset.

Management evaluates these assumptions by considering many relevant factors, including:
economic conditions;
geographic and agricultural commodity/product concentrations in the portfolio;
the credit profile of the portfolio, including risk ratings and financial metrics;
delinquency trends of the portfolio;
historical charge-off and recovery activities of the portfolio; and
other factors to capture current portfolio trends and characteristics that differ from historical experience.

Management believes that its methodology produces a reasonable estimate of expected credit losses, as of the balance sheet date, for the expected life of all of its financial assets.

Allowance for Loss on Available-for-Sale (AFS) Securities, under CECL

To measure current expected credit losses on impaired AFS securities, Farmer Mac first considers those impaired securities that: 1) Farmer Mac does not intend to sell, and 2) it is not more likely than not that Farmer Mac will be required to sell before recovering its amortized cost basis. In assessing whether a credit loss exists, Farmer Mac compares the present value, discounted at the security's effective interest rate, of cash flows expected to be collected from an impaired AFS debt security to its amortized cost basis. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis of the impaired security, a credit loss exists and Farmer Mac records an allowance for loss for that credit loss. However, the amount of that allowance is limited by the amount that the security’s fair value is less than its amortized cost basis. Accrued interest receivable is recorded separately on the Consolidated Balance Sheet, and the allowance for credit losses excludes uncollectible accrued interest receivable.

Collateral Dependent Assets ("CDAs"), under CECL


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CDAs are loans, loans underlying LTSPCs, or off-balance sheet credit exposures in which the borrower is either in foreclosure or is experiencing financial difficulty and repayment is expected to be provided substantially through the sale or operation of the collateral by Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac estimates the current expected credit loss on CDAs based upon the appraised value of the collateral, the costs to sell it, and any applicable credit protection such as a guarantee.

Probable Incurred Credit Loss (prior to January 1, 2020)

Prior to January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac maintained an allowance for losses to cover estimated probable losses incurred as of the balance sheet date on loans held ("allowance for loan losses") and loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities ("reserve for losses") based on available information. Disaggregation byby: commodity type, isportfolio, and risk rating; was performed, where appropriate, in analyzing the need for an allowance for losses.



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The allowance for losses increases through periodic provisions for loan losses that are charged against net interest income and the reserve for losses increases through provisions for losses that are charged to non-interest expense, and decreases by charge-offs for realized losses, net of recoveries.  Negative provisions, or releases from the allowance for losses, generally occur when the estimate of probable losses as of the end of a period is less than the estimate at the beginning of the period. In certain circumstances, for example, when a defaulted loan is purchased out of a guaranteed security or pursuant to an LTSPC, the related reserve for losses is released and a corresponding amount is provided to the allowance for loan losses.

The total allowance for losses consists of a general allowance for losses and a specific allowance for individual impaired loans.

Charge-offs

Farmer Mac records a charge-off against the allowance for losses principally when a loss has been confirmed through the receipt of assets, generally the underlying collateral, in full satisfaction of the loan. The loss equals the excess of the recorded investment in the loan over the fair value of the collateral less estimated selling costs.


General Allowance for Loss, for Probable Incurred Credit Losses


Prior to January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac's methodology for determiningto determine its allowance for losses incorporatesincorporated Farmer Mac's automated loan classification system. That system scoresscored loans based on criteria such as historical repayment performance, indicators of current financial condition, loan seasoning, loan size and loan-to-value ratio. The previous allowance methodology capturescaptured the migration of loan scores across concurrent and overlapping 3-year time horizons and calculatescalculated loss rates separately within each loan classification for (1) loans underlying LTSPCs and (2) loans held and loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. The calculated loss rates arewere applied to the current classification distribution of unimpaired loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio to estimate inherent losses, onunder the assumption that the historical credit losses and trends used to calculate loss rates willwould continue in the future.

Management evaluates this assumption byevaluated those assumptions through considering many relevant factors, including:

economic conditions;
geographic and agricultural commodity/product concentrations in the portfolio;
the credit profile of the portfolio;
delinquency trends of the portfolio;
historical charge-off and recovery activities of the portfolio; and
other factors to capture current portfolio trends and characteristics that differ from historical experience.

Prior to January 1, 2020, Management believesbelieved that its use of thisthat methodology producesproduced a reasonable estimate of probable losses incurred as of the balance sheet date, for all loans held in the Farm & Ranch portfolio and loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs.


Prior to January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac separately evaluatesevaluated the rural utilitiesRural Utilities loans it ownsowned to determine if there arewere any probable losses inherent in those assets.



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Specific Allowance for Impaired Loans


Prior to January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac also analyzes certainanalyzed individual loans in its portfolio for impairment in accordance with accounting guidance on measuring impairment ofimpairment. Those individual loans.  Farmer Mac's impaired loans generally includeincluded loans 90 days or more past due, in foreclosure, restructured, in bankruptcy and certain performing loans that havehad previously been delinquent or arewere secured by real estate that producesproduced agricultural commodities or products currentlythen under stress.


Farmer Mac uses a risk-based approach in determining the necessity of obtaining updated appraisals on impaired loans. For example, larger exposures associated with highly improved and specialized collateral will generally receive updated appraisals once the loans are identified as impaired. Updated appraisals are always obtained during the foreclosure process.  Depending on the risk factors associated with the loan and underlying collateral, which can vary widely depending on the circumstances of the loan and collateral, this can occur early in the foreclosure process, while in other instances this may occur just before the transfer of title.  As part of its routine credit review process, Farmer Mac often will exercise judgment in discounting an appraisal value due to local real estate trends or the condition of the property (e.g., following an inspection by Farmer Mac or the servicer).  A property appraisal value may also be discounted based on the market's reaction to Farmer Mac's asking price for sale of the property.


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For loans with an updated appraised value, other updated collateral valuation or management's estimate of discounted collateral value, this analysis includes the measurement of the fair value of the underlying collateral for individual loans relative to the total recorded investment, including principal, interest, and advances and net of any charge-offs.  In the event that the collateral value does not support the total recorded investment, Farmer Mac specifically provides an allowance for the loan for the difference between the recorded investment and its fair value, less estimated costs to liquidate the collateral. Estimated selling costs are based on historical selling costs incurred by Farmer Mac or management's best estimate of selling costs for a particular property.  For the remaining impaired assets without updated valuations, this analysis is performed in the aggregate in consideration of the similar risk characteristics of the assets and historical statistics. Farmer Mac believes this methodology that uses loan classification scores and historical loss experience is a better indication of impairment for these collateral-dependent loans than other valuation methods.




(j)Earnings Per Common Share



(i)Earnings Per Common Share

Basic earnings per common share ("EPS") is based on the daily weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding.  Diluted earnings per common share is based on the daily weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding adjusted to include all potentially dilutive common stock options, stock appreciation rights ("SARs"), and unvested restricted stock awards.  The following schedule reconciles basic and diluted EPS for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016:2019:



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Table 2.22.1
For the Years Ended December 31,
202120202019
Net
Income
Weighted-Average Shares$ per
Share
Net
Income
Weighted-Average Shares$ per
Share
Net
Income
Weighted-Average Shares$ per
Share
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Basic EPS
Net income attributable to common stockholders$107,583 10,758 $10.00 $89,176 10,728 $8.31 $93,650 10,696 $8.76 
Effect of dilutive securities(1)
SARs and restricted stock— 88 (0.08)— 58 (0.04)— 82 (0.07)
Diluted EPS$107,583 10,846 $9.92 $89,176 10,786 $8.27 $93,650 10,778 $8.69 
(1)For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, SARs and restricted stock of 39,326, 74,336, and 43,374, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share of common stock because they were anti-dilutive. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, contingent shares of unvested restricted stock of 18,183, 12,680, and 10,349, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share of common stock because performance conditions had not yet been met.

(j)Income Taxes
 For the Years Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 Net
Income
 Weighted-Average Shares $ per
Share
 Net
Income
 Weighted-Average Shares $ per
Share
 Net
Income
 Weighted-Average Shares $ per
Share
 (in thousands, except per share amounts)
Basic EPS                 
Net income attributable to common stockholders$94,898
 10,654
 $8.91
 $71,300
 10,594
 $6.73
 $64,152
 10,477
 $6.12
Effect of dilutive securities(1)
       
  
  
  
  
  
Stock options, SARs and restricted stock
 92
 (0.08) 
 209
 (0.13) 
 269
 (0.15)
Diluted EPS$94,898
 10,746
 $8.83
 $71,300
 10,803
 $6.60
 $64,152
 10,746
 $5.97
(1)
For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, stock options and SARs of 15,812, 28,579, and 86,907, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share of common stock because they were anti-dilutive. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, contingent shares of unvested restricted stock of 13,138, 29,647, and 37,284, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share of common stock because performance conditions had not yet been met.

(k)Income Taxes


Deferred federal income tax assets and liabilities are established for temporary differences between financial and taxable income and are measured using the current enacted statutory tax rate. New tax reform legislation was enacted on December 22, 2017. This new tax legislation includes a broad range of tax reform provisions, including a reduction to the corporate tax rate, changes to business expense deductions, and changes to taxes on international earnings. U.S. GAAP requires recognition of the effect of changes in tax law and tax rates as a component of the income tax provision related to continuing operations in the period of enactment of the new legislation. This accounting treatment is also required for deferred taxes that were established through a financial statement component other than continuing operations such as other comprehensive income. Thus, Farmer Mac remeasured its deferred tax assets and liabilities using the newly enacted statutory tax rate of 21% and recognized a one-time, non-cash charge of $1.4 million to income tax expense during 2017.

Due to the re-measurement of Farmer Mac's deferred tax assets and liabilities using the newly enacted statutory federal income tax rate of 21%, items originally recorded through other comprehensive income do not reflect the new tax rate ("stranded tax effects"). In response, in February 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2018-02 "Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income,"which provides entities the option to reclassify these stranded tax effects from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings. Farmer Mac elected to adopt ASU 2018-02 for the year ended December 31, 2017. This change in accounting principle resulted in an increase to "Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax" and a corresponding decrease to "Retained earnings" of $9.1 million.

Income tax expense is equal to the income taxes payable in the current year plus the net change in the deferred tax asset or liability balance.

Deferred tax assets are measured at rates in effect when they arise. To the extent rates change, the deferred tax asset will be adjusted to reflect the new rate. A increase in corporate tax rates would result in an increase in the value of the deferred tax asset.
 
Farmer Mac evaluates its tax positions quarterly to identify and recognize any liabilities related to uncertain tax positions in its federal income tax returns. Farmer Mac uses a two-step approach in which income tax benefits are recognized if, based on the technical merits of a tax position, it is more likely than not (a probability of greater than 50%) that the tax position would be sustained upon examination by the taxing authority, which includes all related appeals and litigation process. The amount of tax benefit


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recognized is then measured at the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely to be realized upon settlement with the taxing authority, considering all information available at the reporting date. Farmer Mac's policy for recording interest and penalties associated with uncertain tax positions is to record them as a component of income tax expense. Farmer Mac establishes a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In determining its deferred tax asset valuation allowance, Farmer Mac considered its taxable income of the appropriate character (for example, ordinary income or capital gain) within the carryback and carryforward periods available under the tax law and the impact of possible tax planning strategies.



(l)Stock-Based Compensation

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(k)Stock-Based Compensation

Farmer Mac accounts for its stock-based employee compensation plans using the grant date fair value method of accounting. Farmer Mac measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The cost is recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award. For performance-based grants, Farmer Mac recognizes the grant-date fair value over the vesting period as long as it remains probable that the performance conditions will be met. If the service or performance conditions are not met, Farmer Mac reverses previously recognized compensation expense upon forfeiture.


Farmer Mac recognized $2.5$4.3 million, $2.7$4.1 million, and $3.3$2.3 million of compensation expense related to stock options, SARs and non-vested restricted stock awards for 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively.


(m)Comprehensive Income

(l)Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income represents all changes in stockholders' equity except those resulting from investments by or distributions to stockholders, and is comprised of net income and unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities, certain held-to-maturity securities transferred from the available-for-sale classification, and cash flow hedges, net of related taxes.



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The following table presents the changes in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI"), net of tax, by component for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016:2019.


Table 2.32.2
Available-for-Sale SecuritiesHeld-to-Maturity SecuritiesCash Flow HedgesTotal
(in thousands)
Balance as of January 1, 2019$(25,360)$43,443 $6,873 $24,956 
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications(14,976)— (11,561)(26,537)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI(3,061)(10,598)(921)(14,580)
Net comprehensive loss(18,037)(10,598)(12,482)(41,117)
Balance as of December 31, 2019$(43,397)$32,845 $(5,609)$(16,161)
Other comprehensive income/(loss) before reclassifications32,739 — (21,606)11,133 
Amounts reclassified from AOCI(3,279)(10,016)4,400 (8,895)
Net comprehensive income/(loss)29,460 (10,016)(17,206)2,238 
Balance as of December 31, 2020$(13,937)$22,829 $(22,815)$(13,923)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications9,114 — 11,602 20,716 
Amounts reclassified from AOCI(2,109)(6,676)5,845 (2,940)
Net comprehensive income/(loss)7,005 (6,676)17,447 17,776 
Balance as of December 31, 2021$(6,932)$16,153 $(5,368)$3,853 



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 Available-for-Sale Securities Held-to-Maturity Securities Cash Flow Hedges Total
 (in thousands)
Balance as of January 1, 2016$(10,035) $(476) $(508) $(11,019)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications5,481
 47,993
 1,588
 55,062
Amounts reclassified from AOCI(9,833) (1,765) 1,313
 (10,285)
Net comprehensive (loss)/income(4,352) 46,228
 2,901
 44,777
Balance as of December 31, 2016$(14,387) $45,752
 $2,393
 $33,758
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications23,925
 
 152
 24,077
Amounts reclassified from AOCI(10,917) (6,064) 1,178
 (15,803)
Net comprehensive income/(loss)13,008
 (6,064) 1,330
 8,274
Stranded tax effects reclassified from AOCI due to enactment of new tax legislation(297) 8,548
 802
 9,053
Balance as of December 31, 2017$(1,676) $48,236
 $4,525
 $51,085
Cumulative effect from change in hedge accounting
 
 27
 27
Balance as of January 1, 2018(1,676) 48,236
 4,552
 51,112
Other comprehensive (loss)/income before reclassifications(19,151) 
 2,571
 (16,580)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI(4,533) (4,793) (250) (9,576)
Net comprehensive (loss)/income(23,684) (4,793) 2,321
 (26,156)
Balance as of December 31, 2018$(25,360) $43,443
 $6,873
 $24,956





The following table presents other comprehensive income activity, the impact on net income of amounts reclassified from each component of AOCI, and the related tax impact for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016:2019:


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Table 2.42.3

For the Years Ended December 31,
202120202019
Before TaxProvision (Benefit)After TaxBefore TaxProvision (Benefit)After TaxBefore TaxProvision (Benefit)After Tax
(in thousands)
Other comprehensive income:
Available-for-sale-securities:
Unrealized holding gains/(losses) on available-for-sale securities$11,537 $2,423 $9,114 $41,442 $8,703 $32,739 $(18,958)$(3,982)$(14,976)
Less reclassification adjustments included in:
Net interest income(1)
(2,333)(490)(1,843)(3,895)(818)(3,077)(3,834)(805)(3,029)
(Gains)/losses on sale of available-for-sale investment securities(2)
(253)(53)(200)— — — 236 50 186 
Other income(3)
(84)(18)(66)(256)(54)(202)(275)(57)(218)
Total$8,867 $1,862 $7,005 $37,291 $7,831 $29,460 $(22,831)$(4,794)$(18,037)
Held-to-maturity securities:
Less reclassification adjustments included in:
Net interest income(4)
(8,451)(1,775)(6,676)(12,677)(2,661)(10,016)(13,415)(2,817)(10,598)
Total$(8,451)$(1,775)$(6,676)$(12,677)$(2,661)$(10,016)$(13,415)$(2,817)$(10,598)
Cash flow hedges
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges$14,685 $3,083 $11,602 $(27,350)$(5,744)$(21,606)$(14,635)$(3,074)$(11,561)
Less reclassification adjustments included in:
Net interest income(5)
7,399 1,554 5,845 5,570 1,170 4,400 (1,166)(245)(921)
Total$22,084 $4,637 $17,447 $(21,780)$(4,574)$(17,206)$(15,801)$(3,319)$(12,482)
Other comprehensive income/(loss)$22,500 $4,724 $17,776 $2,834 $596 $2,238 $(52,047)$(10,930)$(41,117)
(1)Relates to the amortization of unrealized gains on hedged items prior to the application of fair value hedge accounting.
(2)Represents unrealized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale securities.
(3)Represents amortization of deferred gains related to certain available-for-sale USDA Securities and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities.
(4)Relates to the amortization of unrealized gains or losses prior to the reclassification of these securities from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The amortization of unrealized gains or losses reported in AOCI for held-to-maturity securities will be offset by the amortization of the premium or discount created from the transfer into held-to-maturity securities, which occurred at fair value. These unrealized gains or losses will be recorded over the remaining life of the security with no impact on future net income.
(5)Relates to the recognition of unrealized gains and losses on cash flow hedges recorded in AOCI.


(m) Guarantees
 For the Years Ended
 2018 2017 2016
 Before Tax Provision (Benefit) After Tax Before Tax Provision (Benefit) After Tax Before Tax Provision (Benefit) After Tax
 (in thousands)
Other comprehensive income:                 
Available-for-sale-securities:                 
Unrealized holding (losses)/gains on available-for-sale-securities$(24,241) $(5,090) $(19,151) $36,809
 $12,884
 $23,925
 $8,433
 $2,952
 $5,481
Less reclassification adjustments included in:      
          
Net Interest Income(1)
(5,784) (1,215) (4,569) 
 
 
 
 
 
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives(1)

 
 
 (16,845) (5,897) (10,948) (15,375) (5,381) (9,994)
(Losses)/gains on sale of available-for-sale investment securities(2)

 
 
 (89) (31) (58) 9
 3
 6
Other income(3)
45
 9
 36
 137
 48
 89
 239
 84
 155
Total$(29,980) $(6,296) $(23,684) $20,012
 $7,004
 $13,008
 $(6,694) $(2,342) $(4,352)
Held-to-maturity securities:                 
Change in fair value(4)

 
 
 
 
 
 73,835
 25,842
 47,993
Less reclassification adjustments included in:                 
Net interest income(5)
(6,067) (1,274) (4,793) (9,329) (3,265) (6,064) (2,715) (950) (1,765)
Total$(6,067) $(1,274) $(4,793) $(9,329) $(3,265) $(6,064) $71,120
 $24,892
 $46,228
Cash flow hedges                 
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges$3,254
 $683
 $2,571
 $233
 $81
 $152
 $2,443
 $855
 $1,588
Less reclassification adjustments included in:                 
Net interest income(6)
(316) (66) (250) 1,813
 635
 1,178
 2,020
 707
 1,313
Total$2,938
 $617
 $2,321
 $2,046
 $716
 $1,330
 $4,463
 $1,562
 $2,901
Other comprehensive (loss)/income$(33,109) $(6,953) $(26,156) $12,729
 $4,455
 $8,274
 $68,889
 $24,112
 $44,777
(1)
Relates to the amortization of unrealized gains on hedged items prior to the application of fair value hedge accounting.
(2)
Represents unrealized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale investment securities.
(3)
Represents amortization of deferred gains related to certain available-for-sale USDA Securities and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities.
(4)
Represents the accumulated unrealized gain on the USDA Securities and the Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity.
(5)
Relates to the amortization of unrealized gains or losses prior to the reclassification of these securities from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The amortization of unrealized gains or losses reported in AOCI for held-to-maturity securities will be offset by the amortization of the premium or discount created from the transfer into held-to-maturity securities, which occurred at fair value. These unrealized gains or losses will be recorded over the remaining life of the security with no impact on future net income.
(6)
Relates to the recognition of unrealized gains and losses on cash flow hedges recorded in AOCI.

(n)Long-Term Standby Purchase Commitments


Farmer Mac accounts for its LTSPCs as guarantees. CommitmentLTSPCs and securitization trusts where Farmer Mac is not the primary beneficiary result in the creation of off-balance sheet obligations for Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac records, at the inception of an off-balance sheet guarantee or LTSPC, a liability for the fair value of its obligation to stand ready to perform under the terms of each guarantee or LTSPC and an asset that is equal to the fair value of the fees that will be received over the life of each guarantee or LTSPC. The fair values of the guarantee obligation and asset at inception are based on the present value of

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expected cash flows using management's best estimate of certain key assumptions, which include prepayment speeds, forward yield curves, and discount rates commensurate with the risks involved. Because the cash flows of these instruments may be interest rate path dependent, these values and projected discount rates are derived using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The guarantee obligation and corresponding asset are later amortized into guarantee and commitment fee income represents a reduction ofin relation to the commitment obligation based on amortization usingdecrease in the actual prepayment experienceunpaid principal balance on the underlying Agricultural Finance real estate mortgage loans and Rural Infrastructure Finance loans.

See Note 2(i)2(h) for Farmer Mac's policy for estimating probable losses for LTSPCs and Note 12 for more information on the accounting for LTSPCs.


(o)Fair Value Measurement

Farmer Mac defines fair(n) Fair Value Measurement

Fair value asis the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date and establishes adate. In determining fair value, Farmer Mac uses various valuation approaches, including market and income based approaches. When available, the fair value of Farmer Mac's financial instruments is based on quoted market prices, valuation techniques that use observable market-based inputs, or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. Pricing information obtained from third parties is internally validated for reasonableness before use in the consolidated financial statements.

Fair value measurements related to financial instruments that are reported at fair value in the consolidated financial statements each period are referred to as recurring fair value measurements. Fair value measurements related to financial instruments that are not reported at fair value each period but are subject to fair value adjustments in certain circumstances are referred to as nonrecurring fair value measurements.

Fair Value Classification and Transfers

The fair value hierarchy that ranks the quality and reliability of the inputsinformation used to valuation techniques used to


155



measuredetermine fair value.values. The hierarchy gives highest rankpriority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1 measurements) and the lowest rankpriority to unobservable inputs. The following three levels are used to classify fair value measurements:

Level 1     Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.
Level 2    Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs (levelare observable, either directly or indirectly.
Level 3    measurements).Prices or valuations that require unobservable inputs that are significant to the fair value measurement.


Farmer Mac performs a detailed analysis of the assets and liabilities carried at fair value to determine the appropriate level based on the transparency of the inputs used in the valuation techniques. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an instrument's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Farmer Mac's assessment of the significance of thea particular input to the fair value measurement of an instrument requires judgment and considersconsideration of factors specific to the instrument. While Farmer Mac believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with those of other market participants, using different methodologies or assumptions to

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determine fair value could result in a materially different estimate of fair value for some financial instrument.  Bothinstruments.

The following is a description of the fair value techniques used for instruments measured at fair value as well as the general classification of those instruments under the valuation hierarchy described above.

Recurring Fair Value Measurements and Classification

Available-for-Sale and Trading Investment Securities

The fair value of investments in U.S. Treasuries is based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets. Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as "Level 1."

For a significant portion of Farmer Mac's investment portfolio, including most asset-backed securities, senior agency debt securities, and Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities, fair value is primarily determined using a reputable and nationally recognized third-party pricing service. The prices obtained are non-binding and generally representative of recent market trades. The fair value of certain asset-backed and Government guaranteed mortgage-backed securities are estimated based on quotations from brokers or dealers. Farmer Mac corroborates its primary valuation source by obtaining a secondary price from another independent third-party pricing service. Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as "Level 2."

For certain investment securities that are thinly traded or not quoted, Farmer Mac estimates fair value using internally-developed models that employ a discounted cash flow approach. Farmer Mac maximizes the use of observable market data, including prices of financial instruments with similar maturities and unobservable inputs maycharacteristics, interest rate yield curves, measures of volatility, and prepayment rates.  Farmer Mac generally considers a market to be used to determinethinly traded or not quoted if the following conditions exist: (1) there are few transactions for the financial instruments; (2) the prices in the market are not current; (3) the price quotes vary significantly either over time or among independent pricing services or dealers; or (4) there is limited availability of public market information.  Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as "Level 3."

Available-for-Sale and Trading Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities

Farmer Mac estimates the fair value of its Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities by discounting the projected cash flows of these instruments at discount rates commensurate with the risks involved.  The fair values are based on the present value of expected cash flows using management's best estimate of certain key assumptions, which include prepayment speeds, forward yield curves, and discount rates commensurate with the risks involved. Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as Level 3 because there is limited market activity and therefore little or no price transparency. 

Financial Derivatives

The fair value of exchange-traded U.S. Treasury futures is based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical financial instruments. Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as Level 1.

Farmer Mac's derivative portfolio consists primarily of interest rate swaps and forward sales contracts on the debt of other GSEs. Farmer Mac estimates the fair value of these financial instruments thatprimarily based

135





upon the counterparty valuations. Farmer Mac has classified withininternally values its derivative portfolio using a discounted cash flow valuation technique and obtains a secondary valuation for certain interest rate swaps to corroborate the level 3 category.  As a result,counterparty valuations. Farmer Mac also regularly reviews the unrealized gains and losses for assets and liabilities withincounterparty valuations as part of the level 3 category may include changes incollateral exchange process. Farmer Mac classifies these fair value that were attributable to both observable (e.g., changes in market interest rates) and unobservable (e.g., changes in projected prepayment rates) inputs. measurements as Level 2.

See Note 13 for more information regarding fair value measurement.


(p)Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities

(o)Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities

Farmer Mac has interestsa variable interest in various entities that are considered to be VIEs. These interests include investments in securities issued by VIEs, such as Farmer Mac agricultural mortgage-backed securities created pursuant to Farmer Mac's securitization transactions and mortgage and asset-backed trusts that Farmer Mac did not create. The consolidation model uses a qualitative evaluation that requires consolidation of an entity when the reporting enterprise both: (1) has the power to direct matters which significantly impact the activities and success of the entity, and (2) has exposure to benefits and/or losses that could potentially be significant to the entity. The reporting enterprise that meets both these conditions is deemed the primary beneficiary of the VIE. Upon consolidation of a VIE, Farmer Mac accounts for the incremental assets and liabilities initially at their carrying amounts.


The VIEs in which Farmer Mac has a variable interest are limited to securitization trusts. The major factor in determining if Farmer Mac is the primary beneficiary is whether Farmer Mac has the power to direct the activities of the trust that potentially have the most significant impact on the economic performance of the trust. Generally, the ability to make decisions regarding default mitigation is evidence of that power. Farmer Mac determined that it is the primary beneficiary for the securitization trusts related to most Farm & Ranch and all Rural UtilitiesAgricultural Finance securitization transactions because of its rights as guarantor under both programs to control the default mitigation activities of the trusts. For certain securitization trusts created when loans subject to LTSPCs were converted to Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance Guaranteed Securities, Farmer Mac determined that it was not the primary beneficiary since the power to make decisions regarding default mitigation was shared among unrelated parties. For these trusts, the shared power provisions are substantive with respect to decision-making power and relate to the same activity (i.e., default mitigation). For similar securitization transactions where the power to make decisions regarding default mitigation was shared with a related party, Farmer Mac determined that it was the primary beneficiary because the applicable accounting guidance does not permit parties within a related party group to conclude that the power is shared. In the event that a related party status changes, consolidation or deconsolidation of these securitization trusts could occur.


For those trusts that Farmer Mac is the primary beneficiary, the assets and liabilities are presented on the consolidated balance sheets as "Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost" and "Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties," respectively. These assets can only be used to satisfy the obligations of the related trust.


For those trusts in which Farmer Mac has a variable interest but is not the primary beneficiary, Farmer Mac's interests are presented as either "Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities," "USDA Securities," or


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"Investment "Investment securities" on the consolidated balance sheets.  Farmer Mac's involvement in VIEs classified as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities or USDA Securities include securitization trusts under the USDA GuaranteesAgricultural Finance line of business and certain trusts related to AgVantage securities.business. In the case of USDA guaranteed trusts, Farmer Mac is not determined to be the primary beneficiary because it does not have the decision-making power over default mitigation activities. Based on the USDA's program authority over the servicing and default mitigation

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activities of the USDA guaranteed portions of loans, Farmer Mac believes that the USDA has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the trust's economic performance. Farmer Mac does not have exposure to losses that could be significant to the trust and there are no triggers that would result in Farmer Mac superseding the USDA's authority with regard to directing the activities of the trust. For VIEs classified as investment securities, which include auction-rate certificates, asset-backed securities, and government-sponsored enterprise ("GSE")-guaranteed guaranteed mortgage-backed securities, Farmer Mac is determined not to be the primary beneficiary because of the lack of voting rights or other powers to direct the activities of the trust.  


In fourth quarter 2021, Farmer Mac executed a structured securitization of a $299.4 million pool of Farm & Ranch loans. For more information about this securitization, see Note 2(e) - Securitization. The securitization trust used to effect this transaction was a variable interest entity that Farmer Mac has not consolidated. Farmer Mac determined that it was not the primary beneficiary of the securitization trust because the subordinate class majority holder has the unilateral right to remove Farmer Mac as Master Servicer without cause.

The following tables present, by line of business,segment, details about the consolidation of VIEs:


Table 2.52.4
Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities
As of December 31, 2021
Agricultural FinanceTreasuryTotal
(in thousands)
On-Balance Sheet:
Consolidated VIEs:
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost$948,623 $— $948,623 
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties (1)
981,379 — 981,379 
   Unconsolidated VIEs:
   Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
      Carrying value42,298 — 42,298 
      Maximum exposure to loss (2)
42,155 — 42,155 
   Investment securities:
        Carrying value (3)
— 2,258,219 2,258,219 
        Maximum exposure to loss (2) (3)
— 2,246,272 2,246,272 
Off-Balance Sheet:
 Unconsolidated VIEs:
   Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
      Maximum exposure to loss (2) (4)
578,358 — 578,358 
(1)Includes borrower remittances of $32.8 million. The borrower remittances had not been passed through to third-party investors as of December 31, 2021.
(2)Farmer Mac uses unpaid principal balance and outstanding face amount of investment securities to represent maximum exposure to loss.
(3)Includes auction-rate certificates, government-sponsored enterprise ("GSE")-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities, and other mission related investments.
(4)The amount under the Agricultural Finance line of business relates to unconsolidated trusts where it was determined that Farmer Mac was either not the primary beneficiary due to shared power with an unrelated party or a subordinate class majority holder has the unilateral right to remove Farmer Mac as Master Servicer without cause.


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Consolidation of Variable Interest EntitiesConsolidation of Variable Interest Entities
As of December 31, 2018As of December 31, 2020
Farm & Ranch USDA Guarantees Rural Utilities Institutional Credit Corporate TotalAgricultural FinanceTreasuryTotal
(in thousands)(in thousands)
On-Balance Sheet:           On-Balance Sheet:
Consolidated VIEs:           Consolidated VIEs:
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost$1,517,101
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $1,517,101
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost$1,287,045 $— $1,287,045 
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties (1)
1,528,957
 
 
 
 
 1,528,957
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties (1)
1,323,786 — 1,323,786 
Unconsolidated VIEs:            Unconsolidated VIEs:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:            Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Carrying value (2)

 27,627
 
 
 
 27,627
Carrying value (2)
34,537 — 34,537 
Maximum exposure to loss (3)

 27,383
 
 
 
 27,383
Maximum exposure to loss (3)
34,456 — 34,456 
Investment securities:            Investment securities:
Carrying value (4)

 
 
 
 1,000,942
 1,000,942
Carrying value (4)
— 1,918,672 1,918,672 
Maximum exposure to loss (3) (4)

 
 
 
 1,003,968
 1,003,968
Maximum exposure to loss (3) (4)
— 1,909,535 1,909,535 
Off-Balance Sheet:           Off-Balance Sheet:
Unconsolidated VIEs:            Unconsolidated VIEs:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:            Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Maximum exposure to loss (3) (5)
135,862
 367,684
 
 
 
 503,546
Maximum exposure to loss (3) (5)
378,610 — 378,610 
(1)Includes borrower remittances of $36.7 million. The borrower remittances had not been passed through to third-party investors as of December 31, 2020.
(2)Includes $0.1 million of unamortized premiums and discounts and fair value adjustments related to USDA Securities.
(3)Farmer Mac uses unpaid principal balance and outstanding face amount of investment securities to represent maximum exposure to loss.
(4)Includes auction-rate certificates, asset-backed securities, and government-sponsored enterprise ("GSE")-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities.
(5)The amount under the Agricultural Finance line of business relates to unconsolidated trusts where Farmer Mac determined it was not the primary beneficiary due to shared power with an unrelated party.
(p) Custodial Deposit Liability

During 2021, Farmer Mac acquired the loan servicing rights for a sizeable portion of its Agricultural Finance loan and USDA Guaranteed Securities portfolios. In connection with this acquisition, Farmer Mac now collects cash from borrowers in advance of the borrower's contractual payment date. Farmer Mac's policy is to include the cash in the consolidated balance sheet as "Cash and cash equivalents" with an offsetting liability to "Accounts payable and accrued expenses" until the payment is contractually due, at which point the payment is applied to the loan. The net change in the amount of this custodial cash will also be disclosed in the consolidated statements of cash flows as "Custodial deposit liability."

(q) Business Segments

During fourth quarter 2021, Farmer Mac's Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM") – its President and Chief Executive Officer – began reviewing financial information of 7 operating segments, which are reportable segments. Prior to fourth quarter 2021, the CODM reviewed the financial information of 5 reportable segments. The CODM reviews the financial information of the 7 segments to make decisions about allocating resources and to assess the financial performance of those segments. Prior to fourth quarter 2021, the 5 segments were: Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, Rural Utilities, Institutional Credit, and Corporate. Beginning in fourth quarter 2021, the 7 reportable segments are: Farm & Ranch, Corporate AgFinance, Rural Utilities, Renewable Energy, Funding, Investments, and Corporate. The purpose of the new alignment of the company's segments is for the CODM to review and analyze financial performance according to the type of customer and market rather than according to the type of product offerings. Additionally, the financial information for the Funding and Investments segments allow the CODM to review the results of the company's Treasury activities. All operating

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expenses are managed at the enterprise level and are reported within the Corporate segment rather than allocated to any of the other segments.

The operations and financial results of the Farm & Ranch and Corporate AgFinance segments are within our Agricultural Finance line of business. Beginning in fourth quarter 2021, the Farm & Ranch segment includes the financial results of the USDA Securities portfolio and Farm & Ranch loans. Also beginning in the fourth quarter of 2021, the Corporate AgFinance segment includes loans and AgVantage securities to larger and more complex farming operations, agribusinesses focused on food and fiber processing, and other supply chain production.

The Rural Utilities and Renewable Energy segments are within our Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business. Beginning in fourth quarter 2021, the Rural Utilities segment includes loans to rural electric generation and transmission cooperatives, distribution cooperatives, and telecommunications providers, as well as AgVantage securities secured by those types of loans. The Renewable Energy segment includes loans to rural electric solar and wind energy projects.

Prior to fourth quarter 2021, the financial results of all of the company's AgVantage Securities portfolio were included within the Institutional Credit segment.

The Funding segment includes the financial results of the company's debt issuance, hedging, asset/liability management, and capital allocation strategies. The company allocates interest expense to each of the other segments (except Corporate) using a funds transfer pricing process. That process also allocates the benefits and costs from the company's funding and hedging strategies to the Funding segment.

The Investments segment includes the financial results of the company's investment portfolio, which is held for liquidity purposes. Interest expense is allocated to the Investments segment using the same funds transfer pricing process that is used to allocate interest expense to the other segments.

The Corporate segment includes all of the company's operating expenses, including compensation, general and administrative expenses, and regulatory fees. The Corporate segment also includes items of other income and preferred stock dividend expense.

Farmer Mac uses the non-GAAP financial measure "core earnings" to measure corporate economic
performance and develop financial plans because, in management's view, core earnings is a useful
alternative measure in understanding Farmer Mac's economic performance, transaction economics, and
business trends. The main difference between core earnings and net income attributable to common
stockholders is that core earnings excludes the effects of fair value fluctuations, which are not expected to
have a cumulative net impact on financial condition or results of operations reported in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles if the related financial instruments are held to maturity, as is
generally expected. Core earnings also differs from net income attributable to common stockholders by
excluding specified infrequent or unusual transactions that Farmer Mac believes are not indicative of
future operating results and that may not reflect the trends and economic financial performance of Farmer
Mac's core business. This corporate economic performance measure may not be comparable to similarly
labeled measures disclosed by other companies.

Farmer Mac uses net effective spread to measure the net spread Farmer Mac earns between its interest earning assets and the related net funding costs of these assets. Net effective spread differs from net interest income and net interest yield because it excludes: (1) the amortization of premiums and discounts

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on assets consolidated at fair value that are amortized as adjustments to yield in interest income over the contractual or estimated remaining lives of the underlying assets; (2) interest income and interest expense related to consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties, which are presented on Farmer Mac's consolidated balance sheets as "Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at
amortized cost"; and (3) the fair value changes of financial derivatives and the corresponding assets or
liabilities designated in a fair value hedge accounting relationship.

(r) New Accounting Standards

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance
(1)
Standard
Includes borrower remittancesDescriptionDate of $11.9 million. The borrower remittances had not been passed through to third party investors as of December 31, 2018.
AdoptionEffect on Consolidated Financial Statements
(2)ASU 2020-04 and 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting
Includes $0.2 millionThe amendments in this Update provide optional guidance for a limited period of unamortized premiumstime to ease the potential burden in accounting for reference rate reform on financial reporting. They provide optional expedients and discountsexceptions for applying GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and fair value adjustments related to the USDA Guarantees line of business.
other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met.
(3)
January 1, 2020
Farmer Mac uses unpaid principal balanceadopted optional expedients specific to discounting transition on a retrospective basis, and outstanding face amountas a result of investment securities to represent maximum exposure to loss.this election, the discounting transition did not have a material effect on Farmer Mac's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
(4)
Includes auction-rate certificates, asset-backed securities, and government-sponsored enterprise ("GSE")-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities.
(5)
The amount under the Farm & Ranch line of business relates to unconsolidated trusts where Farmer Mac determined it was not the primary beneficiary due to shared power with an unrelated party.




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3.RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS


 Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities
 As of December 31, 2017
 Farm & Ranch USDA Guarantees Rural Utilities Institutional Credit Corporate Total
 (in thousands)
On-Balance Sheet:           
Consolidated VIEs:           
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost$1,399,827
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $1,399,827
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties (1)
1,404,945
 
 
 
 
 1,404,945
   Unconsolidated VIEs:           
   Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:           
      Carrying value (2)

 30,300
 
 
 
 30,300
      Maximum exposure to loss (3)

 29,980
 
 
 
 29,980
   Investment securities:           
        Carrying value (4)

 
 
 
 783,964
 783,964
        Maximum exposure to loss (3) (4)

 
 
 
 783,916
 783,916
Off-Balance Sheet:           
 Unconsolidated VIEs:           
   Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:           
      Maximum exposure to loss (3) (5)
333,511
 254,217
 
 
 
 587,728
(1)
Includes borrower remittances of $5.1 million, which have not been passed through to third party investors as of December 31, 2017.
(2)
Includes $0.3 million of unamortized premiums and discounts and fair value adjustments related to the USDA Guarantees line of business.
(3)
Farmer Mac uses unpaid principal balance and the outstanding face amount of investment securities to represent maximum exposure to loss.
(4)
Includes auction-rate certificates, asset-backed securities, and GSE-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities.
(5)
The amount under the Farm & Ranch line of business relates to unconsolidated trusts where Farmer Mac determined it was not the primary beneficiary due to shared power with an unrelated party.

(q) New Accounting Standards

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)," which provides new guidance intended to improve financial reporting about leasing transactions. The ASU requires organizations that lease assets to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases. The ASU also requires new disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The new standard is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. The adoption of the new guidance will not have a material effect on Farmer Mac’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326)," which will require entities to measure all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts.  Entities will be required to use forward-looking information to form their credit loss estimates.  The ASU will also require enhanced disclosures to help users of financial statements better understand significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality and underwriting standards of an entity’s portfolio.  The new standard is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019.   Early adoption will be permitted for all entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018.  Farmer Mac is currently developing its accounting policy, planning for changes to its loss estimation methodologies, and evaluating the impact that the new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements. That


158



impact will primarily result from the new requirement to recognize all expected losses rather than just incurred losses as of the reporting date. 

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-08, "Receivables—Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities," which shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium by requiring the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. The ASU does not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount. The new standard is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Farmer Mac does not expect that adoption of the new guidance will have a material effect on Farmer Mac's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In first quarter 2018, Farmer Mac adopted ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities," which amends hedge accounting recognition and presentation requirements to better align a reporting entity's risk management activities and hedge accounting. The new guidance reduces the complexity and simplifies the application of hedge accounting by eliminating the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness and by requiring the entire change in the fair value of a hedging instrument to be presented in the same income statement line as the hedged item. The cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of January 1, 2018 reflected application of the new guidance and did not have a material effect on Farmer Mac's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, "Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement," which removes or modifies certain disclosures and adds new disclosures. The new requirements are designed to improve the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to the financial statements. The new standard is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Farmer Mac does not expect that adoption of the new guidance will have a material effect on Farmer Mac's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract," which requires the application of the same criteria for capitalization of implementation costs as for an arrangement that has a software license. The new guidance also prescribes the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flows classifications of the capitalized implementation costs and related amortization expense, and requires additional quantitative and qualitative disclosures. The new standard is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Farmer Mac does not expect that adoption of this guidance will have a material effect on Farmer Mac's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In October 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-16, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Inclusion of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) Overnight Index Swap (OIS) Rate as a Benchmark Interest Rate for Hedge Accounting Purposes," which permits the use of the OIS rate based on SOFR as a U.S. benchmark interest rate for hedge accounting purposes. The new guidance is intended to facilitate the transition from LIBOR to SOFR as a benchmark interest rate in the coming years. Because Farmer Mac already adopted ASU 2017-12, the new standard is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Farmer Mac does not currently hold any financial instruments that use SOFR as the benchmark interest rate. Therefore, this guidance will not have an


159



immediate impact on Farmer Mac's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, as companies migrate from the use of LIBOR to SOFR, the adoption of this guidance will have a material effect on Farmer Mac's financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in future years.

(r)Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications of prior period information were made to conform to the current period presentation.

3.RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Farmer Mac considers an entity to be a related party if (1) the entity holds at least 5% of a class of Farmer Mac voting common stock or (2) the institution has an affiliation with a Farmer Mac director and conducts material business with Farmer Mac. As provided by Farmer Mac's statutory charter, only banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions or similar entities may hold Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock and only institutions of the Farm Credit System may hold Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock. Farmer Mac's statutory charter also provides that Class A stockholders elect five5members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors and that Class B stockholders elect five5 members of the board of directors. Farmer Mac generally requires financial institutions to own a requisite amount of common stock, , based on the size and type of institution, to participate in the Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance line of business. As a result of these requirements, Farmer Mac conducts business with related parties in the normal course of Farmer Mac's business. All related party transactions were conducted with terms and conditions comparable to those available to any other participant in Farmer Mac's lines of business not related to Farmer Mac.



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Zions FirstBancorporation, National BankAssociation:


Farmer Mac considers Zions FirstBancorporation, National BankAssociation and its affiliates ("Zions") a related party due to the ownership bybecause Zions ofowns approximately 31.2% of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock. The following transactions occurred between Farmer Mac and Zions during 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016:2019:


Table 3.1
For the Year Ended December 31, For the Years Ended December 31,
2018 2017 2016 202120202019
(in thousands) (in thousands)
Unpaid Principal Balance:     Unpaid Principal Balance:
Purchases:      Purchases:   
Loans$114,719
 $126,449
 $153,140
Loans$214,319 $177,143 $129,040 
USDA Securities19,120
 20,368
 16,600
USDA Securities9,565 10,764 8,875 
Sales of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities68,721
 128,924
 273,586
Sales of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities— 41,247 163,134 
 
The purchases of loans from Zions under the Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance line of business represented approximately 11.9%8.0%, 11.2%7.1%, and 15.9%9.5% of Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loan purchases for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively, and 8.2%5.6%, 7.5%6.2% and 11.2%7.6%, respectively, of total new Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loan business volume.volume (excluding AgVantage and USDA Securities). The purchases of USDA Securities from Zions under the USDA Guarantees line of business represented approximately 4.2%2.1%, 3.8%1.4%, and 3.4%2.1% of total purchases in that line of businessUSDA Securities for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively. Outstanding Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loans purchased, USDA Securities,


160



and AgVantage securities purchased from Zions represented 4.7%3.4% and 5.0%4.1%, respectively, of Farmer Mac's outstanding business volume as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017.2020.


Zions retained servicing fees of $11.6$11.0 million, $11.5$11.8 million, and $9.9$12.2 million in 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively, for its work as a Farmer Mac servicer.


National Rural Utilities Cooperative Financial Corporation:
 
Farmer Mac considers the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Financial Corporation ("CFC") a related party because of its ownership ofCFC owns approximately 7.9% of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock.stock and because a member of Farmer Mac's board of directors has an affiliation with CFC. The following transactions occurred between Farmer Mac and CFC during 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016:2019:
 
Table 3.2
Farmer Mac Loan Purchases and GuaranteesFarmer Mac Loan Purchases and GuaranteesFarmer Mac Loan Purchases and Guarantees
For the Year Ended December 31, For the Years Ended December 31,
2018 2017 2016 202120202019
(in thousands) (in thousands)
Unpaid Principal Balance:     Unpaid Principal Balance:  
Loans$11,645
 $137,341
 $50,491
Loans$127,117 $272,943 $85,000 
Unfunded CommitmentsUnfunded Commitments321 19,500 — 
On-balance sheet AgVantage Securities675,000
 350,000
 250,000
On-balance sheet AgVantage Securities1,450,000 250,000 575,000 
Off-balance sheet revolving floating rate AgVantage facility300,000
 
 
LTSPCs
 
 441,404
Total purchases and guarantees$986,645
 $487,341
 $741,895
Total purchases and guarantees$1,577,438 $542,443 $660,000 
 

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The transactions with CFC represented 100%36.9% of Farmer Mac's volume of loan purchases and LTSPC transactionspurchase volume under the Rural UtilitiesInfrastructure Finance line of business for 2018, 2017,2021, compared to 36.7% of Rural Infrastructure Finance loan purchase volume for 2020 and 2016, and9.8% for 2019. These transactions represented 29.5%37.0%, 14.7%19.2%, and 11.9%25.5% of AgVantage securities volume under the Institutional Credit line of business for 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively, and represented 19.1%18.4%, 10.3%9.5%, and 16.7%12.5% of total purchases, guarantees, LTSPCs, and LTSPCsunfunded commitments for 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively. Of Farmer Mac's total outstanding business volume as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,2020, Rural Utilities loans, loans under LTSPCs, and AgVantage securities issued by CFC represented 23.6%19.5% and 24.6%19.2%, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, Farmer Mac earned guarantee fees of $0.1 million.


Farmer Mac had interest receivable of $9.4$7.8 million and $5.2$5.3 million as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,2020, respectively, and earned interest income of $76.8$50.0 million, $43.9$63.1 million, and $27.6$97.3 million during 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively, related to its AgVantage transactions with CFC.


As of both December 31, 20182021 and 2017,2020, Farmer Mac had $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively, of commitment fees receivable from CFC and earned commitment fees of $1.9$1.2 million, $2.21.3 million, and $2.0$1.7 million, respectively for 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016.2019.


CFC retained servicing fees of $3.6$3.3 million, $3.5$3.3 million and $3.3$3.2 million in 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively, for its work as a Farmer Mac central servicer.


CoBank:

Farmer Mac considers CoBank a related party because CoBank owns approximately 32.6% of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock and because a member of Farmer Mac's board of directors had an affiliation with CoBank through the end of 2019.

Farmer Mac purchased $207.5 million, $416.8 million, and $776.4 million of loans and participations from CoBank, under the Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business in 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. The transactions with CoBank represented 60.2%, 56.0%, and 89.1% of Farmer Mac's loan purchase transactions under the Rural Infrastructure Finance line of business for 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.

During 2021, Farmer Mac entered into $72.0 million of unfunded commitments with CoBank, in which Farmer Mac earns a nominal unused commitment fee. Of Farmer Mac's total outstanding business volume as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, CoBank's Rural Infrastructure Finance loans and unfunded commitments represented 5.6% and 5.1%, respectively, of total outstanding volume.

CoBank retained servicing fees of $3.2 million, $2.3 million, and $1.2 million in 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively, for its work as a Farmer Mac central servicer.

AgFirst Farm Credit Bank:
 
Farmer Mac has a related party relationship withconsiders AgFirst Farm Credit Bank ("AgFirst") resulting froma related party because AgFirst being a holder ofowns approximately 16.8% of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock.



161




AgFirst entered into $26.6$11.0 million, $40.0$32.5 million, and $36.4$26.7 million of Agricultural Finance LTSPC transactions in 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively, and the aggregate balance of Agricultural Finance LTSPCs outstanding as of December 31, 20182021 and 20172020 was $340.5$363.9 millionand$353.8 $331.2 million,

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respectively. In each of 2021, 2020, and 2019, Farmer Mac received from AgFirst $1.2 million, $1.1 million, and $1.1 million in commitment fees in 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively,from AgFirst, and had $0.1 million of commitment fees receivable as of both December 31, 20182021 and 2017.2020.


AgFirst owns certain securities backed by rural housing loans. Farmer Mac guarantees the last ten percent of losses (based on the original principal balance at the time of pooling) from each loan in the pool backing those securities.  As of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,2020, the outstanding balance of those securities owned by AgFirst was $8.6$4.0 million and $11.5$5.5 million, respectively.  Farmer Mac received guarantee fees of $33,000, $38,000,$19,000, $25,000, and $45,000$29,000 in 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively, on those securities.


Farm Credit Bank of Texas:
 
Farmer Mac has a related party relationship withconsiders Farm Credit Bank of Texas resulting froma related party because the bank being a holder ofowns approximately 7.7% of Farmer MacMac's Class B voting common stock and because a member of Farmer Mac's board of directors has an affiliation with that entity.stock. Farmer Mac received from Farm Credit Bank of Texas commitment fees of $1.0$1.9 million, $1.0$1.2 million, and $1.1 million in 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively. The aggregate amount of Agricultural Finance LTSPCs outstanding with Farm Credit Bank of Texas as of December 31, 20182021 and 20172020 was $226.5$625.6 million and $250.3$304.9 million, respectively. In 2018, 2017,each of 2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, Farm Credit Bank of Texas retained $0.2$0.1 million $0.2 million, and $0.3 million, respectively, in servicing fees for its work as a Farmer Mac central servicer.


Other Related Party Transactions:


Farmer Mac purchased $39.5 million, $28.5 million, and $24.7 million in loans from First Dakota National Bank in 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively. Farmer Mac entered into $3.0 million, $0.4 million, and $0.0 million of new USDA Securities in 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively, with First Dakota National Bank. First Dakota National Bank retained servicing fees of $1.4 million, $1.2 million, and $1.1 million in 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively, for its work as a Farmer Mac servicer. Farmer Mac purchased $2.0 million, $5.4 million, and $1.3 million in USDA Securities fromconsiders Bath State Bank in 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively. These institutions had aFarm Credit of Florida related party relationship with Farmer Macparties because a member of Farmer Mac's board of directors is affiliated with each of those entities. Farmer Mac purchased $2.3 million, $9.2 million, and $4.0 million in USDA Securities from Bath State Bank in 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. Farmer Mac purchased $5.0 million in Agricultural Finance mortgage loans from Bath State Bank in 2021. Farmer Mac did not purchase any Agricultural Finance mortgage loans from Bath State Bank in 2020 or 2019.


Farmer Mac owned $70purchased $1.1 million and $0.2 million of subordinated debt issued by CoBank asAgricultural Finance mortgage loans from Farm Credit of December 31, 2016. During 2017, the subordinated debt was calledFlorida in 2021 and redeemed by CoBank.2020, respectively. Farmer Mac has a related party relationship with CoBank because CoBank is a major holder (32.6%)did not purchase any loans from Farm Credit of Farmer Mac Class B voting common stock and because a member of Farmer Mac's board of directors has an affiliation with that entity.Florida in 2019.





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4.INVESTMENT SECURITIES

4.INVESTMENT SECURITIES


The following tables set forth information about Farmer Mac's available-for-sale and held-to-maturity investment securities as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:December 31, 2020:
 
Table 4.1
 As of December 31, 2021
Amount OutstandingUnamortized Premium/(Discount)
Amortized
Cost(1)
Allowance for losses(2)
Unrealized
Gains
Unrealized
Losses
Fair Value
 (in thousands)
Available-for-sale:    
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$19,700 $— $19,700 $(52)$— $(394)$19,254 
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities2,168,016 90 2,168,106 — 11,821 (1,096)2,178,831 
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities451,660 12,525 464,185 — 382 (5,730)458,837 
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries1,180,000 2,723 1,182,723 — — (3,254)1,179,469 
Total available-for-sale3,819,376 15,338 3,834,714 (52)12,203 (10,474)3,836,391 
Held-to-maturity:
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities(3)
44,970 — 44,970 — 1,612 — 46,582 
Total held-to-maturity$44,970 $— $44,970 $— $1,612 $— $46,582 

(1)Amounts presented exclude $4.3 million of accrued interest receivable on investment securities as of December 31, 2021.
(2)Represents the amount of impairment that has resulted from credit-related factors, and therefore was recognized in the consolidated statement of operations as a provision for losses. Amount excludes unrealized losses relating to non-credit factors.
 As of December 31, 2018
 Amount Outstanding Unamortized Premium/(Discount) Amortized
Cost
 Unrealized
Gains
 Unrealized
Losses
 Fair Value
 (in thousands)
Available-for-sale:           
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$19,700
 $
 $19,700
 $
 $(985) $18,715
Floating rate asset-backed securities28,940
 (136) 28,804
 2
 (128) 28,678
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities1,379,472
 1,528
 1,381,000
 721
 (4,267) 1,377,454
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities(1)
384
 1
 385
 18
 
 403
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries797,913
 (4,882) 793,031
 119
 (548) 792,602
Total available-for-sale2,226,409
 (3,489) 2,222,920
 860
 (5,928) 2,217,852
Held-to-maturity:           
Fixed rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities45,032
 
 45,032
 562
 
 45,594
Total investment securities$2,271,441
 $(3,489) $2,267,952
 $1,422
 $(5,928) $2,263,446
(1)
During second quarter 2018, the remaining premium of an interest-only security was fully amortized because the issuer called the security upon full prepayment of the underlying mortgage loan that collateralized the security.

(3)The held-to-maturity investment securities had a weighted average yield of 1.5% as of December 31, 2021.


 As of December 31, 2020
Amount OutstandingUnamortized Premium/(Discount)
Amortized
Cost(1)
Allowance for losses(2)
Unrealized
Gains
Unrealized
Losses
Fair Value
 (in thousands)
Available-for-sale:    
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$19,700 $— $19,700 $(36)$— $(493)$19,171 
Floating rate asset-backed securities6,232 — 6,232 — — (1)6,231 
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities2,350,963 (44)2,350,919 — 12,150 (3,043)2,360,026 
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities279 — 279 — 34 — 313 
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries1,449,408 17,128 1,466,536 — 1,458 (43)1,467,951 
Total available-for-sale3,826,582 17,084 3,843,666 (36)13,642 (3,580)3,853,692 
Held-to-maturity:
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities(3)
45,032 — 45,032 — 1,201 — 46,233 
Total held-to-maturity$45,032 $— $45,032 $— $1,201 $— $46,233 
 As of December 31, 2017
 Amount Outstanding Unamortized Premium/(Discount) Amortized
Cost
 Unrealized
Gains
 Unrealized
Losses
 Fair Value
 (in thousands)
Available-for-sale:           
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$19,700
 $
 $19,700
 $
 $(886) $18,814
Floating rate asset-backed securities34,462
 (154) 34,308
 22
 (120) 34,210
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities1,289,123
 2,217
 1,291,340
 2,215
 (3,368) 1,290,187
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities(1)
451
 2,138
 2,589
 2,230
 
 4,819
Fixed rate senior agency debt100,000
 
 100,000
 
 (49) 99,951
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries770,852
 (1,836) 769,016
 
 (1,592) 767,424
Total available-for-sale2,214,588
 2,365
 2,216,953
 4,467
 (6,015) 2,215,405
Held-to-maturity:           
Fixed rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities45,032
 
 45,032
 532
 
 45,564
Total investment securities$2,259,620
 $2,365
 $2,261,985
 $4,999
 $(6,015) $2,260,969
(1)
Fair value includes $4.3 million of an interest-only security with a notional amount of $143.7 million.

(1)Amounts presented exclude $9.0 million of accrued interest receivable on investment securities as of December 31, 2020.
(2)Represents the amount of impairment that has resulted from credit-related factors, and therefore was recognized in the consolidated statement of operations as a provision for losses. Amount excludes unrealized losses relating to non-credit factors.
(3)The held-to-maturity investment securities had a weighted average yield of 1.5% as of December 31, 2020.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac received proceeds of $257.5 million, from the sale of securities from its available-for-sale investment portfolio, resulting in gains of $0.3 million. Farmer Mac did not sell any securities from its available-for-sale investment portfolio during the year ended December 31, 2018.2020. During the year ended December 31, 2017, Farmer Mac received proceeds of $10.2 million from the sale of securities from its available-for-sale portfolio, resulting in gross realized gains of $0.1 million. During the year ended December 31, 2016,2019, Farmer Mac received proceeds of



144
163







$186.812.4 million from the sale of securities from its available-for-sale investment portfolio, resulting in gross realized gains of $0.1 million and gross realized losses of $0.1$0.2 million.


As of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, unrealized losses on available-for-sale investment securities were as follows:


Table 4.2
 As of December 31, 2021
 Available-for-Sale Securities
Unrealized loss position for
less than 12 months
Unrealized loss position for
more than 12 months
Fair ValueUnrealized
Loss
Fair ValueUnrealized
Loss
 (dollars in thousands)
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$— $— $19,254 $(394)
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities459,195 (619)37,307 (477)
Fixed rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities406,805 (5,730)— — 
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries1,123,439 (3,070)51,031 (184)
Total$1,989,439 $(9,419)$107,592 $(1,055)
Number of securities in loss position69 24 

 As of December 31, 2020
 Available-for-Sale Securities
Unrealized loss position for
less than 12 months
Unrealized loss position for
more than 12 months
Fair ValueUnrealized
Loss
Fair ValueUnrealized
Loss
 (dollars in thousands)
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$— $— $19,171 $(493)
Floating rate asset-backed securities— — 6,231 (1)
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities172,842 (593)324,423 (2,450)
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries364,320 (43)— — 
Total$537,162 $(636)$349,825 $(2,944)
Number of securities in loss position27 62 
 As of December 31, 2018
 Available-for-Sale Securities
 Unrealized loss position for
less than 12 months
 Unrealized loss position for
more than 12 months
 Fair Value Unrealized
Loss
 Fair Value Unrealized
Loss
 (dollars in thousands)
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$
 $
 $18,715
 $(985)
Floating rate asset-backed securities6,456
 (38) 19,058
 (90)
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities927,416
 (2,907) 196,416
 (1,360)
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries499,581
 (336) 81,597
 (212)
Total$1,433,453
 $(3,281) $315,786
 $(2,647)
        
Number of securities in loss position  72   48

 As of December 31, 2017
 Available-for-Sale Securities
 Unrealized loss position for
less than 12 months
 Unrealized loss position for
more than 12 months
 Fair Value Unrealized
Loss
 Fair Value Unrealized
Loss
 (in thousands)
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$
 $
 $18,814
 $(886)
Floating rate asset-backed securities
 
 23,145
 (120)
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities292,522
 (2,337) 221,641
 (1,031)
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries742,442
 (1,572) 24,983
 (20)
Fixed rate senior agency debt
 
 99,951
 (49)
Total$1,034,964
 $(3,909) $388,534
 $(2,106)
        
Number of securities in loss position  40   51


The unrealized losses presented above are principally due to a general widening of market spreads and an increasechanges in the levels of interest rates from the dates of acquisition to December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, as applicable. The resulting decrease in fair values reflects an increase in the perceived risk by the financial markets related to those securities. As of both December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, all of the investment securities in an unrealized loss position either were backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government or had credit ratings of at least "AA+."


Securities in unrealized loss positions for 12 months or longer have a fair value as of December 31, 20182021 that is, on average, approximately 99.2%99.0% of their amortized cost basis. Farmer Mac believes that all of


164



these unrealized losses are recoverable within a reasonable period of time by way of maturity or changes in credit spreads. Accordingly, Farmer Mac has concluded that none of the unrealized losses on these available-for-sale investment securities are other-than-temporary impairment as of December 31, 2018 and 2017.


As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac owned $45.0 million of held-to-maturity investment securities at amortized cost with a fair value of $45.6 million and a weighted average yield of 3.5%. As of December 31, 2017, Farmer Mac owned $45.0 million of held-to-maturity investment securities at amortized cost with a fair value of $45.6 million and a weighted average yield of 2.5%. Farmer Mac did not own any trading investment securities as of December 31, 2018 and 2017.


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The amortized cost, fair value, and weighted-average yield of available-for-sale investment securities by remaining contractual maturity as of December 31, 20182021 are set forth below. Asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities are included based on their final maturities, although the actual maturities may differ due to prepayments of the underlying assets.


Table 4.3
As of December 31, 2021
Available-for-Sale Securities
Amortized
Cost
Fair ValueWeighted-
Average
Yield
 (dollars in thousands)
Due within one year$646,946 $646,518 1.23%
Due after one year through five years812,878 810,767 0.42%
Due after five years through ten years1,712,906 1,710,515 0.88%
Due after ten years661,984 668,591 0.64%
Total$3,834,714 $3,836,391 0.80%


 As of December 31, 2018
 Available-for-Sale Securities
 Amortized
Cost
 Fair Value Weighted-
Average
Yield
 (dollars in thousands)
Due within one year$767,989
 $767,536
 1.29%
Due after one year through five years217,450
 217,443
 2.76%
Due after five years through ten years646,531
 644,361
 2.72%
Due after ten years590,950
 588,512
 2.92%
Total$2,222,920
 $2,217,852
 2.28%
5.FARMER MAC GUARANTEED SECURITIES AND USDA SECURITIES



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5.FARMER MAC GUARANTEED SECURITIES AND USDA SECURITIES


The following tables set forth information about on-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:December 31, 2020:


Table 5.1
 As of December 31, 2021
Unpaid Principal BalanceUnamortized Premium/(Discount)
Amortized
Cost(1)
Allowance for losses(2)
Unrealized
Gains
Unrealized
Losses
Fair Value
 (in thousands)
Held-to-maturity:
AgVantage$2,003,486 $— $2,003,486 $(132)$10,097 $(12,764)$2,000,687 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities29,859 26 29,885 — 1,162 — 31,047 
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities2,033,345 26 2,033,371 (132)11,259 (12,764)2,031,734 
USDA Securities2,411,649 24,682 2,436,331 — 95,741 — 2,532,072 
Total held-to-maturity$4,444,994 $24,708 $4,469,702 $(132)$107,000 $(12,764)$4,563,806 
Available-for-sale:    
AgVantage$6,122,240 $1,270 $6,123,510 $(263)$212,908 $(20,010)$6,316,145 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities(3)
— 12,297 12,297 — 117 — 12,414 
Total available-for-sale$6,122,240 $13,567 $6,135,807 $(263)$213,025 $(20,010)$6,328,559 
Trading:    
USDA Securities(4)
$4,299 $134 $4,433 $— $$(33)$4,401 

(1)Amounts presented exclude $29.8 million, $42.1 million, and $0.1 million of accrued interest receivable on available-for-sale, held-to-maturity, and trading securities, respectively, as of December 31, 2021.
(2)Represents the amount of impairment that has resulted from credit-related factors, and therefore was recognized in the statement of financial operations as a provision for losses. Amount excludes unrealized losses relating to non-credit factors.
(3)Fair value includes $12.4 million of an interest-only security with a notional amount of $275.4 million.
(4)The trading USDA securities had a weighted average yield of 5.05% as of December 31, 2021.

 As of December 31, 2018
 Unpaid Principal Balance Unamortized Premium/(Discount) Amortized
Cost
 Unrealized
Gains
 Unrealized
Losses
 Fair Value
 (in thousands)
Held-to-maturity:           
AgVantage$2,069,185
 $(194) $2,068,991
 $2,637
 $(11,948) $2,059,680
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities27,383
 244
 27,627
 98
 
 27,725
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities2,096,568
 50
 2,096,618
 2,735
 (11,948) 2,087,405
USDA Securities2,110,963
 55,211
 2,166,174
 
 (62,227) 2,103,947
Total held-to-maturity$4,207,531
 $55,261
 $4,262,792
 $2,735
 $(74,175) $4,191,352
Available-for-sale:           
AgVantage$6,003,733
 $(204) $6,003,529
 $22,335
 $(51,367) $5,974,497
Trading:     
  
  
  
USDA Securities$9,591
 $701
 $10,292
 $20
 $(313) $9,999
146

 As of December 31, 2017
 Unpaid Principal Balance Unamortized Premium/(Discount) Amortized
Cost
 Unrealized
Gains
 Unrealized
Losses
 Fair Value
 (in thousands)
Held-to-maturity:           
AgVantage$2,096,754
 $(779) $2,095,975
 $2,011
 $(11,429) $2,086,557
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities29,980
 319
 30,299
 108
 (73) 30,334
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities2,126,734
 (460) 2,126,274
 2,119
 (11,502) 2,116,891
USDA Securities2,055,050
 62,800
 2,117,850
 
 (54,969) 2,062,881
Total held-to-maturity$4,181,784
 $62,340
 $4,244,124
 $2,119
 $(66,471) $4,179,772
Available-for-sale:           
AgVantage$5,496,569
 $(182) $5,496,387
 $21,838
 $(46,311) $5,471,914
Trading:     
  
  
  
USDA Securities$12,966
 $922
 $13,888
 $28
 $(401) $13,515




166







 As of December 31, 2020
Unpaid Principal BalanceUnamortized Premium/(Discount)
Amortized
Cost(1)
Allowance for losses(2)
Unrealized
Gains
Unrealized
Losses
Fair Value
 (in thousands)
Held-to-maturity:
AgVantage$1,141,430 $(55)$1,141,375 $(120)$23,986 $(61)$1,165,180 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities34,456 81 34,537 — 1,273 — 35,810 
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities1,175,886 26 1,175,912 (120)25,259 (61)1,200,990 
USDA Securities2,446,550 27,076 2,473,626 — 157,748 (560)2,630,814 
Total held-to-maturity$3,622,436 $27,102 $3,649,538 $(120)$183,007 $(621)$3,831,804 
Available-for-sale:    
AgVantage$6,593,518 $1,474 $6,594,992 $(310)$368,257 $(15,238)$6,947,701 
Trading:    
USDA Securities(3)
$6,413 $198 $6,611 $— $84 $— $6,695 
(1)Amounts presented exclude $32.3 million, $44.7 million, and $0.2 million of accrued interest receivable on available-for-sale, held-to-maturity, and trading securities, respectively, as of December 31, 2020.
(2)Represents the amount of impairment that has resulted from credit-related factors, and therefore was recognized in the statement of financial operations as a provision for losses. Amount excludes unrealized losses relating to non-credit factors.
(3)The trading USDA securities had a weighted average yield of 5.05% as of December 31, 2020.

As of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, unrealized losses on held-to-maturity and available-for-sale on-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities were as follows:


Table 5.2
As of December 31, 2021
 Held-to-Maturity and Available-for-Sale Securities
Unrealized loss position for
less than 12 months
Unrealized loss position for
more than 12 months
Fair ValueUnrealized
Loss
Fair ValueUnrealized
Loss
 (in thousands)
Held-to-maturity:
AgVantage$1,387,236 $(12,764)$— $— 
USDA Securities— — — — 
Total held-to-maturity$1,387,236 $(12,764)$— $— 
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage$1,867,364 $(17,263)$90,971 $(2,747)



147





As of December 31, 2018As of December 31, 2020
Held-to-Maturity and Available-for-Sale Securities Held-to-Maturity and Available-for-Sale Securities
Unrealized loss position for
less than 12 months
 Unrealized loss position for
more than 12 months
Unrealized loss position for
less than 12 months
Unrealized loss position for
more than 12 months
Fair Value Unrealized
Loss
 Fair Value Unrealized
Loss
Fair ValueUnrealized
Loss
Fair ValueUnrealized
Loss
(dollars in thousands) (in thousands)
Held-to-maturity:       Held-to-maturity:
AgVantage$669,610
 $(1,760) $976,318
 $(10,188)AgVantage$49,939 $(61)$— $— 
USDA Securities38,203
 (696) 2,065,743
 (61,531)USDA Securities— — 21,061 (560)
Total held-to-maturity$707,813
 $(2,456) $3,042,061
 $(71,719)Total held-to-maturity$49,939 $(61)$21,061 $(560)
       
Available-for-sale:       Available-for-sale:
AgVantage$1,480,423
 $(9,364) $1,599,679
 $(42,003)AgVantage$133,703 $(231)$981,757 $(15,007)

 As of December 31, 2017
 Held-to-Maturity and Available-for-Sale Securities
 Unrealized loss position for
less than 12 months
 Unrealized loss position for
more than 12 months
 Fair Value Unrealized
Loss
 Fair Value Unrealized
Loss
 (in thousands)
Held-to-maturity:       
AgVantage$1,304,160
 $(8,094) $351,664
 $(3,335)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities24,721
 (73) 
 
USDA Securities451
 (2) 2,062,429
 (54,967)
Total held-to-maturity$1,329,332
 $(8,169) $2,414,093
 $(58,302)
        
Available-for-sale:       
AgVantage$1,273,965
 $(8,819) $1,759,377
 $(37,492)


The unrealized losses presented above are principally due to higherchanges in interest rates from the date of acquisition to December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, as applicable. The unrealized losses on the held-to-maturity USDA Securities as of both December 31, 20182021 and 2017December 31, 2020 reflect their increased cost basis resulting from their transfer to held-to-maturity as of October 1, 2016.


The credit exposure related to Farmer Mac's USDA GuaranteesSecurities in the Agricultural Finance line of business is covered by the full faith and credit guarantee of the United States.States of America.


The unrealized losses from AgVantage securities were on 3813 and 3611 available-for-sale securities as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, respectively. There were 4310 and 232 held-to-maturity AgVantage securities with an unrealized loss as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, 212021 and December 31, 2020, 2 and 7 available-for-sale AgVantage securities, respectively, had been in a loss position for more than 12 months. As of



167



During the three years ended December 31, 2017, 16 available-for-sale AgVantage securities had been in a loss position for more than 12 months.2021, 2020, and 2019, Farmer Mac has concluded that nonehad no sales of the unrealized losses on its held-to-maturity Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities andor USDA Securities and, available-for-sale Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities are other-than-temporary impaired as of either December 31, 2018 or December 31, 2017.  Farmer Mac does not intend to sell these securities, and it is not more likely than not that Farmer Mac will be required to sell the securities before recovery of the amortized cost basis.

During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016,therefore, Farmer Mac realized no gains or losses from the sale of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities.losses.



148





The amortized cost, fair value, and weighted-average yield of available-for-sale and held-to-maturity Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities by remaining contractual maturity as of December 31, 20182021 are set forth below. The balances presented are based on their final maturities, although the actual maturities may differ due to prepayments of the underlying assets.


Table 5.3
As of December 31, 2021
Available-for-Sale Securities
Amortized
Cost(1)
Fair ValueWeighted-
Average
Yield
 (dollars in thousands)
Due within one year$1,401,396 $1,408,170 1.80 %
Due after one year through five years2,142,369 2,194,055 2.52 %
Due after five years through ten years1,008,986 1,034,586 2.21 %
Due after ten years1,583,056 1,691,748 2.46 %
Total$6,135,807 $6,328,559 2.28 %

(1)Amounts presented exclude $29.8 million of accrued interest receivable.

As of December 31, 2021
Held-to-Maturity Securities
Amortized
Cost(1)
Fair ValueWeighted-
Average
Yield
 (dollars in thousands)
Due within one year$1,146,637 $1,146,747 0.65 %
Due after one year through five years904,570 902,695 2.09 %
Due after five years through ten years253,388 262,906 2.76 %
Due after ten years2,165,107 2,251,458 3.15 %
Total$4,469,702 $4,563,806 2.26 %
(1)Amounts presented exclude $42.1 million of accrued interest receivable.


6.FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES
 As of December 31, 2018
 Available-for-Sale Securities
 Amortized
Cost
 Fair Value Weighted-
Average
Yield
 (dollars in thousands)
Due within one year$618,461
 $618,825
 2.87%
Due after one year through five years2,889,110
 2,887,325
 3.12%
Due after five years through ten years1,248,615
 1,239,658
 3.21%
Due after ten years1,247,343
 1,228,689
 3.61%
Total$6,003,529
 $5,974,497
 3.22%
 As of December 31, 2018
 Held-to-Maturity Securities
 Amortized
Cost
 Fair Value Weighted-
Average
Yield
 (dollars in thousands)
Due within one year$762,474
 $759,480
 2.11%
Due after one year through five years1,388,053
 1,379,827
 3.04%
Due after five years through ten years212,283
 205,952
 3.39%
Due after ten years1,899,982
 1,846,093
 3.57%
Total$4,262,792
 $4,191,352
 3.12%

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac owned trading USDA Securities with an amortized cost of $10.3 million, a fair value of $10.0 million, and a weighted-average yield of 5.21 percent. As of December 31, 2017, Farmer Mac owned trading USDA Securities with an amortized cost of $13.9 million, a fair value of $13.5 million, and a weighted-average yield of 5.33 percent.  



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6.FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES


Farmer Mac enters into financial derivative transactions principally to protect against risk from the effects of market price, or interest rate movements, on the value of certain assets, future cash flows, or debt issuance, and not for trading or speculative purposes. Certain financial derivatives are designated as fair value hedges of
fixed rate assets, primarily classified as available-for-sale, to protect against fair value changes in the assets related
to changes in a benchmark interest rate (e.g., LIBOR)LIBOR or SOFR). OtherCertain other financial derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges to mitigate the volatility of future interest rate payments on floating rate debt. Certain financial derivatives are not designated in hedge accounting relationships.


Farmer Mac manages the interest rate risk related to loans it has committed to acquire, but has not yet
permanently funded, primarily through the use of forward sale contracts on the debt of other GSEs and
futures contracts involving U.S. Treasury securities. Farmer Mac uses forward sale contracts on GSE
securities to reduce its interest rate exposure to changes in both U.S. Treasury rates and spreads on Farmer
Mac debt. The notional amounts of these contracts are determined based onFarmer Mac aims to achieve a duration-matched hedge ratio between the hedged item and the
hedge instrument. Gains or losses generated by these hedge transactions are expected to offset changes in
funding costs. All financial derivatives are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value as a freestanding
asset or liability.


Effective first quarter 2018, Farmer Mac adopted ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities." This ASU reduces the complexity of hedge accounting by eliminating the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness and by requiring the entire change in the fair value of a hedging instrument to be presented in the same income statement line as the income or expense effect from the hedged item. Upon the adoption of the ASU, Farmer Mac elected to retrospectively designate the hedged risk of its fair value hedges as the risk of changes in fair value resulting from changes in the benchmark interest rate component of the contractual coupon cash flows. Farmer Mac made this election for its fair value hedges designated upon the inception of the hedging instruments. For fair value hedges designated after the inception of the hedging instruments, Farmer Mac continues to designate the hedged risk as the risk of changes in fair value based on total contractual coupon cash flows. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material effect on Farmer Mac's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.149












169








The following tables summarize information related to Farmer Mac's financial derivatives on a gross basis without giving consideration to master netting arrangements as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:December 31, 2020:


Table 6.1
  As of December 31, 2018
    Fair Value Weighted-
Average
Pay Rate
 Weighted-
Average Receive Rate
 Weighted-
Average
Forward
Price
 Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Term (in years)
  Notional Amount Asset (Liability)    
  (dollars in thousands)
Fair value hedges:             
Interest rate swaps:             
Pay fixed non-callable$3,097,084
 $3,004
 $(4,326) 2.42% 2.58%   9.75
Receive fixed non-callable2,031,200
 885
 (4,512) 2.49% 1.94%   1.68
Cash flow hedges:             
Interest rate swaps:             
Pay fixed non-callable373,000
 2,441
 (99) 2.40% 2.83%   6.12
No hedge designation:             
Interest rate swaps:             
Pay fixed non-callable316,664
 796
 (10,399) 3.69% 2.52%   6.25
Receive fixed non-callable2,347,371
 
 
 2.37% 2.10%   0.86
Basis swaps1,770,026
 421
 (130) 2.45% 2.49%   1.27
Treasury futures20,400
 
 (188)     121.09
  
Credit valuation adjustment  (60) 21
        
Total financial derivatives$9,955,745
 $7,487
 $(19,633)           
Collateral pledged  (1,778) 47,018
        
Net amount  $5,709
 $27,385
        

  As of December 31, 2021
  Fair ValueWeighted-
Average
Pay Rate
Weighted-
Average Receive Rate
Weighted-
Average
Forward
Price
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Term (in years)
  Notional AmountAsset(Liability)
  (dollars in thousands)
Fair value hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable$6,238,438 $11,554 $(583)2.06%0.13%11.64
Receive fixed non-callable5,884,529 15 (8,383)0.17%0.88%2.27
Receive fixed callable1,571,577 103 (17,612)0.01%0.80%4.17
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable570,000 6,905 (2,763)1.93%0.49%5.72
No hedge designation:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable229,062 — (4,641)3.22%0.16%4.95
Receive fixed non-callable1,377,250 — — 0.13%0.43%0.97
Basis swaps1,608,911 489 (280)0.17%0.20%3.31
Treasury futures67,600 73— 130.58 
Credit valuation adjustment— 14    
Total financial derivatives$17,547,367 $19,139 $(34,248)      
Collateral (held)/pledged— 194,519 
Net amount$19,139 $160,271 


170150







  As of December 31, 2020
  Fair ValueWeighted-
Average
Pay Rate
Weighted-
Average Receive Rate
Weighted-
Average
Forward
Price
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Term (in years)
  Notional AmountAsset(Liability)
  (dollars in thousands)
Fair value hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable$5,463,303 $10,157 $(2,585)2.26%0.21%11.95
Receive fixed non-callable2,611,029 (8,755)0.32%1.61%2.10
Receive fixed callable343,500 3,108 (4)0.16%1.78%3.16
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable472,000 2,584 (8,771)2.04%0.57%6.04
No hedge designation:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable339,090 — (9,675)2.38%0.19%4.23
Receive fixed non-callable2,359,220 — — 0.16%0.87%1.07
Receive fixed callable200,000 (12)0.13%0.15%0.72
Basis swaps3,628,911 1,617 (43)0.18%0.23%2.03
Treasury futures30,500 — (82)137.81 
Credit valuation adjustment(1)35    
Total financial derivatives$15,447,553 $17,468 $(29,892)      
Collateral (held)/pledged(1,345)212,263 
Net amount$16,123 $182,371 

  As of December 31, 2017
    Fair Value Weighted-
Average
Pay Rate
 Weighted-
Average Receive Rate
 Weighted-
Average
Forward
Price
 Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Term (in years)
  Notional Amount Asset (Liability)    
  (dollars in thousands)
Fair value hedges:             
Interest rate swaps:             
Pay fixed non-callable$2,086,347
 $5,240
 $(5,990) 1.88% 1.40%   5.46
Receive fixed non-callable1,559,700
 110
 (4,033) 1.38% 1.45%   1.68
Cash flow hedges:             
Interest rate swaps:             
Pay fixed non-callable365,500
 1,402
 (138) 2.16% 1.74%   5.84
No hedge designation:             
Interest rate swaps:             
Pay fixed non-callable345,333
 339
 (16,352) 3.79% 1.40%   6.68
Receive fixed non-callable3,409,916
 
 
 1.25% 1.24%   0.92
Basis swaps1,053,500
 18
 (106) 1.33% 1.42%   0.91
Treasury futures40,000
 
 (36)     123.96
  
Credit valuation adjustment  (16) 56
        
Total financial derivatives$8,860,296
 $7,093
 $(26,599)           
Collateral pledged  
 24,926
        
Net amount  $7,093
 $(1,673)        

As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac expects to reclassify $1.7$4.6 million after taxafter-tax from accumulated other comprehensive income to earnings over the next twelve months.months related to cash flow hedges. This amount could differ from amounts actually recognized due to changes in interest rates, hedge de-designations, and the addition of other hedges after December 31, 2018.2021. During the years ended December 31, 20182021and2017,2020, there were no gains or losses from interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges reclassified to earnings because it becamewas probable that the originaloriginally forecasted transactiontransactions would not occur.




















171151








The following table summarizestables summarize the net income/(expense) recognized in the consolidated statements of operations related to derivatives for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016:2019:


Table 6.2

For the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on Derivatives
Net Interest IncomeNon-Interest IncomeTotal
Interest Income Investments and Cash Equivalents Interest Income Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA SecuritiesInterest Income LoansTotal Interest ExpenseLosses on financial derivatives
(in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of operations$18,660 $163,547 $242,582 $(204,014)$(3,348)$217,427 
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships:
Recognized on derivatives(1,002)(85,302)(27,167)42,591 — (70,880)
Recognized on hedged items1,792 119,896 46,842 (51,484)— 117,046 
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items— — — (1,118)— (1,118)
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships$790 $34,594 $19,675 $(10,011)$— $45,048 
Gains/(losses) on fair value hedging relationships:
Recognized on derivatives$1,688 $177,077 $97,459 $(98,332)$— $177,892 
Recognized on hedged items(1,218)(176,304)(97,502)95,617 — (179,407)
Gains/(losses) on fair value hedging relationships$470 $773 $(43)$(2,715)$— $(1,515)
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow hedging relationships:
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net income on derivatives$— $— $— $(7,399)$— $(7,399)
Recognized on hedged items— — — (2,657)— (2,657)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items— — — (37)— (37)
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges$— $— $— $(10,093)$— $(10,093)
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedging relationships:
Losses on interest rate swaps$— $— $— $— $(5,816)$(5,816)
Interest expense on interest rate swaps— — — — 3,259 3,259 
Treasury futures— — — — (791)(791)
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships$— $— $— $— $(3,348)$(3,348)




 For the Year Ended December 31, 2018
 Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on Derivatives
 Net Interest Income Non-Interest Income Total
 Interest Income
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities
 Interest Income Loans Total Interest Expense (Losses)/gains on financial derivatives 
 (in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of operations:$290,953
 $198,152
 $(369,848) $(3,687) $115,570
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships:         
Recognized on derivatives1,861
 (630) (7,995) 
 (6,764)
Recognized on hedged items65,238
 6,284
 (36,837) 
 34,685
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
 
 (668) 
 (668)
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships$67,099
 $5,654
 $(45,500) $
 $27,253
          
Gains/(losses) on fair value hedging relationships:         
Recognized on derivatives(20,279) 5,031
 835
 
 (14,413)
Recognized on hedged items21,460
 (5,243) 3,137
 
 19,354
Gains/(losses) on fair value hedging relationships$1,181
 $(212) $3,972
 $
 $4,941
          
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow hedging relationships:         
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net income on derivatives
 
 316
 
 316
Recognized on hedged items
 
 (9,182) 
 (9,182)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
 
 (6) 
 (6)
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges$
 $
 $(8,872) $
 $(8,872)
          
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships:         
Gains on interest rate swaps
 
 
 7,206
 7,206
Interest expense on interest rate swaps
 
 
 (10,920) (10,920)
Treasury futures
 
 
 27
 27
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships$
 $
 $
 $(3,687) $(3,687)
152


172









For The Year Ended December 31, 2020
Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on Derivatives
Net Interest IncomeNon-Interest IncomeTotal
Interest Income
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities
Interest Income LoansTotal Interest ExpenseLosses on financial derivatives
(in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of operations:$227,691 $233,699 $(312,946)$(246)$148,198 
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships:
Recognized on derivatives(60,056)(19,135)26,386 — (52,805)
Recognized on hedged items126,170 40,793 (51,230)— 115,733 
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items— — (745)— (745)
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships$66,114 $21,658 $(25,589)$— $62,183 
(Losses)/gains on fair value hedging relationships:
Recognized on derivatives$(206,281)$(76,565)$43,332 $— $(239,514)
Recognized on hedged items202,624 73,426 (45,720)— 230,330 
(Losses)/gains on fair value hedging relationships$(3,657)$(3,139)$(2,388)$— $(9,184)
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow hedging relationships:
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net income on derivatives$— $— $(5,570)$— $(5,570)
Recognized on hedged items— — (4,553)— (4,553)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items— — (13)— (13)
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges$— $— $(10,136)$— $(10,136)
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships:
Losses on interest rate swaps$— $— $— $(4,204)$(4,204)
Interest expense on interest rate swaps— — — 5,808 5,808 
Treasury futures— — — (1,850)(1,850)
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships$— $— $— $(246)$(246)

 For the Year Ended December 31, 2017
 Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on Derivatives
 Net Interest Income Non-Interest Income Total
  Interest Income Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities Interest Income Loans Total Interest Expense (Losses)/gains on financial derivatives 
 (in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of operations$203,796
 $162,150
 $(242,885) $753
 $123,814
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships:         
Recognized on derivatives(10,346) (1,141) 2,642
 
 (8,845)
Recognized on hedged items46,389
 3,379
 (14,283) 
 35,485
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
 
 (345) 
 (345)
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships$36,043
 $2,238
 $(11,986) $
 $26,295
          
Losses on fair value hedging relationships:         
Recognized on derivatives(1)

 
 
 1,694
 1,694
Recognized on hedged items
 
 
 (2,413) (2,413)
Losses on fair value hedging relationships$
 $
 $
 $(719) $(719)
          
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow hedging relationships:         
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net income on derivatives$
 $
 $(1,974) $
 $(1,974)
Recognized on hedged items
 
 (4,133) 
 (4,133)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
 
 (5) 
 (5)
Losses recognized in income for hedge ineffectiveness
 
 
 (320) (320)
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges$
 $
 $(6,112) $(320) $(6,432)
          
Gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedging relationships:         
Gains on interest rate swaps$
 $
 $
 $12,240
 $12,240
Interest expense on interest rate swaps
 
 
 (10,200) (10,200)
Agency forwards
 
 
 (588) (588)
Treasury futures
 
 
 340
 340
Gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships$
 $
 $
 $1,792
 $1,792
153
(1)
Included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness as of December 31, 2017, but excluded from the amounts in the table, were gains of $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, attributable to the fair value of the swaps at the inception of the hedging relationship. Accordingly, the amount recognized as hedge ineffectiveness for the year ended December 31, 2017 were gains of $0.6 million.



173







For The Year Ended December 31, 2019
Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on Derivatives
Net Interest IncomeNon-Interest IncomeTotal
Interest Income Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA SecuritiesInterest Income LoansTotal Interest ExpenseGains/(losses) on financial derivatives
(in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of operations$333,896 $229,675 $(471,958)$5,282 $96,895 
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships:
Recognized on derivatives(2,177)(2,053)(6,227)— (10,457)
Recognized on hedged items118,609 26,352 (45,309)— 99,652 
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items— — (631)— (631)
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships$116,432 $24,299 $(52,167)$— $88,564 
(Losses)/gains on fair value hedging relationships:
Recognized on derivatives$(184,478)$(50,141)$18,401 $— $(216,218)
Recognized on hedged items181,144 43,194 (16,027)— 208,311 
(Losses)/gains on fair value hedging relationships$(3,334)$(6,947)$2,374 $— $(7,907)
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow hedging relationships:
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net income on derivatives$— $— $1,166 $— $1,166 
Recognized on hedged items— — (10,569)— (10,569)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items— — (4)— (4)
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges$— $— $(9,407)$— $(9,407)
Gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedging relationships:
Gains on interest rate swaps$— $— $— $10,321 $10,321 
Interest expense on interest rate swaps— — — (4,213)(4,213)
Treasury futures— — — (826)(826)
Gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships$— $— $— $5,282 $5,282 

 For the Year Ended December 31, 2016
 Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on Derivatives
 Net Interest Income Non-Interest Income Total
  Interest Income Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities Interest Income Loans Total Interest Expense (Losses)/gains on financial derivatives 
 (in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of operations$150,281
 $134,577
 $(171,626) $2,311
 $115,543
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships:         
Recognized on derivatives(15,494) (1,011) 132
 
 (16,373)
Recognized on hedged items35,169
 2,063
 
 
 37,232
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
 
 
 
 
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships$19,675
 $1,052
 $132
 $
 $20,859
          
Gains on fair value hedging relationships:         
Recognized on derivatives(1)

 
 
 25,365
 25,365
Recognized on hedged items
 
 
 (20,322) (20,322)
Gains on fair value hedging relationships$
 $
 $
 $5,043
 $5,043
          
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow hedging relationships:         
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net income on derivatives$
 $
 $(2,126) $
 $(2,126)
Recognized on hedged items
 
 (1,437) 
 (1,437)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
 
 (1) 
 (1)
Losses recognized in income for hedge ineffectiveness
 
 
 (353) (353)
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges$
 $
 $(3,564) $(353) $(3,917)
          
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedging relationships:         
Gains on interest rate swaps$
 $
 $
 $9,489
 $9,489
Interest expense on interest rate swaps
 
 
 (11,480) (11,480)
Agency forwards
 
 
 (226) (226)
Treasury futures
 
 
 (162) (162)
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships$
 $
 $
 $(2,379) $(2,379)
154
(1)
Included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness as of December 31, 2016, but excluded from the amounts in the table, were losses of $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, attributable to the fair value of the swaps at the inception of the hedging relationship. Accordingly, the amounts recognized as hedge ineffectiveness for the year ended December 31, 2016 were gains of $0.2 million.



174







The following table shows the carrying amount and associated cumulative basis adjustment related to the application of hedge accounting that is included in the carrying amount of hedged assets and liabilities in fair value hedging relationships as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:December 31, 2020:


Table 6.3
Hedged Items in Fair Value Relationship
Carrying Amount of Hedged Assets/(Liabilities)Cumulative Amount of Fair Value Hedging Adjustments included in the Carrying Amount of the Hedged Assets/(Liabilities)
December 31, 2021December 31, 2020December 31, 2021December 31, 2020
(in thousands)
Investment securities, Available-for-Sale, at fair value$458,653 $— $(1,218)$— 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, Available-for-Sale, at fair value(1)
4,276,002 4,244,027 206,520 382,825 
Loans held for investment, at amortized cost(2)
1,668,142 1,692,609 13,832 111,333 
Notes Payable(3)
(7,083,535)(3,006,140)42,377 (53,240)

 Hedged Items in Fair Value Relationship
 Carrying Amount of Hedged Assets/(Liabilities) Cumulative Amount of Fair Value Hedging Adjustments included in the Carrying Amount of the Hedged Assets/(Liabilities)
 December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
 (in thousands)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, Available-for-Sale, at fair value$2,882,919
 $1,928,220
 $(906) $(22,853)
Loans held for investment, at amortized cost194,617
 149,304
 (5,287) (189)
Notes Payable, due after one year(1)(2)
(2,021,356) (1,552,935) 8,785
 5,836
(1)
Carrying amount represents amortized cost.
(2)
Includes $0.3 million of hedging adjustments on a discontinued hedging relationship.

As(1)Includes $1.3 million and $1.6 million of hedging adjustments on discontinued hedging relationships as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, respectively.
(2)Includes $1.2 million and $1.4 million of hedging adjustments on a discontinued hedging relationship as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.
(3)Carrying amount represents amortized cost.

The following table shows Farmer Mac's credit exposure to interest rate swap counterparties excludingas of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

Table 6.4
December 31, 2021
Gross Amount Recognized(1)
Counterparty NettingNet Amount Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheet
(in thousands)
Assets:
Derivatives
Interest rate swap$91,130 $91,130 $— 
Liabilities:
Derivatives
Interest rate swap$404,063 $386,249 $17,814 
(1)Gross amount excludes netting arrangements and any adjustment for nonperformance risk, but includingincludes accrued interest, was $51.3 million and $28.5 million, respectively; however, includinginterest.

December 31, 2020
Gross Amount Recognized(1)
Counterparty NettingNet Amount Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheet
(in thousands)
Assets:
Derivatives
Interest rate swaps$112,287 $111,761 $526 
Liabilities:
Derivatives
Interest rate swaps$620,236 $595,867 $24,369 
(1)Gross amount excludes netting arrangements and any adjustment for nonperformance risk, but includes accrued interest, Farmer Mac's credit exposure was $3.1 million and $0.5 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. interest.

155






As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac held $0.7 million of no cash and $1.1 million ofor investment securities as collateral for its derivatives in net asset positions, resulting in uncollateralized net asset positionscompared to $1.3 million of $1.4 million. As of December 31, 2017, Farmer Mac heldcash and no cashinvestment securities as collateral for its derivatives in net asset positions resulting in uncollateralized net asset positions of $0.5 million.

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the fair value of Farmer Mac's derivatives in a net liability position including accrued interest but excluding netting arrangements and any adjustment for nonperformance risk, was $78.4 million and $58.2 million, respectively; however, including netting arrangements and accrued interest, the fair value of Farmer Mac's derivatives in a net liability position at the counterparty level was $13.9 million and $28.0 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  2020.

Farmer Mac posted $16.6 million cash of $0 and $47.0$177.9 million of investment securities as of December 31, 20182021 and posted $11.2 million cash of $0.1 million and $24.8$201.1 million investment securities as of December 31, 2017.2020. Farmer Mac records posted cash as a reduction in the outstanding balance of cash and cash equivalents and an increase in the balance of prepaid expenses and other assets. Any investment securities posted as collateral are included in the investment securities balances on the consolidated balance sheets. If Farmer Mac had breached certain provisions of the derivative contracts as of December 31, 2018 and 2017,2021 or December 31, 2020, it could have been required to settle its obligations under the agreements, orbut would not have been required to post additional collateral of noneand $3.1 million, respectively.collateral. As of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, there were no financial derivatives in a net payable position where Farmer Mac was required to pledge collateral which the counterparty had the right to sell or repledge.


For certain derivatives, Farmer Mac clears interest rate swaps through a clearinghouse, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ("CME"). Farmer Mac posts initial and variation margin to this clearinghouse through which centrally-cleared derivatives and futures contracts are traded. These collateral postings expose Farmer Mac to institutional credit risk in the event that either the clearinghouse or the futures commission merchant that Farmer Mac uses to post collateral to the clearinghouse fails to meet its


175



obligations. Conversely, the use of centrally-cleared derivatives mitigates Farmer Mac's credit risk to individual counterparties because clearinghouses assume the credit risk among counterparties in centrally-cleared derivatives transactions. Of Farmer Mac's $9.9$17.5 billion notional amount of interest rate swaps outstanding as of December 31, 2018, $8.52021, $14.9 billion were cleared through the swap clearinghouse.clearinghouse, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ("CME"). Of Farmer Mac's $8.8$15.4 billion notional amount of interest rate swaps outstanding as of December 31, 2017, $7.92020, $12.8 billion were cleared through the swap clearinghouse.CME. During 2021 and throughout 2020, Farmer Mac continued the use of non-cleared basis swaps to prepare for the transition away from the use of LIBOR as a reference rate.


7.NOTES PAYABLE

7.NOTES PAYABLE

Farmer Mac's borrowings consist of discount notes and medium-term notes, both of which are unsecured general obligations of Farmer Mac. Discount notes generally have original maturities of 1.0 year or less, whereas medium-term notes generally have maturities of 0.5 years to 15.025.0 years.



156





The following tables set forth information related to Farmer Mac's borrowings as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:December 31, 2020:


Table 7.1
 December 31, 2021
 Outstanding as of December 31Average Outstanding During the Year
  AmountWeighted- Average RateAmountWeighted- Average Rate
  (dollars in thousands)
Due within one year:    
Discount notes$2,167,979 0.05 %$1,822,714 0.08 %
Medium-term notes837,580 0.09 %1,956,870 0.12 %
Current portion of medium-term notes3,981,240 0.75 %
 Total due within one year$6,986,799 0.45 %  
Due after one year:   
Medium-term notes due in:   
Two years$4,179,985 0.81 %  
Three years2,554,906 0.87 %  
Four years2,119,805 0.85 %  
Five years2,810,894 1.07 %
Thereafter4,106,144 1.69 %  
Total due after one year$15,771,734 1.10 %  
Total principal net of discounts$22,758,533 0.90 %  
Hedging adjustments(42,377)
Total$22,716,156 



 December 31, 2020
 Outstanding as of December 31Average Outstanding During the Year
  AmountWeighted- Average RateAmountWeighted- Average Rate
  (dollars in thousands)
Due within one year:    
Discount notes$1,797,175 0.11 %$2,343,702 0.63 %
Medium-term notes2,645,146 0.19 %1,593,253 0.60 %
Current portion of medium-term notes6,304,061 0.90 %
 Total due within one year$10,746,382 0.59 %  
Due after one year:    
Medium-term notes due in:    
Two years$3,004,203 1.00 %  
Three years2,809,551 1.24 %  
Four years927,119 1.67 %  
Five years1,342,250 1.03 %
Thereafter2,966,172 1.92 %  
Total due after one year$11,049,295 1.37 %  
Total principal net of discounts$21,795,677 0.98 %  
Hedging adjustments53,240 
Total$21,848,917 


 December 31, 2018
  Outstanding as of December 31 Average Outstanding During the Year
  Amount Weighted- Average Rate Amount Weighted- Average Rate
  (dollars in thousands)
Due within one year:       
Discount notes$1,586,385
 2.35% $1,432,470
 1.83%
Medium-term notes1,826,380
 2.29% 1,977,445
 1.83%
Current portion of long-term notes4,344,285
 1.93%  
  
 Total due within one year$7,757,050
 2.10%  
  
Due after one year: 
  
  
  
Medium-term notes due in: 
  
  
  
2020$3,090,405
 2.11%  
  
20212,220,651
 2.41%  
  
2022859,470
 2.19%  
  
2023881,738
 2.88%    
Thereafter1,434,383
 3.34%  
  
Total due after one year8,486,647
 2.48%  
  
Total$16,243,697
 2.30%  
  
157



176





 December 31, 2017
  Outstanding as of December 31 Average Outstanding During the Year
  Amount Weighted- Average Rate Amount Weighted- Average Rate
  (dollars in thousands)
Due within one year:       
Discount notes$1,724,969
 1.20% $2,262,582
 0.86%
Medium-term notes2,560,211
 1.27% 2,885,966
 1.04%
Current portion of long-term notes3,804,646
 1.23%  
  
 Total due within one year$8,089,826
 1.24%  
  
Due after one year: 
  
  
  
Medium-term notes due in: 
  
  
  
2019$2,644,734
 1.48%  
  
20201,842,143
 1.68%  
  
2021849,263
 1.85%  
  
2022790,564
 2.03%    
Thereafter1,306,086
 3.05%  
  
Total due after one year7,432,790
 1.91%  
  
Total$15,522,616
 1.56%  
  



The maximum amount of Farmer Mac's discount notes outstanding at any month end during each of the years ended December 31, 20182021 and 20172020 was $1.6$2.4 billion and $3.3$2.6 billion, respectively.


Callable medium-term notes give Farmer Mac the option to redeem the debt at par value on a specified call date or at any time on or after a specified call date. The following table summarizes by maturity date the amounts and costs for Farmer Mac debt callable in 20192022 as of December 31, 2018:2021:


Table 7.2
Debt Callable in 2022 as of December 31, 2021, by Maturity
AmountWeighted-Average Rate
(dollars in thousands)
Maturity:
2023$243,795 0.42 %
2024318,346 0.40 %
2025372,048 0.92 %
20261,060,594 1.08 %
Thereafter1,368,758 1.67 %
 Total$3,363,541 1.19 %

Debt Callable in 2019 as of December 31, 2018
 Amount Weighted-Average Rate
 (dollars in thousands)
Maturity:   
2020$239,327
 2.13%
2021409,629
 2.38%
2022165,810
 2.31%
2023253,758
 3.14%
Thereafter294,720
 3.27%
 Total$1,363,244
 2.66%


The following schedule summarizes the earliest interest rate reset date, or debt maturities, of total borrowings outstanding as of December 31, 2018,2021, including callable and non-callable medium-term notes, assuming callable notes are redeemed at the initial call date:




177



Table 7.3
Earliest Interest Rate Reset Date, or Debt Maturities, of Borrowings Outstanding
AmountWeighted-Average Rate
  (dollars in thousands)
Debt with interest rate resets, or debt maturities in:  
2022$8,795,560 0.43 %
20233,588,630 0.91 %
20242,489,936 0.89 %
20251,859,428 0.92 %
20262,632,015 1.10 %
Thereafter3,392,964 1.96 %
Total principal net of discounts$22,758,533 0.90 %
 Earliest Interest Rate Reset Date of Borrowings Outstanding
 Amount Weighted-Average Rate
  (dollars in thousands)
Debt with interest rate resets in:   
2019$9,668,398
 2.20%
20202,210,866
 1.94%
20211,565,748
 2.32%
2022788,504
 2.16%
2023836,768
 2.88%
Thereafter1,173,413
 3.43%
Total$16,243,697
 2.30%


During 2018the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2017,2020, Farmer Mac called $0.0 million$2.0 billion and $24.0 million$3.1 billion of callable medium-term notes, respectively.


Authority to Borrow from the U.S. Treasury


Farmer Mac's statutory charter authorizes it, upon satisfying certain conditions, to borrow up to $1.5 billion from the U.S. Treasury through the issuance of debt obligations to the U.S. Treasury. Any funds borrowed from the U.S. Treasury may be used solely for the purpose of fulfillingto fulfill Farmer Mac's guarantee obligations. Any debt obligations issued by Farmer Mac under this authority would bear interest at a rate determined by the U.S. Treasury, taking into consideration the average rate on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States as of the last day of the last calendar month ending before the date of the purchase of the

158





obligations from Farmer Mac. The charter requires Farmer Mac to repurchase any of its debt obligations held by the U.S. Treasury within a reasonable time. As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac had not used this borrowing authority and does not expect to use this borrowing authority in the future.authority.


Gains on Repurchase of Outstanding Debt


NoDuring the year ended December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac repurchased $23.0 million of outstanding debt at a gain of $14,000; no outstanding debt repurchases were made in 2018, 2017, or 2016.the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.




8.LOANS
178




8.LOANS AND ALLOWANCE FOR LOSSES

Loans


Farmer Mac classifies loans as either held for investment or held for sale. Loans held for investment are recorded at the unpaid principal balance, net of unamortized premium or discount and other cost basis adjustments. Loans held for sale are reported at the lower of cost or fair value determined on a pooled
basis. As of both December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had no loans held for sale. Farmer Mac did not record any lower of cost or fair value adjustments during the year ended December 31, 2021 related to its loans held for sale.

The following table includes loans held for investment and displays the composition of the loan balances as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:December 31, 2020:


Table 8.1
As of December 31, 2021As of December 31, 2020
UnsecuritizedIn Consolidated TrustsTotalUnsecuritizedIn Consolidated TrustsTotal
(in thousands)
Agricultural Finance mortgage loans$5,898,370 $948,623 $6,846,993 $4,889,393 $1,287,045 $6,176,438 
Rural Infrastructure Finance loans2,389,136 — 2,389,136 2,260,412 — 2,260,412 
Total unpaid principal balance(1)
8,287,506 948,623 9,236,129 7,149,805 1,287,045 8,436,850 
Unamortized premiums, discounts, fair value hedge basis adjustment, and other cost basis adjustments26,590 — 26,590 112,128 — 112,128 
Total loans8,314,096 948,623 9,262,719 7,261,933 1,287,045 8,548,978 
Allowance for losses(13,477)(564)(14,041)(12,943)(889)(13,832)
Total loans, net of allowance$8,300,619 $948,059 $9,248,678 $7,248,990 $1,286,156 $8,535,146 

(1)Unpaid principal balance is the basis of presentation in disclosures of outstanding balances for Farmer Mac's lines of business.


159

 As of December 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
 Unsecuritized In Consolidated Trusts Total Unsecuritized In Consolidated Trusts Total
 (in thousands)
Farm & Ranch$3,071,222
 $1,517,101
 $4,588,323
 $2,798,906
 $1,399,827
 $4,198,733
Rural Utilities938,843
 
 938,843
 1,076,291
 
 1,076,291
Total unpaid principal balance(1)
4,010,065
 1,517,101
 5,527,166
 3,875,197
 1,399,827
 5,275,024
Unamortized premiums, discounts, and other cost basis adjustments(5,097) 
 (5,097) (1,442) 
 (1,442)
Total loans4,004,968
 1,517,101
 5,522,069
 3,873,755
 1,399,827
 5,273,582
Allowance for loan losses(5,565) (1,452) (7,017) (5,493) (1,303) (6,796)
Total loans, net of allowance$3,999,403
 $1,515,649
 $5,515,052
 $3,868,262
 $1,398,524
 $5,266,786
(1)




Unpaid principal balance is the basis of presentation in disclosures of outstanding balances for Farmer Mac's lines of business.

Allowance for Losses


Farm & Ranch

Farmer Mac maintains anThe following table is a summary, by asset type, of the allowance for losses presented in two components on its consolidated balance sheets: (1) an allowance for loan losses to account for estimated probable losses on loans held, and (2) a reserve for losses to account for estimated probable losses on loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities (excluding AgVantage securities).  Farmer Mac's total allowance for losses was $9.2 million as of December 31, 20182021 and $8.9 million as of December 31, 2017. See Note 12 for more information about off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs.  2020:



Table 8.2
December 31, 2021December 31, 2020
Allowance for LossesAllowance for Losses
(in thousands)
Loans:
Agricultural Finance mortgage loans$3,442 $3,745 
Rural Infrastructure Finance loans10,599 10,087 
Total$14,041 $13,832 

179




The following is a summary of the changes in the total allowance for losses for each year in the three-year period ended December 31, 2018:2021:


Table 8.28.3
Agricultural Finance mortgage loansRural Infrastructure Finance loans
Allowance for LossesAllowance for Losses
(in thousands)
Balance as of December 31, 2018(1)
$7,017 $— 
Provision for losses3,504 — 
Charge-offs(67)— 
Balance as of December 31, 2019(1)
$10,454 $— 
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of current expected credit loss standard(3,909)5,378 
Adjusted Beginning Balance$6,545 $5,378 
Provision for losses2,959 4,709 
Charge-offs(5,759)— 
Balance as of December 31, 2020(2)(3)(4)
$3,745 $10,087 
(Release of)/provision for losses(1,357)512 
Recovery1,054 — 
Charge-offs— — 
Balance as of December 31, 2021(3)(4)
$3,442 $10,599 

(1)Prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," effective January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac maintained an allowance for loan
losses to cover estimated probable incurred losses on loans held.
 Allowance
for Loan
Losses
 Reserve
for Losses
 Total
Allowance
for Losses
 (in thousands)
Balance as of December 31, 2015$4,480
 $2,083
 $6,563
Provision for/(release of) losses1,065
 (63) 1,002
Charge-offs(130) 
 (130)
Balance as of December 31, 2016$5,415
 $2,020
 $7,435
Provision for/(release of) losses1,708
 50
 1,758
Charge-offs(327) 
 (327)
Balance as of December 31, 2017$6,796
 $2,070
 $8,866
Provision for/(release of) losses238
 97
 335
Charge-offs(17) 
 (17)
Balance as of December 31, 2018$7,017
 $2,167
 $9,184
(2)Allowance for losses reflects the adoption of ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," effective January 1, 2020.

The total(3)As of both December 31, 2021 and 2020, allowance for losses has increased becausefor Agricultural Finance mortgage loans includes no allowance, for collateral dependent assets secured by agricultural real estate.
(4)As of increasedboth December 31, 2021 and 2020, allowance for losses for Rural Infrastructure Finance loans includes no allowance for collateral dependent assets.

The provision to the allowance for Rural Infrastructure Finance loan losses of $0.5 million recorded during the year ended 2021 was primarily attributable to the impact of the Texas Arctic Freeze, partially offset by the impact of improving economic factor forecasts. The $1.4 million release from the allowance for the Agricultural Finance mortgage loan portfolio during the year ended 2021 was primarily attributable to a recovery on the payoff of the agricultural storage and processing loan secured by a specialized poultry facility that had been partially charged off in 2020 and improving economic factor forecasts.


160





The provision to the allowance for Rural Infrastructure Finance loan losses of $4.7 million recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily attributable to the impact of net new loan volume withinin the portfolio and the impact of economic factor forecasts, especially continued expected higher unemployment, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic volatility. The provision to the allowance for Agricultural Finance mortgage loans of $3.0 million recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily related to an agricultural storage and processing loan secured by a specialized poultry facility that Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch portfolio.Mac has deemed to be a CDA. The totalprovision was more than offset by charge-offs from the allowance of $5.8 million, primarily related to the specialized poultry loan because a portion of the loan was deemed to be uncollectible.

The provision to the allowance for loan losses recorded during 2019 was primarily attributable to a
specific reserve on a single specialized poultry loan, a decrease in overall credit quality, and net portfolio
growth. The allowance for losses in the Farm & RanchAgricultural Finance mortgage loan portfolio, as a percentage of outstanding loan volume, has remained consistent in recent years.increased slightly from the previous year. The total provision for losses decreasedincreased by $1.4$3.2 million, during 20182019 as compared to 20172018, primarily due to decreasedthe specific reserve on the agricultural storage and processing loan growth year-over-yearsecured by a specialized poultry facility loan mentioned above and modestly improveda decrease in overall credit quality incombined with net
portfolio growth.

The following table presents the Farm & Ranch portfolio.

During 2017, the net provisions to the allowance for loan losses recorded were primarily attributable to (1) an increase in the general allowance due to overall net volume growth in on-balance sheet Farm & Ranchunpaid principal balances by delinquency status of Farmer Mac's loans and (2) an increase in the specific allowance for certain impaired on-balance sheet cropnon-performing assets as of December 31, 2021 and permanent planting loans resulting from both an increase in the outstanding loanDecember 31, 2020:

Table 8.4
As of December 31, 2021
Accruing
Current30-59 Days60-89 Days
90 Days and Greater(2)
Total Past Due
Nonaccrual loans(3)(4)
Total Loans
(in thousands)
Loans(1):
Agricultural Finance mortgage loans$6,715,070 $4,548 $568 $— $5,116 $126,807 $6,846,993 
Rural Infrastructure Finance loans2,389,136 — — — — — 2,389,136 
Total$9,104,206 $4,548 $568 $— $5,116 $126,807 $9,236,129 
(1)Amounts represent unpaid principal balance of suchrisk rated loans, which is the basis Farmer Mac uses to analyze its portfolio, and downgradesrecorded investment of past due loans.
(2)Includes loans in risk ratings on someconsolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties that are 90 days or more past due.
(3)Includes loans that are 90 days or more past due, in foreclosure, or in bankruptcy with at least one missed payment, excluding loans performing under either their original loan terms or a court-approved bankruptcy plan.
(4)Includes $31.0 million of those loans. The net provision to the reservenonaccrual loans for losses recorded during 2017which there was primarily attributable to an increase in the general reserve due to downgrades in risk ratings on certain unimpaired Agricultural Storage and Processing loans underlying LTSPCs.

no associated allowance. During 2016, the provisions to its allowance for loan losses recorded were attributable to an increase in the general allowance due to overall net volume growth in on-balance sheet Farm & Ranch loans and downgrades in risk ratings for certain loans. The releases to the reserve for losses recorded during the year ended December 31, 2016 were attributable2021, Farmer Mac received $5.0 million, in interest on nonaccrual loans.


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As of December 31, 2020
Accruing
Current30-59 Days60-89 Days
90 Days and Greater(2)
Total Past Due
Nonaccrual loans(3)(4)
Total Loans
(in thousands)
Loans(1):
Agricultural Finance mortgage loans$6,055,154 $4,582 $632 $1,072 $6,286 $114,998 $6,176,438 
Rural Infrastructure Finance loans2,260,412 — — — — — 2,260,412 
Total$8,315,566 $4,582 $632 $1,072 $6,286 $114,998 $8,436,850 
(1)Amounts represent unpaid principal balance of risk rated loans, which is the basis Farmer Mac uses to analyze its portfolio, and recorded investment of past due loans.
(2)Includes loans in consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties that are 90 days or more past due.
(3)Includes loans that are 90 days or more past due, in foreclosure, or in bankruptcy with at least one missed payment, excluding loans performing under either their original loan terms or a court-approved bankruptcy plan.
(4)Includes $44.2 million of nonaccrual loans for which there was no associated allowance. During the release of a specific reserve on an impaired livestock loan underling an LTSPC that was required to be removed from the LTPSC pool by the originator during 2016.

The following tables present the changes in the total allowance for losses for the yearsyear ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016 by commodity type:


180




Table 8.3

 For the Year Ended December 31, 2018
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
 (in thousands)
Beginning Balance$4,081
 $2,469
 $1,211
 $481
 $606
 $18
 $8,866
Provision for/(release of) losses313
 (343) 249
 10
 114
 (8) 335
Charge-offs
 
 
 (17) 
 
 (17)
Ending Balance$4,394
 $2,126
 $1,460
 $474
 $720
 $10
 $9,184

 For the Year Ended December 31, 2017
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
 (in thousands)
Beginning Balance$3,365
 $1,723
 $1,375
 $405
 $533
 $34
 $7,435
Provision for/(release of) losses944
 816
 (151) 92
 73
 (16) 1,758
Charge-offs(228) (70) (13) (16) 
 
 (327)
Ending Balance$4,081
 $2,469
 $1,211
 $481
 $606
 $18
 $8,866

 For the Year Ended December 31, 2016
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
 (in thousands)
Beginning Balance$2,791
 $931
 $1,781
 $408
 $649
 $3
 $6,563
Provision for/(release of) losses574
 792
 (406) 127
 (116) 31
 1,002
Charge-offs
 
 
 (130) 
 
 (130)
Ending Balance$3,365
 $1,723
 $1,375
 $405
 $533
 $34
 $7,435







181




The following tables present the unpaid principal balances of loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet2020, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities (excluding AgVantage securities) and the related total allowance for losses by impairment method and commodity type as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:

Table 8.4

  As of December 31, 2018
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
  (in thousands)
Ending Balance:             
Collectively evaluated for impairment:             
On-balance sheet$2,452,803
 $952,719
 $705,752
 $329,070
 $12,097
 $4,477
 $4,456,918
Off-balance sheet1,239,094
 515,520
 624,522
 166,907
 73,084
 3,286
 2,622,413
Total$3,691,897
 $1,468,239
 $1,330,274
 $495,977
 $85,181
 $7,763
 $7,079,331
Individually evaluated for impairment:             
On-balance sheet$66,432
 $36,333
 $21,361
 $7,278
 $
 $
 $131,404
Off-balance sheet13,298
 5,249
 3,737
 883
 
 69
 23,236
Total$79,730
 $41,582
 $25,098
 $8,161
 $
 $69
 $154,640
Total Farm & Ranch loans:             
On-balance sheet$2,519,235
 $989,052
 $727,113
 $336,348
 $12,097
 $4,477
 $4,588,322
Off-balance sheet1,252,392
 520,769
 628,259
 167,790
 73,084
 3,355
 2,645,649
Total$3,771,627
 $1,509,821
 $1,355,372
 $504,138
 $85,181
 $7,832
 $7,233,971
Allowance for Losses: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Collectively evaluated for impairment:             
On-balance sheet$2,120
 $822
 $731
 $303
 $84
 $4
 $4,064
Off-balance sheet668
 170
 207
 29
 636
 5
 1,715
Total$2,788
 $992
 $938
 $332
 $720
 $9
 $5,779
Individually evaluated for impairment:             
On-balance sheet$1,329
 $1,065
 $437
 $122
 $
 $
 $2,953
Off-balance sheet277
 69
 85
 20
 
 1
 452
Total$1,606
 $1,134
 $522
 $142
 $
 $1
 $3,405
Total Farm & Ranch loans:             
On-balance sheet$3,449
 $1,887
 $1,168
 $425
 $84
 $4
 $7,017
Off-balance sheet945
 239
 292
 49
 636
 6
 2,167
Total$4,394
 $2,126
 $1,460
 $474
 $720
 $10
 $9,184



182



  As of December 31, 2017
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
  (in thousands)
Ending Balance:             
Collectively evaluated for impairment:             
On-balance sheet$2,344,821
 $794,478
 $635,768
 $269,337
 $13,023
 $9,030
 $4,066,457
Off-balance sheet1,236,392
 532,666
 678,642
 155,627
 45,738
 4,981
 2,654,046
Total$3,581,213
 $1,327,144
 $1,314,410
 $424,964
 $58,761
 $14,011
 $6,720,503
Individually evaluated for impairment:             
On-balance sheet$67,828
 $38,180
 $17,766
 $7,858
 $
 $644
 $132,276
Off-balance sheet8,904
 2,239
 2,782
 806
 
 76
 14,807
Total$76,732
 $40,419
 $20,548
 $8,664
 $
 $720
 $147,083
Total Farm & Ranch loans:             
On-balance sheet$2,412,649
 $832,658
 $653,534
 $277,195
 $13,023
 $9,674
 $4,198,733
Off-balance sheet1,245,296
 534,905
 681,424
 156,433
 45,738
 5,057
 2,668,853
Total$3,657,945
 $1,367,563
 $1,334,958
 $433,628
 $58,761
 $14,731
 $6,867,586
Allowance for Losses: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Collectively evaluated for impairment:             
On-balance sheet$2,104
 $1,101
 $738
 $287
 $44
 $11
 $4,285
Off-balance sheet546
 305
 231
 48
 562
 5
 1,697
Total$2,650
 $1,406
 $969
 $335
 $606
 $16
 $5,982
Individually evaluated for impairment:             
On-balance sheet$1,207
 $1,006
 $172
 $126
 $
 $
 $2,511
Off-balance sheet224
 57
 70
 20
 
 2
 373
Total$1,431
 $1,063
 $242
 $146
 $
 $2
 $2,884
Total Farm & Ranch loans:             
On-balance sheet$3,311
 $2,107
 $910
 $413
 $44
 $11
 $6,796
Off-balance sheet770
 362
 301
 68
 562
 7
 2,070
Total$4,081
 $2,469
 $1,211
 $481
 $606
 $18
 $8,866



183



The following tables present by commodity type the unpaid principal balances, recorded investment, and specific allowance for losses related to impaired loans and the recorded investmentreceived $4.4 million in loansinterest on nonaccrual status as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:loans.


Table 8.5
  As of December 31, 2018
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
  (in thousands)
Impaired Loans:             
With no specific allowance:             
Recorded investment$20,734
 $3,592
 $5,764
 $1,922
 $
 $
 $32,012
Unpaid principal balance20,632
 3,573
 5,737
 1,912
 
 
 31,854
With a specific allowance: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Recorded investment(1)
59,335
 38,176
 19,443
 6,276
 
 70
 123,300
Unpaid principal balance59,098
 38,009
 19,361
 6,249
 
 69
 122,786
Associated allowance1,606
 1,134
 522
 142
 
 1
 3,405
Total: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Recorded investment80,069
 41,768
 25,207
 8,198
 
 70
 155,312
Unpaid principal balance79,730
 41,582
 25,098
 8,161
 
 69
 154,640
Associated allowance1,606
 1,134
 522
 142
 
 1
 3,405
              
Recorded investment of loans on nonaccrual status(2)
$26,611
 $21,349
 $8,803
 $4,645
 $
 $
 $61,408
(1)
Impairment analysis was performed in the aggregate in consideration of similar risk characteristics of the assets and historical statistics on $120.9 million (78%) of impaired loans as of December 31, 2018, which resulted in a specific allowance of $2.7 million.
(2)
Includes $41.8 million of loans that are less than 90 days delinquent but which have not met Farmer Mac's performance criteria for returning to accrual status.
  As of December 31, 2017
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
  (in thousands)
Impaired Loans:             
With no specific allowance:             
Recorded investment$14,417
 $3,272
 $11,171
 $1,953
 $
 $644
 $31,457
Unpaid principal balance14,418
 3,273
 11,172
 1,953
 
 644
 31,460
With a specific allowance: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Recorded investment(1)
62,309
 37,143
 9,376
 6,710
 
 76
 115,614
Unpaid principal balance62,314
 37,146
 9,376
 6,711
 
 76
 115,623
Associated allowance1,431
 1,063
 242
 146
 
 2
 2,884
Total: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Recorded investment76,726
 40,415
 20,547
 8,663
 
 720
 147,071
Unpaid principal balance76,732
 40,419
 20,548
 8,664
 
 720
 147,083
Associated allowance1,431
 1,063
 242
 146
 
 2
 2,884
              
Recorded investment of loans on nonaccrual status(2)
$27,630
 $25,701
 $5,333
 $4,929
 $
 $
 $63,593
(1)
Impairment analysis was performed in the aggregate in consideration of similar risk characteristics of the assets and historical statistics on $113.2 million (77%) of impaired loans as of December 31, 2017, which resulted in a specific allowance of $2.7 million.
(2)
Includes $15.7 million of loans that are less than 90 days delinquent but which have not met Farmer Mac's performance criteria for returning to accrual status.


184



The following table presents by commodity type the average recorded investment and interest income recognized on impaired loans for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017:

Table 8.6

 December 31, 2018
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
  (in thousands)
For the Year Ended:             
Average recorded investment in impaired loans$74,804
 $44,461
 $24,523
 $8,758
 $

$231
 $152,777
Income recognized on impaired loans1,219
 1,687
 299
 241
 
 
 3,446

 December 31, 2017
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
  (in thousands)
For the Year Ended:             
Average recorded investment in impaired loans$71,154
 $37,597
 $15,913
 $8,135
 $
 $381
 $133,180
Income recognized on impaired loans696
 530
 238
 289
 
 
 1,753

The impact of TDRs on Farmer Mac's allowance for loan losses was immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

When particular criteria are met, such as the default of the borrower, Farmer Mac becomes entitled to purchase the defaulted loans underlying Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities (commonly referred to as "removal-of account" provisions). Farmer Mac records all such defaulted loans at their unpaid principal balance during the period in which Farmer Mac becomes entitled to purchase the loans and, therefore, regains effective control over the transferred loans. In accordance with the terms of all LTSPCs, Farmer Mac acquires loans that are either 90 days or 120 days delinquent (depending on the provisions of the applicable agreement) upon the request of the counterparty. After purchase, these defaulted loans are treated as nonaccrual loans and, therefore, interest is accounted for on the cash basis. Any decreases in expected cash flows are recognized as impairment.

The following tables present information related to Farmer Mac's acquisition of defaulted loans for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016 and the outstanding balances and carrying amounts of all such loans as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:


185




Table 8.7

 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 ($ in thousands)
Unpaid principal balance at acquisition date:     
Loans underlying LTSPCs$1,483
 $311
 $398
Loans underlying off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities (excluding AgVantage securities)7,748
 5,670
 2,118
Total unpaid principal balance at acquisition date9,231
 5,981
 2,516
Contractually required payments receivable9,325
 6,018
 2,544
Impairment recognized subsequent to acquisition26
 60
 208
Release of allowance for all outstanding acquired defaulted loans
 171
 67
      
Number of defaulted loans purchased16
 13
 8

 As of
 December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
 (in thousands)
Outstanding balance$23,464
 $18,866
Carrying amount22,694
 17,691




186



Net credit losses and 90-day delinquencies as of and for the periods indicated for loans held and loans underlying off-balance sheet securities representing interests in pools of eligible Farm & Ranch loans ("Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities") and LTSPCs are presented in the table below.  As of December 31, 2018, there were no delinquencies and no probable losses inherent in Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities loan portfolio and Farmer Mac had not experienced credit losses on any Rural Utilities loans.

Table 8.8

 
90-Day Delinquencies(1)
 Net Credit (Recoveries)/Losses
 As of For the Year Ended
 December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 December 31, 2016
 (in thousands)
On-balance sheet assets:         
Farm & Ranch:         
Loans$19,577
 $47,881
 $40
 $(1,397) $154
Total on-balance sheet$19,577
 $47,881
 $40
 $(1,397) $154
Off-balance sheet assets: 
    
  
  
Farm & Ranch: 
    
  
  
LTSPCs$7,304
 $563
 $
 $
 $
Total off-balance sheet$7,304
 $563
 $
 $
 $
Total$26,881
 $48,444
 $40
 $(1,397) $154
(1)
Includes loans and loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs that are 90 days or more past due, in foreclosure, or in bankruptcy with at least one missed payment, excluding loans performing under either their original loan terms or a court-approved bankruptcy plan.

Of the $19.6 million of on-balance sheet loans reported as 90-day delinquencies as of December 31, 2018, $0.1 million were loans subject to "removal-of-account" provisions. Of the $47.9 million of on-balance sheet loans reported as 90-day delinquencies as of December 31, 2017, $0.3 million were loans subject to "removal-of-account" provisions.

Rural Utilities

No allowance for losses has been provided for Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business based on the performance of the loans in this line of business and the credit quality of the collateral supporting these loans, as well as Farmer Mac's counterparty risk analysis. As of December 31, 2018, there were no delinquencies or probable losses inherent in Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities loans held or underlying LTSPCs.


187




Credit Quality Indicators


The following tables present credit quality indicators related to Farm & Ranch loans held and Rural Infrastructure loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securitiesheld as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:  December 31, 2020, by year of origination:


Table 8.98.5
As of December 31, 2021
Year of Origination:
20212020201920182017PriorRevolving Loans - Amortized Cost BasisTotal
(in thousands)
Agricultural Finance mortgage loans (1):
Internally Assigned Risk Rating:
Acceptable$2,138,060 $1,541,509 $540,139 $324,917 $303,852 $1,004,709 $545,370 $6,398,556 
Special mention(2)
84,795 50,057 51,200 48,078 9,132 14,646 4,771 262,679 
Substandard(3)
1,654 4,997 26,237 27,109 38,703 75,780 11,278 185,758 
Total$2,224,509 $1,596,563 $617,576 $400,104 $351,687 $1,095,135 $561,419 $6,846,993 
For the Year Ended:
Current period charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
Current period recoveries— — — — (1,054)— — (1,054)
Current period Agricultural Finance recoveries$— $— $— $— $(1,054)$— $— $(1,054)
(1)Amounts represent unpaid principal balance of risk-rated loans, which is the basis Farmer Mac uses to analyze its portfolio, and recorded investment of past due loans.
(2)Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately secured.  
(3)Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses and there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not corrected.


  As of December 31, 2018
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
  (in thousands)
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade(1)
             
On-balance sheet:             
Acceptable$2,381,853
 $937,793
 $679,253
 $321,345
 $10,604
 $4,477
 $4,335,325
Special mention(2)
71,096
 14,926
 26,499
 7,725
 1,493
 
 121,739
Substandard(3)
66,286
 36,333
 21,361
 7,278
 
 
 131,258
Total on-balance sheet$2,519,235
 $989,052
 $727,113
 $336,348
 $12,097
 $4,477
 $4,588,322
Off-Balance Sheet:             
Acceptable$1,128,787
 $469,479
 $577,708
 $162,730
 $71,959
 $2,656
 $2,413,319
Special mention(2)
62,430
 36,778
 30,703
 1,023
 
 
 130,934
Substandard(3)
61,175
 14,512
 19,848
 4,037
 1,125
 699
 101,396
Total off-balance sheet$1,252,392
 $520,769
 $628,259
 $167,790
 $73,084
 $3,355
 $2,645,649
Total Ending Balance:             
Acceptable$3,510,640
 $1,407,272
 $1,256,961
 $484,075
 $82,563
 $7,133
 $6,748,644
Special mention(2)
133,526
 51,704
 57,202
 8,748
 1,493
 
 252,673
Substandard(3)
127,461
 50,845
 41,209
 11,315
 1,125
 699
 232,654
Total$3,771,627
 $1,509,821
 $1,355,372
 $504,138
 $85,181
 $7,832
 $7,233,971
              
Commodity analysis of past due loans(1)
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
On-balance sheet$8,345
 $2,997
 $4,059
 $4,176
 $
 $
 $19,577
Off-balance sheet6,476
 197
 
 631
 
 
 7,304
90 days or more past due$14,821
 $3,194
 $4,059
 $4,807
 $
 $
 $26,881
162
(1)
Amounts represent unpaid principal balance of risk-rated loans, which is the basis Farmer Mac uses to analyze its portfolio, and recorded investment of past due loans. 
(2)
Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately secured.  
(3)
Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses and there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not corrected.



188







As of December 31, 2021
Year of Origination:
20212020201920182017PriorRevolving Loans - Amortized Cost BasisTotal
(in thousands)
Rural Infrastructure Finance loans(1):
Internally Assigned Risk Rating:
Acceptable$242,570 $612,366 $774,941 $8,100 $86,878 $628,903 $12,578 $2,366,336 
Special mention(2)
— — — — — — — — 
Substandard(3)
— 22,800 — — — — — 22,800 
Total$242,570 $635,166 $774,941 $8,100 $86,878 $628,903 $12,578 $2,389,136 
For the Year Ended
Current period charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
Current period recoveries— — — — — — — — 
Current period Rural Infrastructure net charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
(1)Amounts represent unpaid principal balance of risk-rated loans, which is the basis Farmer Mac uses to analyze its portfolio, and recorded investment of past due loans.
(2)Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately secured.  
(3)Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses and there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not corrected.

As of December 31, 2020
Year of Origination:
20202019201820172016PriorRevolving Loans - Amortized Cost BasisTotal
(in thousands)
Agricultural Finance mortgage loans (1):
Internally Assigned Risk Rating:
Acceptable$1,947,618 $774,315 $484,345 $500,768 $465,277 $1,068,693 $535,742 $5,776,758 
Special mention(2)
70,171 79,744 18,317 8,530 13,111 21,328 7,656 218,857 
Substandard(3)
3,400 5,821 21,879 52,709 37,173 50,582 9,259 180,823 
Total$2,021,189 $859,880 $524,541 $562,007 $515,561 $1,140,603 $552,657 $6,176,438 
For the Year Ended:
Current period charge-offs$— $— $— $5,365 $— $394 $— $5,759 
Current period recoveries— — — — — — — — 
Current period Agricultural Finance net charge-offs$— $— $— $5,365 $— $394 $— $5,759 
(1)Amounts represent unpaid principal balance of risk-rated loans, which is the basis Farmer Mac uses to analyze its portfolio, and recorded investment of past due loans.
(2)Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately secured.  
(3)Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses and there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not corrected.

  As of December 31, 2017
 Crops Permanent
Plantings
 Livestock Part-time
Farm
 Ag. Storage and
Processing
 Other Total
  (in thousands)
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade(1)
             
On-balance sheet:             
Acceptable$2,274,912
 $771,600
 $617,527
 $260,854
 $13,023
 $9,030
 $3,946,946
Special mention(2)
70,063
 22,878
 18,405
 8,483
 
 
 119,829
Substandard(3)
67,674
 38,180
 17,602
 7,858
 
 644
 131,958
Total on-balance sheet$2,412,649
 $832,658
 $653,534
 $277,195
 $13,023
 $9,674
 $4,198,733
Off-Balance Sheet             
Acceptable$1,132,196
 $478,573
 $634,633
 $150,906
 $42,723
 $4,294
 $2,443,325
Special mention(2)
76,778
 26,134
 31,451
 1,647
 
 169
 136,179
Substandard(3)
36,322
 30,198
 15,340
 3,880
 3,015
 594
 89,349
Total off-balance sheet$1,245,296
 $534,905
 $681,424
 $156,433
 $45,738
 $5,057
 $2,668,853
Total Ending Balance:             
Acceptable$3,407,108
 $1,250,173
 $1,252,160
 $411,760
 $55,746
 $13,324
 $6,390,271
Special mention(2)
146,841
 49,012
 49,856
 10,130
 
 169
 256,008
Substandard(3)
103,996
 68,378
 32,942
 11,738
 3,015
 1,238
 221,307
Total$3,657,945
 $1,367,563
 $1,334,958
 $433,628
 $58,761
 $14,731
 $6,867,586
              
Commodity analysis of past due loans(1)
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
On-balance sheet$21,702
 $18,833
 $3,835
 $3,511
 $
 $
 $47,881
Off-balance sheet151
 
 
 412
 
 
 563
90 days or more past due$21,853
 $18,833
 $3,835
 $3,923
 $
 $
 $48,444
163
(1)
Amounts represent unpaid principal balance of risk-rated loans, which is the basis Farmer Mac uses to analyze its portfolio, and recorded investment of past due loans.  
(2)
Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately secured.  
(3)
Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses and there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not corrected.



189







As of December 31, 2020
Year of Origination:
20202019201820172016PriorRevolving Loans - Amortized Cost BasisTotal
(in thousands)
Rural Infrastructure Finance loans(1):
Internally Assigned Risk Rating:
Acceptable$667,489 $809,921 $8,260 $89,842 $31,275 $641,145 $12,480 $2,260,412 
Special mention(2)
— — — — — — — — 
Substandard(3)
— — — — — — — — 
Total$667,489 $809,921 $8,260 $89,842 $31,275 $641,145 $12,480 $2,260,412 
For the Year Ended:
Current period charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
Current period recoveries— — — — — — — — 
Current period Rural Infrastructure net charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
Concentrations(1)Amounts represent unpaid principal balance of Credit Riskrisk-rated loans, which is the basis Farmer Mac uses to analyze its portfolio, and recorded investment of past due loans.

The following table sets forth the geographic and commodity/collateral diversification, the range of original loan-to-value ratios, and the range(2)Assets in the size of borrower exposure for all Farm & Ranch loans held"Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately secured.  
(3)Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses and loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not corrected.


Table 8.10
9.EQUITY
 As of
  December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
  (in thousands)
By commodity/collateral type:   
Crops$3,771,627
 $3,657,945
Permanent plantings1,509,821
 1,367,563
Livestock1,355,372
 1,334,958
Part-time farm504,138
 433,628
Ag. Storage and Processing85,181
 58,761
Other7,832
 14,731
Total$7,233,971
 $6,867,586
By geographic region(1):
 
  
Northwest$855,596
 $740,991
Southwest2,273,184
 2,093,213
Mid-North2,296,073
 2,244,094
Mid-South883,279
 908,603
Northeast332,370
 296,264
Southeast593,469
 584,421
Total$7,233,971
 $6,867,586
By original loan-to-value ratio: 
  
0.00% to 40.00%$1,333,790
 $1,322,422
40.01% to 50.00%1,811,166
 1,733,671
50.01% to 60.00%2,530,484
 2,385,605
60.01% to 70.00%1,244,823
 1,150,914
70.01% to 80.00%(2)
289,427
 248,799
80.01% to 90.00%(2)
24,281
 26,175
Total$7,233,971
 $6,867,586
By size of borrower exposure(3):
   
Less than $1,000,000$2,431,296
 $2,379,596
$1,000,000 to $4,999,9992,755,996
 2,627,617
$5,000,000 to $9,999,999916,422
 867,574
$10,000,000 to $24,999,999601,349
 584,896
$25,000,000 and greater528,908
 407,903
Total$7,233,971
 $6,867,586
(1)
Geographic regions:  Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY); Southwest (AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, UT); Mid-North (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, NE, ND, SD, WI); Mid-South (AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX); Northeast (CT, DE, KY, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV); Southeast (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN).
(2)
Primarily part-time farm loans. Loans with original loan-to-value ratios of greater than 80% are required to have private mortgage insurance.
(3)
Includes multiple loans to the same borrower or borrower-related entities.

The original loan-to-value ratio is calculated by dividing the loan principal balance at the time of guarantee, purchase, or commitment by the appraised value at the date of loan origination or, when


190



available, the updated appraised value at the time of guarantee, purchase, or commitment.  Current loan-to-value ratios may be higher or lower than the original loan-to-value ratios.

9.EQUITY


Common Stock


Farmer Mac has three classes of common stock outstanding:
 
Class A voting common stock, which may be held only by banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions or similar entities that are not institutions of the Farm Credit System.  By federal statute, no holder of Class A voting common stock may directly or indirectly be a beneficial owner of more than 33% of the outstanding shares of Class A voting common stock.
Class B voting common stock, which may be held only by institutions of the Farm Credit System.  There are no restrictions on the maximum holdings of Class B voting common stock.
Class C non-voting common stock, which has no ownership restrictions.


During 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, Farmer Mac paid a quarterly dividend of $0.58, $0.36,$0.88, $0.80, and $0.26, respectively,$0.70 per share on all classes of its common stock. Farmer Mac's ability to declare and pay dividends on its common stock could be restricted if it fails to comply with applicable capital requirements.


Farmer Mac's board of directors approved a share repurchase program during third quarter 2015 authorizing Farmer Mac to repurchase up to $25.0 million of its outstanding Class C non-voting common stock for two years. In August 2017, Farmer Mac's board of directors approved the continuation of thestock. The share repurchase program, last modified on its existing terms through AugustMarch 14, 2019, for theauthorized Farmer Mac to repurchase of up to $5.4$10.0 million of Farmer Mac's outstanding Class C non-voting common stock. This is the amount that was remaining under the share repurchase program that Farmer Mac's board of directors originally authorized in thirdDuring

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first quarter 2015 for the repurchase of up to $25 million of outstanding Class C non-voting common stock.2020, Farmer Mac did not repurchase any shares during 2018 or 2017 under this program. As of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, Farmer Mac had repurchased approximately 668,0004,000 shares of Class C non-voting common stock at a cost of approximately $19.6$0.2 million. Shortly after these repurchases were completed, Farmer Mac indefinitely suspended its share repurchase program in an effort to preserve capital and liquidity in view of market volatility and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, Farmer Mac's board of directors reinstated the share repurchase program on its previous terms (with a remaining authorization of up to $9.8 million in stock repurchases) and extended the expiration date of the program to March 2023. Farmer Mac did not repurchase any shares of its Class C non-voting common stock during 2021. As of December 31, 2021, Farmer Mac had repurchased approximately 673,000 shares of Class C non-voting common stock at a cost of approximately $19.8 millionunder the share repurchase program.program since 2015.


Preferred Stock


On January 17, 2013,In May 2021, Farmer Mac issued 2.45.0 million shares of 5.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock,4.875% non-cumulative perpetual Series A (the "Series A Preferred Stock"). On March 25, 2014,G
preferred stock, par value $25.00 per share. Farmer Mac issued 3.0incurred direct costs of $3.7 million sharesrelated to
the issuance of 6.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock,the Series B (the "Series B Preferred Stock"). On June 20, 2014,G preferred stock. The dividend rate on the Series G preferred stock will remain
at a non-cumulative, fixed rate of 4.875% per year, when, as, and if a dividend is declared by the Board of
Directors of Farmer Mac, issued 3.0 million shares of 6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock,for so long as the Series C (the "Series C Preferred Stock").G preferred stock remains outstanding. The Series AG
preferred stock has no maturity date, but Farmer Mac has the option to redeem the preferred stock at any
time on any dividend payment date on and after July 17, 2026.

The following table presents the Series C Preferred Stock, the Series BD Preferred Stock, the Series E Preferred Stock, the Series F Preferred Stock, and the Series CG Preferred Stock (collectively referred to as the "Outstanding Preferred Stock") each has a par valueas of $25.00 per share and a liquidation preference of $25.00 per share. The Series A Preferred Stock and the Series B Preferred Stock pay an annual dividend rate of 5.875% and 6.875%, respectively, for the life of the securities. December 31, 2021:

Table 9.1
NameIssuance DateIssuance CostShares Issued
Annual Dividend Rate(3)
Liquidation Value
Redemption Date(4)
Series C(1)
June 20, 2014$1,618,583 3,000,0006.000 %$25.00 July 18, 2024
Series D(2)
May 13, 2019$3,340,456 4,000,0005.700 %$25.00 July 17, 2024
Series EMay 20, 2020$2,496,750 3,180,0005.750 %$25.00 July 17, 2025
Series FAugust 20, 2020$3,839,902 4,800,0005.250 %$25.00 October 17, 2025
Series GMay 27, 2021$3,661,677 5,000,0004.875 %$25.00 July 17, 2026
(1)The Series C Preferred Stock pays an annual dividend rate of 6.000%6.00% from the date of issuance to and including the quarterly payment date occurring on July 17, 2024, and thereafter, at a floating rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus 3.26%.
(2)Farmer Mac has the right, but not the obligation,option to


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redeem the Series A Preferred Stock atpreferred stock on any time on and after January 17, 2018, the Series B Preferred Stock at any time on and after April 17, 2019, and the Series C Preferred Stock at any timequarterly dividend payment date on and after July 18, 2024, all at a price equal to the then-applicable liquidation preference. 17, 2024.
(3)Dividends on all series of Outstanding Preferred Stock are non-cumulative, which means that if Farmer Mac's board of directors has not declared a dividend before the applicable dividend payment date for any dividend period, such dividend will not be paid or cumulate, and Farmer Mac will have no obligation to pay dividends for such dividend period, whether or not dividends on any series of Outstanding Preferred Stock are declared for any future dividend period.
(4)Farmer Mac incurred direct costs of $1.7 million relatedhas the right but not the obligation to redeem.

The following tables present the issuance ofquarterly dividends paid by Farmer Mac on its outstanding preferred during 2021, 2020, and 2019:

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Table 9.2
2021
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter(1)
3rd Quarter4th Quarter
6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C$0.3750 $0.3750 $0.3750 $0.3750 
5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D0.35630.35630.35630.3563
5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E0.35940.35940.35940.3594
5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F0.32810.32810.32810.3281
4.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G0.16930.30470.3047
(1)For second quarter 2021, dividend payment includes $0.1693 per share on the Series G Preferred Stock for the period from but not including May 27, 2021 (issuance date) to and including July 17, 2021.

2020
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter(1)
3rd Quarter(2)(3)
4th Quarter
5.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A$0.3672 $0.3672 $0.2530 $— 
6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C0.37500.37500.37500.3750
5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D0.35630.35630.35630.3563
5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E0.22760.35940.3594
5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F0.20780.3281
(1)For second quarter 2020, dividend payment includes $0.2276 per share on the Series E Preferred Stock for the period from but not including May 20, 2020 (issuance date) to and including July 17, 2020.
(2)For third quarter 2020 dividend payment includes $0.2530 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock direct costs of $1.9 million relatedfor the period from but not including July 17, 2020 to and including the issuance ofSeptember 19, 2020 redemption date.
(3)For third quarter 2020, dividend payment includes $0.2078 per share on the Series F Preferred Stock for the period from but not including August 20, 2020 (issuance date) to and including October 17, 2020.

2019
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter(1)(2)
3rd Quarter4th Quarter
5.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A$0.3672 $0.3672 $0.3672 $0.3672 
6.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series B0.42970.2626
6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C0.37500.37500.37500.3750
5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D0.25330.35630.3563
(1)For second quarter 2019, dividend payment includes $0.2626 per share on the Series B Preferred Stock for the period from but not including April 17, 2019 to and direct costs of $1.6 million related toincluding the issuance of the Series C Preferred Stock. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had 2.4 million shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding, 3.0 millionshares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding, and 3.0 millionof Series C Preferred Stock outstanding.June 12, 2019 redemption date.

(2)For 2018, 2017 and 2016, Farmer Mac paid the following quarterly dividends on its outstanding preferred stock:

$0.3672second quarter 2019, dividend payment includes $0.2533 per share on its 5.875% Non-Cumulativethe Series D Preferred Stock Series A;for the period from but not including May 13, 2019 (issuance date) to and including July 17, 2019.
$0.4297 per share on its 6.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series B; and
$0.3750 per share on its 6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C.

Farmer Mac's ability to declare and pay dividends on its preferred stock could be restricted if it fails to comply with applicable capital requirements. Farmer Mac's preferred stock is included as a component of core capital for regulatory and statutory capital compliance measurements.

Equity-Based Incentive Compensation Plans


Farmer Mac's Amended and Restated 2008 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan authorizes the grant of restricted stock stock options, and SARs, among other alternative forms of equity-based compensation, to Farmer Mac's directors, officers, and employees. SARs awarded to officers and employees vest annually in thirds. Farmer Mac has not granted SARs to directors since 2008. If not exercised or cancelled earlier due to the termination of employment, SARs granted to officers or employees expire after 10 years from the grant date. For all SARs granted, the exercise price is equal to the closing price of Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock on the date of grant. SARs granted during 20182021 have an exercise price of $86.15$88.68 per share, SARs granted during 20172020 have an exercise price ranging from $72.26 to $75.16 per

166





share, and SARs granted during 2019 have an exercise price of $60.84 per share, and SARs granted during 2016 have an exercise price of $35.75$82.76 per share. During 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, restricted stock awards were granted to employees, officers, and directors with a vesting periodperiods of one year, to officers with a vesting period of three years provided certain performance targets are met, to officers vesting annually in thirds, and to employees with a vesting period of three years. During 2018, a restricted stock award was also granted to Farmer Mac's President and Chief Executive Officer, which will "cliff" vest on March 31, 2021 if he is still employed by Farmer Mac on that date.



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The following tables summarize stock options, SARs and non-vested restricted stock activity for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016:2019:


Table 9.19.3

  For the Years Ended December 31,
 202120202019
SARsWeighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
SARsWeighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
SARsWeighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
Outstanding, beginning of year116,417 $57.16 98,836 $46.47 124,960 $38.38 
Granted28,575 88.68 34,881 74.80 24,582 82.76 
Exercised(14,583)38.99 (15,912)26.93 (40,851)35.61 
Canceled— — (1,388)86.15 (9,855)79.45 
Outstanding, end of year130,409 66.10 116,417 57.16 98,836 46.47 
Exercisable at end of year72,106 52.85 66,602 42.08 72,696 34.07 
 For the Years Ended December 31,
 202120202019
 Non-vested
Restricted
Stock
Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Non-vested
Restricted
Stock
Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Non-vested
Restricted
Stock
Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Outstanding, beginning of year83,956 $71.76 62,597 $75.81 80,153 $60.98 
Granted53,358 88.92 53,471 66.02 41,735 80.51 
Canceled(1,184)79.82 (4,042)69.66 (17,054)74.97 
Vested and issued(32,239)77.98 (28,070)70.13 (42,237)52.65 
Outstanding, end of year103,891 78.55 83,956 71.76 62,597 75.81 
  For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 Stock
Options
and
SARs
 Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
 Stock
Options
and
SARs
 Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
 Stock
Options
and
SARs
 Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
Outstanding, beginning of year163,272
 $32.95
 367,535
 $30.18
 747,573
 $26.68
Granted10,122
 86.15
 24,657
 60.84
 51,975
 35.75
Exercised(48,434) 30.06
 (111,278) 31.47
 (431,346) 24.77
Canceled
 
 (117,642) 31.55
 (667) 35.60
Outstanding, end of year124,960
 38.38
 163,272
 32.95
 367,535
 30.18
Exercisable at end of year95,675
 31.41
 93,085
 28.57
 208,274
 27.41
            
 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
 Non-vested
Restricted
Stock
 Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
 Non-vested
Restricted
Stock
 Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
 Non-vested
Restricted
Stock
 Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Outstanding, beginning of year95,015
 $44.39
 138,497
 $34.63
 132,651
 $32.12
Granted32,070
 84.03
 45,828
 59.79
 76,617
 36.33
Canceled(1,098) 86.15
 (28,815) 42.15
 (1,360) 35.75
Vested and issued(45,834) 42.12
 (60,495) 34.77
 (69,411) 31.69
Outstanding, end of year80,153
 60.98
 95,015
 44.39
 138,497
 34.63


The cancellations of stock options, SARs and non-vested restricted stock during 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 20162019 were due to unvested awards terminating in accordance with the provisions of the applicable equity compensation plans or award agreements upon directors' or employees' departures from Farmer Mac.  


Farmer Mac generally receives cash when stock options are exercised. Cash is not received from exercises of SARs or the vesting and issuance of restricted stock. Farmer Mac received no cash from the exercise of stock options during 2018, $0.2 million during 2017,During 2021, 2020, and $0.5 million during 2016. During 2018, 2017, and 2016,2019 the reduction of income taxes payable as a result of the deduction for the exercise of stock options and SARs and the vesting or accelerated tax elections of restricted stock was $1.5$0.9 million, $2.6$0.5 million, and $3.6$1.0 million, respectively.

During both 20182021, 2020, and 2017, Farmer Mac recognized $0.9 million, respectively, of tax benefits recognized in income tax expense associated with stock compensation activity.

During 2018, 2017, and 20162019, Farmer Mac recorded a net decrease to additional paid-in capital of $2.7$1.3 million, $2.6$0.6 million, and $3.1$1.8 million, respectively,related to stock-based compensation awards.





193167




Farmer Mac has a policy that permits directors of Farmer Mac to elect to receive shares of Class C non-voting common stock in lieu of cash retainers. During 2018, Farmer Mac issued 174 shares of Class C non-voting common stock with a fair value of $14,000 to the 4 directors who made that election. During 2017, Farmer Mac issued 698 shares of Class C non-voting common stock with a fair value of $41,000 to the 4 directors who made that election. During 2016, Farmer Mac issued 1,130 shares of Class C non-voting common stock with a fair value of $41,000 to the 4 directors who made that election.



As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac had no stock options outstanding. The following tables summarize information regarding SARs and non-vested restricted stock outstanding as of December 31, 2018:2021:


Table 9.29.4

SARs:
 Outstanding ExercisableVested or Expected to Vest
Range of
Exercise Prices
SARsWeighted-
Average Remaining Contractual Life
SARsWeighted-
Average Remaining Contractual Life
SARsWeighted-
Average Remaining Contractual Life
$10.00 - $24.993,000 0.2 years3,000 0.2 years3,000 0.2 years
25.00 - 39.9937,037 2.7 years37,037 2.7 years37,037 2.7 years
40.00 - 54.99— 0.0 years— 0.0 years— 0.0 years
55.00 - 69.993,381 5.3 years3,381 5.3 years3,381 5.3 years
70.00 - 84.9952,458 7.9 years22,730 7.7 years52,458 7.9 years
85.00 - 99.9934,533 8.7 years5,958 6.3 years34,533 8.7 years
130,409 72,106 130,409 
Non-vested Restricted Stock:
 Outstanding Expected to Vest   
  Weighted-
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
 Non-vested Restricted Stock Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual
Life
  Non-vested Restricted StockWeighted-Average Remaining Contractual
Life
   
$50.00 - $64.9918,580 1.3 years18,580 1.3 years
65.00 - 79.9925,314 0.9 years25,314 0.9 years
80.00 - 94.9958,872 1.7 years58,872 1.7 years
95.00-109.991,125 1.5 years1,125 1.5 years
103,891 103,891 
  Outstanding Exercisable Vested or Expected to Vest
Range of
Exercise Prices
 SARs Weighted-
Average Remaining Contractual Life
 SARs Weighted-
Average Remaining Contractual Life
 SARs Weighted-
Average Remaining Contractual Life
$10.00 - $24.99 16,000
 2.6 years 16,000
 2.6 years 16,000
 2.6 years
25.00 - 39.99 86,462
 6.1 years 76,629
 5.9 years 86,462
 6.1 years
40.00 - 54.99 
 0.0 years 
 0.0 years 
 0.0 years
55.00 - 69.99 12,376
 8.3 years 3,046
 8.3 years 12,376
 8.3 years
70.00 - 84.99 
 0.0 years 
 0.0 years 
 0.0 years
85.00 - 99.99 10,122
 9.3 years 
 0.0 years 10,122
 9.3 years
  124,960
   95,675
   124,960
  
             
  Outstanding Expected to Vest  
   
  Weighted-
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
  Non-vested Restricted Stock Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual
Life
  Non-vested Restricted Stock Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual
Life
  
   
$35.00 - $49.99 27,505
 0.3 years 27,505
 0.3 years    
50.00 - 64.99 21,848
 1.3 years 21,848
 1.3 years    
65.00 - 79.99 3,578
 2.2 years 3,578
 2.2 years    
80.00 - 94.99 27,222
 1.6 years 27,222
 1.6 years    
  80,153
   80,153
      


As of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,2020, the intrinsic value of options, SARs, and non-vested restricted stock outstanding, exercisable, and vested or expected to vest was $7.9$20.4 million and $14.8$8.5 million, respectively. During 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, the total intrinsic value of options and SARs exercised was $3.0$0.9 million, $3.8$0.7 million, and $7.6$1.9 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2018,2021, there was $2.6$3.3 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested SARs and restricted stock awards. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.71.8 years.


The weighted-average grant date fair values of options, SARs and restricted stock awards granted in 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 20162019 were $69.38, $44.93,$65.48, $45.91, and $25.11$58.27 per share, respectively. Under the fair value-based


194



method of accounting for stock-based compensation cost, Farmer Mac recognized compensation expense of $2.5$4.3 million, $2.7$4.1 million, and $3.3$2.3 million during 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016,2019, respectively.  



168





The fair valuesvalue of stock options and SARs werewas estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on the following assumptions:


Table 9.39.5

 For the Year Ended December 31,
 202120202019
Risk-free interest rate0.9%0.9%2.5%
Expected years until exercise6 years6 years6 years
Expected stock volatility39.1%34.3%33.8%
Dividend yield4.0%4.2%3.4%
 For the Year Ended December 31,
 2018 2017 2016
Risk-free interest rate2.7% 2.3% 1.5%
Expected years until exercise6 years 6 years 5 years
Expected stock volatility33.0% 34.8% 34.7%
Dividend yield2.7% 2.4% 2.9%


The risk-free interest rates used in the model were based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the grant date. Farmer Mac used historical data to estimate the timing of option exercises and stock option cancellation rates used in the model. Expected volatilities were based on historical volatility of Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock. The dividend yields were based on the expected dividends as a percentage of the value of Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock on the grant date.


Because restricted stock awards will be issued upon vesting regardless of the stock price, expected stock volatility is not considered in determining grant date fair value. Restricted stock awards also accrue dividends which are paid at vesting. The weighted-average grant date fair value of the restricted stock awarded in 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 20162019 was $84.03, $59.79,$88.92, $66.02, and $36.33$80.51 per share, respectively, which is based on the closing price of the stock on the date granted.


Capital Requirements

Farmer Mac is subject to the following capital requirements:
Statutory minimum capital requirement – Farmer Mac's statutory minimum capital level is an amount of core capital (stockholders' equity less accumulated other comprehensive income) equal to the sum of 2.75% of Farmer Mac's aggregate on-balance sheet assets, as calculated for regulatory purposes, plus 0.75% of the aggregate off-balance sheet obligations of Farmer Mac, specifically including:   
the unpaid principal balance of outstanding Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities;
instruments issued or guaranteed by Farmer Mac that are substantially equivalent to Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, including LTSPCs; and
other off-balance sheet obligations of Farmer Mac.
Statutory critical capital requirement – Farmer Mac's critical capital level is an amount of core capital equal to 50% of the total minimum capital requirement at that time.
Risk-based capital requirement – Farmer Mac's charter directs the Farm Credit Administration ("FCA"), an independent agency in the executive branch of the United States government that regulates Farmer Mac, to establish a risk-based capital stress test for Farmer Mac, using specified stress-test parameters.


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Farmer Mac is required to comply with the higher of the minimum capital requirement and the risk-based capital requirement. As of both December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, the minimum capital requirement was greater than the risk-based capital requirement. Farmer Mac's ability to declare and pay dividends could be restricted if it fails to comply with applicable capital requirements.


As of December 31, 2018,2021, Farmer Mac's minimum capital requirement was $545.0$713.8 million and its core capital level was $727.6 million,$1.2 billion, which was $182.6$486.8 million above the minimum capital requirement as of that date. As of December 31, 2017,2020, Farmer Mac's minimum capital requirement was $520.3$680.9 million and its core capital level was $657.1 million,$1.0 billion, which was $136.8$325.5 million above the minimum capital requirement as of that date.


In accordance with FCA'sthe Farm Credit Administration's rule on Farmer Mac's capital planning, and as part of Farmer Mac's capital plan, Farmer Mac has adopted a policy for maintaining a sufficient level of Tier 1 capital (consisting of retained earnings, paid-in-capital, common stock, and qualifying preferred stock) and imposing restrictions on Tier 1-eligible dividends and any discretionary bonus payments in the event that this capital falls below specified thresholds.


169
10.INCOME TAXES






10.INCOME TAXES

Farmer Mac is subject to federal corporate income taxes but is exempt from state and local corporate income taxes.  The components of the federal corporate income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 20162019 were as follows:


Table 10.1
For the Year Ended December 31, For the Year Ended December 31,
2018 2017 2016 202120202019
(in thousands) (in thousands)
Current income tax expense$25,317
 $43,148
 $37,954
Current income tax expense$37,314 $30,634 $28,316 
Deferred income tax expense2,625
 3,221
 4,103
Deferred income tax expense(1,961)(1,849)789 
Income tax expense$27,942
 $46,369
 $42,057
Income tax expense$35,353 $28,785 $29,105 


A reconciliation of income tax at the statutory federal corporate income tax rate to the income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 20162019 is as follows:


Table 10.2
 For the Year Ended December 31,
  202120202019
  (dollars in thousands)
Tax expense at statutory rate$35,198 $28,861 $29,117 
Excess tax benefits related to stock-based awards(300)(9)(449)
Valuation allowance— — 49 
Other455 (67)388 
Income tax expense$35,353 $28,785 $29,105 
Statutory tax rate21.0 %21.0 %21.0 %
 For the Year Ended December 31,
  2018 2017 2016
  (dollars in thousands)
Tax expense at statutory rate$28,564
 $45,740
 $41,775
Re-measurement of net deferred tax asset due to enactment of new tax legislation
 1,365
 
Excess tax benefits related to stock-based awards(946) (860) 
Valuation allowance
 4
 21
Other324
 120
 261
Income tax expense$27,942
 $46,369
 $42,057
Statutory tax rate21.0% 35.0% 35.0%





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The components of the deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 20182021 and 20172020 were as follows:


Table 10.3
As of December 31, As of December 31,
2018 2017 20212020
(in thousands) (in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:   Deferred tax assets:  
Basis differences related to financial derivatives$7,614
 $6,800
Basis differences related to financial derivatives$63,982 $100,099 
Basis differences related to hedged items1,810
 5,661
Allowance for losses1,929
 1,862
Allowance for losses3,452 3,690 
Unrealized losses on cash flow hedgesUnrealized losses on cash flow hedges1,427 6,065 
Compensation and Benefits967
 778
Compensation and Benefits1,281 1,020 
Stock-based compensation623
 532
Stock-based compensation1,462 1,027 
Capital loss carryforwards and other-than-temporary impairment36
 36
Capital loss carryforwardsCapital loss carryforwards32 86 
Valuation allowance(36) (36)Valuation allowance(32)(86)
Other121
 74
Other394 341 
Total deferred tax assets13,064
 15,707
Total deferred tax assets71,998 112,242 
Deferred tax liability: 
  
Deferred tax liability:  
Unrealized gains on securities4,807
 12,376
Unrealized gains on cash flow hedges1,827
 1,203
Basis differences related to hedged itemsBasis differences related to hedged items53,945 91,460 
Unrealized gains on available-for-sale securitiesUnrealized gains on available-for-sale securities2,451 2,364 
Other61
 80
Other44 97 
Total deferred tax liability6,695
 13,659
Total deferred tax liability56,440 93,921 
Net deferred tax asset$6,369
 $2,048
Net deferred tax asset$15,558 $18,321 


A valuation allowance is required to reduce a deferred tax asset to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized.  Future realization of the tax benefit from a deferred tax asset depends on the existence of sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character.  After the evaluation of both positive and negative objective evidence regarding the likelihood that its deferred tax assets will be realized, Farmer Mac established a valuation allowance of $36,000$32,000 and $86,000 as of both December 31, 20182021 and 2017,2020, respectively, which was attributable to capital loss carryforwards on investment securities. Farmer Mac did not establish a valuation allowance for the remainder of its deferred tax assets because it believes it is more likely than not that those deferred tax assets will be realized. In determining its deferred tax asset valuation allowance, Farmer Mac considered its taxable income of the appropriate character (for example, ordinary income or capital gain) within the carryback and carryforward periods available under the tax law and the impact of possible tax planning strategies.  As of December 31, 2018,2021, no capital loss carryforwards expired. As of December 31, 2018,2021, the amount of capital loss carryforwards was $0.2 million. These capital loss carryforwards will expire beginning in 20212024.

Deferred tax assets are measured at rates in effect when they arise. To the extent rates change, the deferred tax asset will be adjusted to reflect the new rate. A reduction in corporate tax rates would result in a reduction in the value of the deferred tax asset. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted on December 22, 2017. This new legislation provides for significant changes to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, that was in effect through the end of 2017 and includes a reduction of the federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, which became effective January 1, 2018. As a result of this reduction in the federal corporate income tax rate, Farmer Mac re-measured its net deferred tax asset at the newly enacted 21% federal corporate income tax rate and thus reduced its value by $1.4 million. Accordingly, Farmer Mac recorded an increase to income tax expense of $1.4 million, or an increase of 1.04%, in Farmer Mac's effective tax rate for 2017.


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As of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,2020, Farmer Mac did not identify any uncertain tax positions.


Farmer Mac did not incurhave any unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016.2019.


Tax years 20162018 through 20182021 remain subject to examination.


11.EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

11.EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Farmer Mac makes contributions to a defined contribution retirement plan for all of its employees. Farmer Mac contributed 13.2% of the lesser of an employee's gross salary and the maximum compensation permitted under the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 ("EGTRRA") ($275,000290,000 for 2018, $270,0002021, $285,000 for 2017,2020, and $265,000$280,000 for 2016)2019), plus 5.7% of the difference between: (1) the lesser of the gross salary and the amount established under EGTRRA and (2) the Social Security Taxable Wage Base. Employees are fully vested after having been employed for approximately 3

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years.  Expenses for this plan for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 20162019 were $1.8$2.7 million, $1.5$2.2 million, and $1.3$1.9 million, respectively.


Farmer Mac established a Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (the "NQDC("NQDC Plan") for its executive officers effective May 1, 2017. Under the NQDC Plan, Farmer Mac credits the account of each participant each calendar year with an amount equal to 18.9% of the difference between: (1) the amount established under EGTRRA and (2) a participant’s gross annual base salary, which for purposes of calculating employer credits under the NQDC Plan is capped at $700,000 for Farmer Mac’s Chief Executive Officer and $500,000 for all other participants. This fixed contribution percentage is the same formula used for determining employer contributions to Farmer Mac’s defined contribution retirement plan based on an employee’s gross annual base salary that is above the amount established under EGTRRA for that year. Expenses for the NQDC Plan were $0.2 million, $0.2 million, and $0.1 million for both the years ended December 31, 20182021, 2020, and 2017.2019, respectively.



12.GUARANTEES AND COMMITMENTS
12.GUARANTEES AND LONG-TERM STANDBY PURCHASE COMMITMENTS


Farmer Mac offers two credit enhancement alternatives to direct loan purchases that allow approved lenders the ability to retain the cash flow benefits of their loans and increase their liquidity and lending capacity: (1) Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and (2) LTSPCs, both of which are available through each of the Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees,Agricultural Finance and Rural Utilities, and Institutional CreditInfrastructure Finance lines of business, and (2) LTSPCs, which are available through the Farm & Ranch or the Rural Utilities lines of business. LTSPCs and securitization trusts where Farmer Mac is not the primary beneficiary result in the creation of off-balance sheet obligations for Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac records, at the inception of an off-balance sheet guarantee or LTSPC, a liability for the fair value of its obligation to stand ready to perform under the terms of each guarantee or LTSPC and an asset that is equal to the fair value of the fees that will be received over the life of each guarantee or LTSPC. The fair values of the guarantee obligation and asset at inception are based on the present value of expected cash flows using management's best estimate of certain key assumptions, which include prepayment speeds, forward yield curves, and discount rates commensurate with the risks involved. Because the cash flows of these instruments may be interest rate path dependent, these values and projected discount rates are derived using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The guarantee obligation and corresponding asset are later amortized into guarantee and commitment fee income in relation to the decrease in the unpaid principal balance on the underlying agricultural real estate mortgage and rural utilities loans.


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The contractual terms of Farmer Mac's off-balance sheet guarantees and LTSPCs range from less than 1 year to 30 years. However, the actual term of each guarantee or LTSPC may be significantly less than the contractual term based on the prepayment characteristics of the related loans. Farmer Mac's maximum potential exposure under these off-balance sheet guarantees and LTSPCs is comprised of the unpaid principal balance of the underlying loans. Guarantees issued or modified on or after January 1, 2003 are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets. Farmer Mac's maximum potential exposure was $4.0$3.8 billion and $3.3 billion as of both December 31, 20182021 and 2017.2020, respectively. Farmer Mac's maximum potential exposure for guarantees issued before January 1, 2003, which are not recorded on the consolidated balance sheets, was $23.8$7.8 million and $28.0$10.8 million as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,2020, respectively. The maximum exposure from these guarantees and LTSPCs is not representative of the actual loss Farmer Mac is likely to incur, based on historical loss experience. In the event Farmer Mac was required to make payments under its guarantees or LTSPCs, Farmer Mac would have the right to enforce the terms of the loans, and in the event of default, would have access to the underlying collateral. For information on Farmer Mac's methodology for determining the reserve for losses for its financial guarantees, see Note 2(j) and Note 8.2(h). The following table presents changes in Farmer Mac's guarantee and commitment obligations in the consolidated balance sheets for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020, and 2016:2019:


Table 12.1
 For the Years Ended December 31,
  202120202019
  (in thousands)
Beginning balance, January 1$35,535 $36,700 $38,683 
Additions to the guarantee and commitment obligation(1)
15,648 5,210 4,398 
Amortization of the guarantee and commitment obligation(7,257)(6,375)(6,381)
Ending balance, December 31$43,926 $35,535 $36,700 
(1)Represents the fair value of the guarantee and commitment obligation at inception.


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 For the Year Ended December 31,
  2018 2017 2016
  (in thousands)
Beginning balance, January 1$38,400
 $37,282
 $38,609
Additions to the guarantee and commitment obligation(1)
6,202
 7,683
 6,725
Amortization of the guarantee and commitment obligation(5,919) (6,565) (8,052)
Ending balance, December 31$38,683
 $38,400
 $37,282
(1)
Represents the fair value of the guarantee and commitment obligation at inception.






Off-Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities

Agricultural real estate mortgage loans, rural utilities loans, and other related assets may be placed into trusts to securitize the transferred assets and the Farmer Mac-guaranteed beneficial interests in the trusts are sold to investors.  Farmer Mac is obligated under its guarantee to ensure that the investors receive timely payments of principal and interest based on the underlying loans, regardless of whether the trust has actually received such scheduled loan payments.  As consideration for Farmer Mac's assumption of the credit risk on these securities, Farmer Mac receives guarantee fees that are recognized as earned on an accrual basis over the life of the loans and based upon the outstanding balance of the Farmer Mac Guaranteed Security.

Farmer Mac is required to perform under its obligation when the underlying loans for the off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities do not make their scheduled installment payments.  When a loan underlying a Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Security becomes 90 days or more past due, Farmer Mac may, in its sole discretion, repurchase the loan from the trust and generally does repurchase such loans, thereby reducing the principal balance of the outstanding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Security.


The following table presents the maximum principal amount of potential undiscounted future payments that Farmer Mac could be required to make under all off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities


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as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,December 31, 2020, not including offsets provided by any recourse provisions, recoveries from third parties, or collateral for the underlying loans:


Table 12.2
Outstanding Balance of Off-Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
  As of December 31, 2021As of December 31, 2020
  (in thousands)
Agricultural Finance  
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities$578,358 $378,610 
Rural Infrastructure Finance  
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities2,755 4,412 
Total off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities$581,113 $383,022 
Outstanding Balance of Off-Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
  As of December 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
  (in thousands)
Farm & Ranch:   
Guaranteed Securities(1)
$135,862
 $333,511
USDA Guarantees:   
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities367,684
 254,217
Institutional Credit: 
  
AgVantage Securities9,898
 11,556
Revolving floating rate AgVantage facility(2)
300,000
 300,000
Total off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities$813,444
 $899,284
(1)
During fourth quarter 2018, Farmer Mac repurchased the 100% participation interests in loans underlying a pool of $134.1 million in Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at par, thereby redeeming the corresponding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from their sole security holder. Farmer Mac repurchased these participation interests at the request of the sole security holder in exchange for the termination of the participation interests and the reconveyance of all beneficial interest in the loans to the sole security holder that owned the loans in which the participation interests had been issued. The resulting pool of Farm & Ranch loans was concurrently added under LTSPCs. The commitment fee Farmer Mac receives on these loans added under LTSPCs is the same as the guarantee fee Farmer Mac had been earning on the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.
(2)
Relates to a revolving floating rate AgVantage facility subject to specified contractual terms. Farmer Mac receives a fixed fee based on the full dollar amount of the facility.

If Farmer Mac repurchases a loan that is collateral for a Farmer Mac Guaranteed Security, Farmer Mac would have the right to enforce the terms of the loan, and in the event of a default, would have access to the underlying collateral.  Farmer Mac typically recovers its investment in the defaulted loans purchased either through borrower payments, loan payoffs, payments by third parties, or foreclosure and sale of the property securing the loans.

Farmer Mac has recourse to the USDA for any amounts advanced for the timely payment of principal and interest on Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities.  That recourse is the USDA guarantee, a full-faith-and-credit obligation of the United States that becomes enforceable if a lender fails to repurchase the USDA-guaranteed portion from its owner within 30 days after written demand from the owner when (a) the borrower under the guaranteed loan is in default not less than 60 days in the payment of any principal or interest due on the USDA-guaranteed portion, or (b) the lender has failed to remit to the owner the payment made by the borrower on the USDA-guaranteed portion or any related loan subsidy within 30 days after the lender's receipt of the payment.



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Eligible loans and other eligible assets may be placed into trusts that are used as vehicles for the securitization of the transferred assets and the Farmer Mac-guaranteed beneficial interests in the trusts are sold to investors. The following table summarizes the significant cash flows received from and paid to trusts used for Farmer Mac securitizations:


Table 12.3
 For the Years Ended December 31,
  202120202019
  (in thousands)
Proceeds from new securitizations$404,568 $165,054 $321,414 
Guarantee fees received1,029 1,365 1,413 
Servicing fees received199 — — 
Interest-only Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities income47 — — 
 For the Year Ended December 31,
  2018 2017 2016
  (in thousands)
Proceeds from new securitizations$382,929
 $519,219
 $609,347
Guarantee fees received1,920
 2,610
 3,552
Purchases of assets from the trusts(7,748) (5,670) (2,118)


Farmer Mac has recordedpresents a liability for its obligation to stand ready under theits guarantee in the guarantee"Guarantee and commitment obligationobligation" on the consolidated balance sheets. ThisThe following table presents the liability approximated $2.8 million as of December 31, 2018 and $3.6 million as of December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the weighted-average remaining maturity of all loans underlying off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, excluding AgVantage securities, was 10.3 years and 10.0 years, respectively. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the weighted-average remaining maturity of the off-balance sheet AgVantage securities was 5.0 years and 0.8 years, respectively.Securities:


Table 12.4
As of December 31, 2021As of December 31, 2020
(dollars in thousands)
Guarantee and commitment obligation$7,355 $1,625 
Weighted average remaining maturity:
  Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities21.7 years9.5 years
  AgVantage Securities3.0 years4.0 years


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Long-Term Standby Purchase Commitments

An LTSPC is a commitment by Farmer Mac to purchase eligible loans from an identified pool of loans under specified circumstances set forth in the applicable agreement, either for cash or in exchange for Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, on one or more undetermined future dates.  As consideration for its assumption of the credit risk on loans underlying an LTSPC, Farmer Mac receives a commitment fee payable monthly in arrears.

An LTSPC permits a lender to nominate from its portfolio an identified pool of loans for participation in the Farm & Ranch or the Rural Utilities line of business, which are retained in the lender's portfolio and serviced by the lender.  Farmer Mac reviews the loan pool to confirm that it conforms to Farmer Mac's underwriting standards.  Upon Farmer Mac's approval of the eligible loans, the lender effectively transfers the credit risk on those loans to Farmer Mac, thereby reducing the lender's credit and concentration risk exposures and, consequently, its regulatory capital requirements and its loss reserve requirements.  Credit risk is transferred through Farmer Mac's commitment to purchase the identified loans from the counterparty based on Farmer Mac's original credit review and acceptance of the credit risk on the loans.

The specific events or circumstances that would require Farmer Mac to purchase some or all of the loans subject to LTSPCs include: (1) the failure of the borrower under any loan to make installment payments under that loan for a period of either 90 days or 120 days (depending on the provisions of the applicable agreement); or (2) the determination by the holder of the LTSPC to sell or exchange some or all of the loans under the LTSPC to Farmer Mac.



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Farmer Mac purchases loans subjecthas recorded a liability for its obligation to an LTSPC at:
par ifstand ready under the loans become delinquent for either 90 days or 120 days (dependingcommitment in the guarantee and commitment obligation on the agreement) or are in material non-monetary default, with accrued and unpaid interest onconsolidated balance sheets. The following table presents the defaulted loans payable out of any future loan payments or liquidation proceeds; or
fair value or in exchange for Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities (inliability, the Farm & Ranch line of business, if the loans are not delinquent), in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreement.

The maximum principal amount of potential undiscounted future payments that Farmer Mac could be requested to make under all LTSPCs, not including offsets provided by any recourse provisions, recoveries from third parties, or collateral for the underlying loans, was $3.2 billion and $3.1 billion as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

As of both December 31, 2018 and 2017,well as the weighted-average remaining maturity of all loans underlying LTSPCs was 15.3 years.  For thoseas of December 31, 2021 and 2020:

Table 12.5
As of December 31, 2021As of December 31, 2020
(dollars in thousands)
Guarantee and commitment obligation(1)
$36,571 $33,909 
Maximum principal amount3,191,061 2,881,856 
Weighted-average remaining maturity15.5 years15.3 years
(1) Relates to LTSPCs issued or modified on or after January 1, 2003, Farmer Mac has recorded a liability for its obligation to stand ready under the commitment in the guarantee and commitment obligation on the consolidated balance sheets.  This liability approximated $35.9 million as of December 31, 2018 and $34.8 million as of December 31, 2017.2003.


Commitments


Farmer Mac enters into mandatory and optional delivery commitments to purchase loans. Most loan purchase commitments entered into by Farmer Mac are mandatory commitments, in which Farmer Mac charges a fee to extend or cancel the commitment. As of December 31, 20182021 and 2017,2020, commitments to purchase Farm & Ranch loans and USDA Guarantees totaled $37.1$78.4 million and $46.3$125.8 million, respectively, all of which were mandatory commitments. As of December 31, 2017,2021, there were $8.0 millionno commitments to purchase Rural Utilities loans. Any optional loan purchase commitments are sold forward under optional commitments to deliver Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities that may be canceled by Farmer Mac without penalty.


Rental expenseReserve for Farmer Mac's office space for eachLosses

The following table is a summary, by asset type, of the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016 was $2.0 million, $1.6 million, and $1.3 million, respectively.  The future minimum lease payments under Farmer Mac's non-cancellable leasesreserve for its office space and other contractual obligationslosses as of December 31, 2018 are as follows:2021 and December 31, 2020:


Table 12.412.6
December 31, 2021December 31, 2020
Reserve for LossesReserve for Losses
(in thousands)
Agricultural Finance:
LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities$1,068 $2,097 
Rural Infrastructure Finance
LTSPCs882 1,180 
Total$1,950 $3,277 




 Future Minimum Lease Payments Other Contractual Obligations
  (in thousands)
2019$1,944
 $1,965
20201,937
 1,110
20211,977
 233
20222,021
 
20231,995
 
Thereafter1,311
 
Total$11,185
 $3,308
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202







Other contractual obligationsThe following is a summary of the changes in the reserve for losses for each year in the three-year period ended December 31, 2021:

Table 12.7
Agricultural FinanceRural Infrastructure Finance
Reserve for LossesReserve for Losses
(in thousands)
Balance as of December 31, 2018(1)
$2,167 $— 
Release of losses(3)— 
Balance as of December 31, 2019(1)
$2,164 $— 
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of current expected credit loss standard(148)1,011 
Adjusted Beginning Balance$2,016 $1,011 
Provision for losses81 169 
Balance as of December 31, 2020(2)
$2,097 $1,180 
Release of losses(1,029)(298)
Balance as of December 31, 2021(2)
$1,068 $882 
(1)Prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," in first quarter 2020, Farmer Mac maintained a reserve for losses to cover
estimated probable incurred losses on loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Agricultural Finance Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.
(2)Reserve for losses reflects the adoption of ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," in first quarter 2020.

The release from the reserve for losses in both the Agricultural Finance and Rural Infrastructure Finance LTSPC and Farmer Mac Guaranteed portfolios recorded during the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to improving economic factor forecasts and ratings upgrades.

The provision to the reserve for losses recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily
due to credit downgrades in the LTSPC portfolio.

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The following table above include minimum amounts due under non-cancellable agreements to purchase goods or servicespresents the unpaid principal balances by delinquency status of Agricultural Finance and Rural Utilities loans underlying LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

Table 12.8
As of December 31, 2021
Current30-59 Days60-89 Days
90 Days and Greater(1)
Total Past DueTotal Loans
(in thousands)
Agricultural Finance:
LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities$2,953,091 $8,068 $— $3,597 $11,665 $2,964,756 
Rural Infrastructure:
LTSPCs$556,837 $— $— $— $— $556,837 
(1)Includes loans underlying off-balance sheet Agricultural Finance Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs that are enforceable90 days of more past due, in foreclosure, or in bankruptcy with at least one missed payment, excluding loans performing under either their original loan terms or a court-approved bankruptcy plan.

As of December 31, 2020
Current30-59 Days60-89 Days
90 Days and Greater(1)
Total Past DueTotal Loans
(in thousands)
Agricultural Finance:
LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities$2,389,777 $2,189 $1,344 $11,433 $14,966 $2,404,743 
Rural Infrastructure:
LTSPCs$556,425 $— $— $— $— $556,425 
(1)Includes loans underlying off-balance sheet Agricultural Finance Guaranteed Securities and legally bindingLTSPCs that are 90 days of more past due, in foreclosure, or in bankruptcy with at least one missed payment, excluding loans performing under either their original loan terms or a court-approved bankruptcy plan.

Credit Quality Indicators

The following tables present credit quality indicators related to Agricultural Finance and specify all significant terms.  These agreements include, among others, agreements forRural Utilities loans underlying LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, by year of origination:


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Table 12.9
As of December 31, 2021
Year of Origination:
20212020201920182017PriorRevolving Loans - Amortized Cost BasisTotal
(in thousands)
Agricultural Finance LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Internally Assigned Risk Rating:
Acceptable$376,027 $537,521 $244,365 $188,452 $235,865 $1,013,937 $252,039 $2,848,206 
Special mention(1)
— 5,270 — 6,808 3,154 38,042 2,354 55,628 
Substandard(2)
— 1,307 724 5,038 12,793 37,326 3,734 60,922 
Total$376,027 $544,098 $245,089 $200,298 $251,812 $1,089,305 $258,127 $2,964,756 
For the Year Ended:
Current period charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
Current period recoveries— — — — — — — — 
Current period Agricultural Finance net charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
(1)Assets in the provision of consulting services, information technology support, equipment maintenance, and financial analysis software and services.  The amounts actually paid under these agreements will likely be higher"Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to the variable components ofperformance issues but are currently considered to be adequately secured.  
(2)Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses and there is a distinct possibility that some of these agreements under which the ultimate obligation owed is determined by reference to actual usage or hours worked.loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not corrected.
As of December 31, 2021
Year of Origination:
2021202020201920182017PriorRevolving Loans - Amortized Cost BasisTotal
(in thousands)
Rural Infrastructure Finance LTSPCs:
Internally Assigned Risk Rating:
Acceptable$— $— $— $— $— $499,594 $57,243 $556,837 
Special mention(1)
— — — — — — — — 
Substandard(2)
— — — — — — — — 
Total$— $— $— $— $— $499,594 $57,243 $556,837 
For the Year Ended:
Current period charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
Current period recoveries— — — — — — — — 
Current period Rural Infrastructure net charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 

13.FAIR VALUE DISCLOSURES

Fair Value Measurement

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (also referred to as an exit price). In determining fair value, Farmer Mac uses various valuation approaches, including market and income based approaches.  The fair value hierarchy requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.  When available, the fair value of Farmer Mac's financial instruments is based on quoted market prices, valuation techniques that use observable market-based inputs, or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.  Pricing information obtained from third parties is internally validated for reasonableness before use(1)Assets in the consolidated financial statements. Farmer Mac's accounting policies for fair value measurement"Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are discussed in Note 2(o).currently considered to be adequately secured.  

(2)Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses and there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not corrected.
Fair value measurements related to financial instruments that are reported at fair value

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As of December 31, 2020
Year of Origination:
20202019201820172016PriorRevolving Loans - Amortized Cost BasisTotal
(in thousands)
Agricultural Finance LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Internally Assigned Risk Rating:
Acceptable$178,213 $213,620 $183,948 $237,042 $207,296 $969,860 $211,620 $2,201,599 
Special mention(1)
3,920 1,742 1,502 5,603 19,644 50,004 10,058 92,473 
Substandard(2)
264 10,250 12,611 14,578 7,841 60,602 4,525 110,671 
Total$182,397 $225,612 $198,061 $257,223 $234,781 $1,080,466 $226,203 $2,404,743 
For the Year Ended:
Current period charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
Current period recoveries— — — — — — — — 
Current period Agricultural Finance net charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
(1)Assets in the consolidated financial statements each period"Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are referredcurrently considered to as recurring fair value measurements.  Fair value measurements related to financial instrumentsbe adequately secured.  
(2)Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses and there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are not reported at fair value each periodcorrected.
As of December 31, 2020
Year of Origination:
20202019201820172016PriorRevolving Loans - Amortized Cost BasisTotal
(in thousands)
Rural Infrastructure Finance LTSPCs:
Internally Assigned Risk Rating:
Acceptable$— $— $— $— $— $549,405 $7,020 $556,425 
Special mention(1)
— — — — — — — — 
Substandard(2)
— — — — — — — — 
Total$— $— $— $— $— $549,405 $7,020 $556,425 
For the Year Ended:
Current period charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
Current period recoveries— — — — — — — — 
Current period Rural Infrastructure net charge-offs$— $— $— $— $— $— $— $— 
(1)Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are subjectcurrently considered to fair value adjustments in certain circumstancesbe adequately secured.  
(2)Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses and there is a distinct possibility that some loss will be sustained if deficiencies are referred to as nonrecurring fair value measurements.not corrected.




178





13.FAIR VALUE DISCLOSURES

Fair Value Classification and Transfers

The fair value hierarchy ranks the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values.  The hierarchy gives highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs.  The following three levels are used to classify fair value measurements:

Level 1Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.
Level 2Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
Level 3Prices or valuations that require unobservable inputs that are significant to the fair value measurement.

Farmer Mac performs a detailed analysis of the assets and liabilities carried at fair value to determine the appropriate level based on the transparency of the inputs used in the valuation techniques.  In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy.  In such cases, an instrument's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.  Farmer Mac's assessment of the significance of a particular


203



input to the fair value measurement of an instrument requires judgment and consideration of factors specific to the instrument.  While Farmer Mac believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with those of other market participants, using different methodologies or assumptions to determine fair value could result in a materially different estimate of fair value for some financial instruments.


The following is a description of the fair value techniques used for instruments measured at fair value as well as the general classification of those instruments under the valuation hierarchy described above.

Recurring Fair Value Measurements and Classification

Available-for-Sale and Trading Investment Securities

The fair value of investments in U.S. Treasuries is based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets.  Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as "Level 1."

For a significant portion of Farmer Mac's investment portfolio, including most asset-backed securities, senior agency debt securities, and Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities, fair value is primarily determined using a reputable and nationally recognized third-party pricing service.  The prices obtained are non-binding and generally representative of recent market trades.  The fair value of certain asset-backed and Government guaranteed mortgage-backed securities are estimated based on quotations from brokers or dealers. Farmer Mac corroborates its primary valuation source by obtaining a secondary price from another independent third-party pricing service.  Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as "Level 2."

For certain investment securities that are thinly traded or not quoted, Farmer Mac estimates fair value using internally-developed models that employ a discounted cash flow approach.  Farmer Mac maximizes the use of observable market data, including prices of financial instruments with similar maturities and characteristics, interest rate yield curves, measures of volatility, and prepayment rates.  Farmer Mac generally considers a market to be thinly traded or not quoted if the following conditions exist: (1) there are few transactions for the financial instruments; (2) the prices in the market are not current; (3) the price quotes vary significantly either over time or among independent pricing services or dealers; or (4) there is limited availability of public market information.  Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as "Level 3."

Available-for-Sale and Trading Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities

Farmer Mac estimates the fair value of its Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities by discounting the projected cash flows of these instruments at projected interest rates.  The fair values are based on thetables present value of expected cash flows using management's best estimate of certain key assumptions, which include prepayment speeds, forward yield curves, and discount rates commensurate with the risks involved.  Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as Level 3 because there is limited market activity and therefore little or no price transparency.  On a sample basis, Farmer Mac corroborates the fair value of its Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities by obtaining a secondary valuation from an independent third-party service.



204



Financial Derivatives

The fair value of exchange-traded U.S. Treasury futures is based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical financial instruments.  Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as Level 1.

Farmer Mac's derivative portfolio consists primarily of interest rate swaps and forward sales contracts on the debt of other GSEs.  Farmer Mac estimates the fair value of these financial instruments primarily based upon the counterparty valuations.  Farmer Mac internally values its derivative portfolio using a discounted cash flow valuation technique and obtains a secondary valuation for certain interest rate swaps to corroborate the counterparty valuations.  Farmer Mac also regularly reviews the counterparty valuations as part of the collateral exchange process. Farmer Mac classifies these fair value measurements as Level 2.

Certain basis swaps are non-standard interest rate swap structures and are therefore internally modeled using significant assumptions and unobservable inputs, resulting in Level 3 classification.  Farmer Mac uses a discounted cash flow valuation technique, using management's best estimate of certain key assumptions, which include prepayment speeds, forward yield curves, and discount rates commensurate with the risks involved.

Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements and Classification

Loans Held for Investment

Certain loans in Farmer Mac's held for investment loan portfolio are measured at fair value when they are determined to be impaired. For these impaired loans, the fair value of the loan generally is based on the fair value of the underlying property, which is determined by recent third-party appraisals. Farmer Mac uses net realizable value (fair value less estimated costs to sell) as a reasonable estimate of fair value and classifies the fair values as Level 3 measurements in the tables below.

When recent third-party appraisals are not available, Farmer Mac measures loan impairment in the aggregate in consideration of the similar risk characteristics of the assets and historical statistics, and does not include these impaired loans in the tables below.

Real Estate Owned

Farmer Mac initially records REO properties at net realizable value and subsequently measures them at the lower of carrying value or net realizable value. The fair value of the REO generally is based on third-party appraisals. Farmer Mac classifies the REO fair values as Level 3 measurements. Farmer Mac uses net realizable value as a reasonable estimate of fair value in the tables below.

Fair Value Classification and Transfers

As of December 31, 2018,information about Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities recordedmeasured at fair value included financial instruments valued at $6.0 billion whoseon a recurring basis as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, and indicate the fair values were estimatedvalue hierarchy of the valuation techniques used by management in the absence of readily determinableFarmer Mac to determine such fair values (i.e., level 3).  These financial instruments measured as value:

Table 13.1
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value as of December 31, 2021
 Level 1Level 2
Level 3(1)
Total
 (in thousands)
Recurring: 
Assets:    
Investment Securities:    
Available-for-sale:    
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$— $— $19,254 $19,254 
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities— 2,178,831 — 2,178,831 
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities— 458,837 — 458,837 
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries1,179,469 — — 1,179,469 
Total Available-for-sale Investment Securities1,179,469 2,637,668 19,254 3,836,391 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:    
Available-for-sale:    
AgVantage— — 6,316,145 6,316,145 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities— — 12,414 12,414 
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities— — 6,328,559 6,328,559 
USDA Securities:    
Trading— — 4,401 4,401 
Total USDA Securities— — 4,401 4,401 
Financial derivatives73 19,066 — 19,139 
Guarantee Asset— — 6,237 6,237 
Total Assets at fair value$1,179,542 $2,656,734 $6,358,451 $10,194,727 
Liabilities:    
Financial derivatives$— $34,248 $— $34,248 
Total Liabilities at fair value$— $34,248 $— $34,248 
Non-recurring:
Assets
Mortgage Servicing Rights$— $— $2,681 $2,681 
Total non-recurring assets at fair value$— $— $2,681 $2,681 
(1) Level 3 represented 32%assets represent 25% of total assets and 73%62% of financial instruments measured at fair value as of December 31, 2018. As of December 31, 2017, Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities recorded at fair value included financial instruments valued at $5.5 billion whose fair values were estimated by management in the absence of readily determinable fair values.  These financial instruments measured as level 3

value.


205179







Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value as of December 31, 2020
 Level 1Level 2
Level 3(1)
Total
 (in thousands)
Recurring: 
Assets:    
Investment Securities:    
Available-for-sale:    
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$— $— $19,171 $19,171 
Floating rate asset-backed securities— 6,231 — 6,231 
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities— 2,360,026 — 2,360,026 
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities— 313 — 313 
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries1,467,951 — — 1,467,951 
Total Available-for-sale Investment Securities1,467,951 2,366,570 19,171 3,853,692 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:    
Available-for-sale:    
AgVantage— — 6,947,701 6,947,701 
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities— — 6,947,701 6,947,701 
USDA Securities:    
Trading— — 6,695 6,695 
Total USDA Securities— — 6,695 6,695 
Financial derivatives— 17,468 — 17,468 
Total Assets at fair value$1,467,951 $2,384,038 $6,973,567 $10,825,556 
Liabilities:    
Financial derivatives$82 $29,810 $— $29,892 
Total Liabilities at fair value$82 $29,810 $— $29,892 
represented 31%(1) Level 3 assets represent 29% of total assets and 71%65% of financial instruments measured at fair value.

There were no material assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis as of December 31, 2017.2021 or December 31, 2020.


Transfers in and/or out of the different levels within the fair value hierarchy are based on the fair values of the assets and liabilities as of the beginning of the reporting period. During 2018,the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no transfers within fair value hierarchy for fair value measurements of Farmer Mac's investment securities, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, USDA Securities, and financial derivatives. During 2017, there was one transfer within the fair value hierarchy from Level 2 to Level 3 for the fair value measurement of a fixed-rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed security (interest-only security). The transfer to Level 3 was because unobservable inputs became significant to the overall estimate of the fair value of the security as of March 31, 2017. There were no transfers within the fair value hierarchy for fair value measurements of Farmer Mac's investment securities, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, USDA Securities, and financial derivatives during 2016. See Note 2(b) and Note 5 for information about the transfer of available-for-sale USDA and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA securities to held-to-maturity as of October 1, 2016.

The following tables present information about Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring and non-recurring basis as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and indicate the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques used by Farmer Mac to determine such fair value:


hierarchy.


206180




Table 13.1

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value as of December 31, 2018
 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
 (in thousands)
Recurring: 
Assets:       
Investment Securities:       
Available-for-sale:       
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$
 $
 $18,715
 $18,715
Floating rate asset-backed securities
 28,678
 
 28,678
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
 1,377,454
 
 1,377,454
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
 403
 
 403
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries792,602
 
 
 792,602
Total Investment Securities792,602
 1,406,535
 18,715
 2,217,852
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities: 
  
  
  
Available-for-sale: 
  
  
  
AgVantage
 
 5,974,497
 5,974,497
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
 
 5,974,497
 5,974,497
USDA Securities: 
  
  
  
Trading
 
 9,999
 9,999
Total USDA Securities
 
 9,999
 9,999
Financial derivatives
 7,487
 
 7,487
Total Assets at fair value$792,602
 $1,414,022
 $6,003,211
 $8,209,835
Liabilities: 
  
  
  
Financial derivatives$188
 $19,445
 $
 $19,633
Total Liabilities at fair value$188
 $19,445
 $
 $19,633
Non-recurring: 
  
  
  
Assets: 
  
  
  
Loans held for investment$
 $
 $317
 $317
REO
 
 128
 128
Total Non-recurring Assets at fair value$
 $
 $445
 $445





207



Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value as of December 31, 2017
 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
 (in thousands)
Recurring: 
Assets:       
Investment Securities:       
Available-for-sale:       
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$
 $
 $18,814
 $18,814
Floating rate asset-backed securities
 34,210
 
 34,210
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
 1,290,187
 
 1,290,187
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
 486
 4,333
 4,819
Fixed rate senior agency debt
 99,951
 
 99,951
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries767,424
 
 
 767,424
Total available-for-sale767,424
 1,424,834
 23,147
 2,215,405
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities: 
  
  
  
Available-for-sale: 
  
  
  
AgVantage
 
 5,471,914
 5,471,914
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
 
 5,471,914
 5,471,914
USDA Securities: 
  
  
  
Trading
 
 13,515
 13,515
Total USDA Securities
 
 13,515
 13,515
Financial derivatives
 7,093
 
 7,093
Total Assets at fair value$767,424
 $1,431,927
 $5,508,576
 $7,707,927
Liabilities: 
  
  
  
Financial derivatives$36
 $26,563
 $
 $26,599
Total Liabilities at fair value$36
 $26,563
 $
 $26,599
Non-recurring: 
  
  
  
Assets: 
  
  
  
Loans held for investment$
 $
 $508
 $508
Total Non-recurring Assets at fair value$
 $
 $508
 $508





208




The following tables present additional information about assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis for which Farmer Mac has used significant unobservable inputs to determine fair value. Net transfers in and/or out of Level 3 are based on the fair values of the assets and liabilities as of the beginning of the reporting period. There were no liabilities measured at fair value using significant unobservable inputs during the years ended December 31, 20182021 and 2017.2020.


Table 13.2
Level 3 Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value for the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Beginning BalancePurchasesSalesSettlementsAllowance for LossesRealized and
unrealized losses included
in Income
Unrealized gains
included in Other
Comprehensive
Income
Ending Balance
(in thousands)
Recurring:
Assets:
Investment Securities:
Available-for-sale:
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$19,171 $— $— $— $(16)$— $99 $19,254 
Total available-for-sale19,171 — — — (16)— 99 19,254 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage6,947,701 1,143,115 — (1,614,598)47 (176,064)15,944 6,316,145 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities— 12,560 — (263)— — 117 12,414 
Total available-for-sale6,947,701 1,155,675 — (1,614,861)47 (176,064)16,061 6,328,559 
USDA Securities:
Trading6,695 — — (2,178)— (116)— 4,401 
Total USDA Securities6,695 — — (2,178)0(116)— 4,401 
Guarantee and commitment obligations:
Guarantee Asset— 6,237 — — — — — 6,237 
Total Guarantee and commitment obligations— 6,237 — — — — — 6,237 
Total Assets at fair value$6,973,567 $1,161,912 $— $(1,617,039)$31 $(176,180)$16,160 $6,358,451 
Level 3 Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value for the Year Ended December 31, 2018
  Beginning
Balance
 Cumulative Effect from Change in Hedge Accounting Purchases Sales Settlements Realized and
Unrealized (Losses)/Gains included
in Income
 Unrealized (Losses)
included in Other
Comprehen-sive
Income
 Ending
Balance
 (in thousands)
Recurring:               
Assets:               
Investment Securities:               
Available-for-sale:               
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$18,814
 
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $(99) $18,715
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities4,333
 
 
 
 (2,137) (2,092) (104) 
Total available-for-sale23,147
 
 
 
 (2,137) (2,092) (203) 18,715
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities: 
    
  
    
    
Available-for-sale: 
    
  
    
    
AgVantage5,471,914
 487
 2,177,546
 
 (1,670,402) 21,459
 (26,507) 5,974,497
Total available-for-sale5,471,914
 487
 2,177,546
 
 (1,670,402) 21,459
 (26,507) 5,974,497
USDA Securities: 
    
  
    
    
Available-for-sale
 
 127,850
 (127,850) 
 
 
 
Trading(1)
13,515
 
 
 
 (3,597) 81
 
 9,999
Total USDA Securities13,515
 
 127,850
 (127,850) (3,597) 81
 
 9,999
Total Assets at fair value$5,508,576
 $487
 $2,305,396
 $(127,850) $(1,676,136) $19,448
 $(26,710) $6,003,211
(1)
Includes unrealized gains of $0.1 million attributable to assets still held as of December 31, 2018 that are recorded in "Gains/(losses) on trading securities."










209181







Level 3 Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value for the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Beginning BalancePurchasesSalesSettlementsAllowance for LossesRealized and
unrealized gains included
in Income
Unrealized gains
included in Other
Comprehensive
Income
Ending Balance
(in thousands)
Recurring:
Assets:
Investment Securities:
Available-for-sale:
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$18,912 $— $— $— $(36)$— $295 $19,171 
Total available-for-sale18,912 — — — (36)— 295 19,171 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage7,143,025 974,237 — (1,397,861)(309)202,706 25,903 6,947,701 
Total available-for-sale7,143,025 974,237 — (1,397,861)(309)202,706 25,903 6,947,701 
USDA Securities:
Trading8,913 — — (2,269)— 51 — 6,695 
Total USDA Securities8,913 — — (2,269)051 — 6,695 
Total Assets at fair value$7,170,850 $974,237 $— $(1,400,130)$(345)$202,757 $26,198 $6,973,567 

Level 3 Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value for the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Beginning BalancePurchasesSalesSettlementsRealized and
unrealized gains included
in Income
Unrealized gains/(losses)
included in Other
Comprehensive
Income
Ending Balance
(in thousands)
Recurring:
Assets:
Investment Securities:
Available-for-sale:
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$18,715 $— $— $— $— $197 $18,912 
Total available-for-sale18,715 — — — — 197 18,912 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage5,974,497 2,033,713 — (1,020,294)181,144 (26,035)7,143,025 
Total available-for-sale5,974,497 2,033,713 — (1,020,294)181,144 (26,035)7,143,025 
USDA Securities:
Available-for-sale— 57,853 (57,853)— — — — 
Trading9,999 — — (1,412)326 — 8,913 
Total USDA Securities9,999 57,853 (57,853)(1,412)326 — 8,913 
Total Assets at fair value$6,003,211 $2,091,566 $(57,853)$(1,021,706)$181,470 $(25,838)$7,170,850 

Level 3 Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value for the Year Ended December 31, 2017
  Beginning
Balance
 Transfers in Purchases Sales Settlements Realized and
Unrealized (Losses) included
in Income
 Unrealized Gains/(Losses) included in Other
Comprehen-sive
Income
 Ending
Balance
 (in thousands)
Recurring:               
Assets:               
Investment Securities:               
Available-for-sale:               
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$17,730
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $1,084
 $18,814
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities$
 $7,041
 $
 $
 $(444) $
 $(2,264) $4,333
Total available-for-sale17,730
 7,041
 
 
 (444) 
 (1,180) 23,147
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities: 
    
  
    
    
Available-for-sale: 
    
  
    
    
AgVantage4,853,685
 
 1,134,132
 
 (526,650) (7,625) 18,372
 5,471,914
Total available-for-sale4,853,685
 
 1,134,132
 
 (526,650) (7,625) 18,372
 5,471,914
USDA Securities: 
    
  
    
    
Available-for-sale
 
 155,744
 (155,744) 
 
 
 
Trading(1)
20,388
 
 
 
 (6,849) (24) 
 13,515
Total USDA Securities20,388
 
 155,744
 (155,744) (6,849) (24) 
 13,515
Total Assets at fair value$4,891,803
 $7,041
 $1,289,876
 $(155,744) $(533,943) $(7,649) $17,192
 $5,508,576
182
(1)
Includes unrealized gains of $0.1 million attributable to assets still held as of December 31, 2017 that are recorded in "Gains/(losses) on trading securities."




210





Level 3 Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value for the Year Ended December 31, 2016
  Beginning
Balance
 Purchases Sales Settlements Realized and
Unrealized Gains/(Losses) included
in Income
 Unrealized (Losses)/Gains included in Other
Comprehen-sive
Income
 Transfers Out Ending
Balance
 (in thousands)
Recurring:               
Assets:               
Investment Securities:               
Available-for-sale:               
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$44,924
 $
 $(26,806) $
 $6
 $(394) 
 $17,730
Total available-for-sale44,924
 
 (26,806) 
 6
 (394) 
 17,730
Trading:               
Floating rate asset-backed securities(1)
491
 
 
 (2,213) 1,722
 
 
 $
Total Trading491
 
 
 (2,213) 1,722
 
 
 
Total Investment Securities45,415
 
 (26,806) (2,213) 1,728
 (394) 
 17,730
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities: 
  
  
    
      
Available-for-sale: 
  
  
    
      
AgVantage4,121,244
 1,430,392
 
 (706,446) (20,944) 29,439
 
 4,853,685
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities(2)
31,361
 4,100
 
 (3,240) 
 603
 (32,824) 
Total available-for-sale4,152,605
 1,434,492
 
 (709,686) (20,944) 30,042
 (32,824) 4,853,685
USDA Securities: 
  
  
    
      
Available-for-sale1,888,344
 391,240
 (97,954) (237,262) 
 35,959
 (1,980,327) 
Trading(3)
28,975
 
 
 (8,325) (262) 
 
 20,388
Total USDA Securities1,917,319
 391,240
 (97,954) (245,587) (262) 35,959
 (1,980,327) 20,388
Total Assets at fair value$6,115,339
 $1,825,732
 $(124,760) $(957,486) $(19,478) $65,607
 $(2,013,151) $4,891,803

(1)

None of the unrealized gains are attributable to assets still held as of December 31, 2016 and are recorded in "Gains/(losses) on trading securities."
(2)
Includes $32.8 million of Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities and $2.0 billion of USDA Securities transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity on October 1, 2016.
(3)
Includes unrealized losses of $0.3 million attributable to assets still held as of December 31, 2016 that are recorded in "Gains/(losses) on trading securities."

The following tables present additional information about the significant unobservable inputs, such as discount rates and constant prepayment rates ("CPR"), used in the fair value measurements categorized in levelLevel 3 of the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017.December 31, 2020:



211




Table 13.3
As of December 31, 2021
Financial InstrumentsFair ValueValuation TechniqueUnobservable InputRange (Weighted-Average)
(in thousands)
Assets:
Investment securities:
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$19,254 Indicative bidsRange of broker quotes98.0% - 98.0% (98.0%)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
AgVantage$6,316,145 Discounted cash flowDiscount rate0.9% - 2.1% (1.7%)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities$12,414 Discounted cash flowDiscount rate2.3% - 2.8% (2.6%)
CPR8%
USDA Securities$4,401 Discounted cash flowDiscount rate1.4% - 3.1% (2.8%)
CPR25% - 42% (39%)
Guarantee Asset$6,237 Discounted cash flowDiscount rate5.4% - 5.8% (5.6%)
CPR7% - 12% (8%)
As of December 31, 2020
Financial InstrumentsFair ValueValuation TechniqueUnobservable InputRange (Weighted-Average)
(in thousands)
Assets:
Investment securities:
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans$19,171 Indicative bidsRange of broker quotes97.5% - 97.5% (97.5%)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
AgVantage$6,947,701 Discounted cash flowDiscount rate0.8% - 2.3% (1.3%)
USDA Securities$6,695 Discounted cash flowDiscount rate0.9% - 1.9% (1.4%)
CPR25% - 49% (44%)
  As of December 31, 2018
Financial Instruments Fair Value Valuation Technique Unobservable Input Range (Weighted-Average)
  (in thousands)
Assets:        
Investment securities:        
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans $18,715
 Indicative bids Range of broker quotes 95.0% - 95.0% (95.0%)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:        
AgVantage $5,974,497
 Discounted cash flow Discount rate 3.0% - 4.4% (3.3%)
         
USDA Securities $9,999
 Discounted cash flow Discount rate 3.2% - 5.2% (4.9%)
      CPR 7% - 17% (16%)


The significant unobservable input used in the fair value measurements of AgVantage Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities is the discount rate commensurate with the risks involved. Typically, significant increases (decreases) in this input in isolation may result in materially lower (higher) fair value measurements. Generally, in a rising interest rate environment, Farmer Mac would expect average discount rates to increase. Conversely, in a declining interest rate environment, Farmer Mac would expect average discount rates to decrease. Prepayment rates are not presented in the table above for AgVantage securities because they generally have fixed maturity dates when the secured general obligations are due and do not prepay.
  As of December 31, 2017
Financial Instruments Fair Value Valuation Technique Unobservable Input Range (Weighted-Average)
  (in thousands)
Assets:        
Investment securities:        
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans $18,814
 Indicative bids Range of broker quotes 95.5% - 95.5% (95.5%)
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities $4,333
 Discounted cash flow Discount rate 2.9%
      CPR 0%
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:        
AgVantage $5,471,914
 Discounted cash flow Discount rate 2.1% - 3.4% (2.4%)
         
USDA Securities $13,515
 Discounted cash flow Discount rate 3.6% - 5.4% (5.0%)
      CPR 7% - 19% (17%)


The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurements of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities are the prepayment ratesrate and discount ratesrate commensurate with the risks involved. Typically, significant increases (decreases) in any of these inputs in isolation may result in materially lower (higher) fair value measurements. Generally, in a rising interest rate environment, Farmer Mac would expect average

183





discount rates to increase and would likely expect a corresponding decrease in forecasted prepayment rates. Conversely, in a declining interest rate environment, Farmer Mac would expect average discount rates to decrease and would likely expect a corresponding increase in forecasted prepayment rates. Prepayment rates are not presented in the table above for AgVantage securities because they generally do not pay down principal based on amortization schedules but instead typically have fixed maturity dates when the secured general obligations are due.




212



Disclosures on Fair Value of Financial Instruments


The following table sets forth the estimated fair values and carrying values for financial assets, liabilities, and guarantees and commitments as of December 31, 20182021 and 2017:December 31, 2020:


Table 13.4
 As of December 31, 2021As of December 31, 2020
 Fair ValueCarrying
Amount
Fair ValueCarrying
Amount
 (in thousands)
Financial assets:    
Cash and cash equivalents$908,785 $908,785 $1,033,941 $1,033,941 
Investment securities3,884,202 3,882,590 3,899,925 3,898,724 
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities8,360,293 8,361,798 8,148,691 8,123,493 
USDA Securities2,536,473 2,440,732 2,637,509 2,480,321 
Loans9,814,642 9,248,678 9,167,525 8,535,146 
Financial derivatives19,139 19,139 17,468 17,468 
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable42,533 45,538 34,115 37,113 
Financial liabilities:
Notes payable22,716,791 22,716,156 22,130,263 21,848,917 
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties1,005,306 981,379 1,390,330 1,323,786 
Financial derivatives34,248 34,248 29,892 29,892 
Guarantee and commitment obligations40,920 43,926 32,537 35,535 

 As of December 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
 Fair Value Carrying
Amount
 Fair Value Carrying
Amount
 (in thousands)
Financial assets:       
Cash and cash equivalents$425,256
 $425,256
 $302,022
 $302,022
Investment securities2,263,446
 2,262,884
 2,260,969
 2,260,437
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities8,061,903
 8,071,115
 7,588,806
 7,598,188
USDA Securities2,113,946
 2,176,173
 2,076,396
 2,131,365
Loans5,512,781
 5,515,052
 5,279,225
 5,266,786
Financial derivatives7,487
 7,487
 7,093
 7,093
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable:       
LTSPCs37,461
 36,870
 33,871
 35,718
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities3,424
 3,496
 4,323
 4,177
Financial liabilities:       
Notes payable:       
Due within one year7,744,388
 7,757,050
 8,079,309
 8,089,826
Due after one year8,473,558
 8,486,647
 7,445,545
 7,432,790
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties1,501,754
 1,528,957
 1,386,652
 1,404,945
Financial derivatives19,633
 19,633
 26,599
 26,599
Guarantee and commitment obligations:       
LTSPCs36,471
 35,880
 32,976
 34,824
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities2,731
 2,803
 3,722
 3,576


The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents is a reasonable estimate of their approximate fair value and is classified as Level 1. Investment securities primarilyThe fair value of investments in U.S. Treasuries are valued based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets and are classified as Level 1. A significant portion of Farmer Mac's investment portfolio is valued using a reputable nationally recognized third-party pricing service. The prices obtained are non-binding and generally representative of recent market trades and are classified as Level 2. Farmer Mac internally models the fair value of its loan portfolio, including loans held for investment and loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and USDA Securities by discounting the projected cash flows of these instruments at projected interest rates. The fair values are based on the present value of expected cash flows using management's best estimate of certain key assumptions, which include prepayment speeds, forward yield curves and discount rates commensurate with the risks involved. These fair value measurements do not take into consideration the fair value of the underlying property and are classified as Level 3. Financial derivatives primarily are valued using unadjusted counterparty valuations and are classified as Level 2. The fair value of the guarantee fees receivable/obligation and debt securities of consolidated trusts are estimated based on the present value of expected future cash flows of the underlying mortgage assets using management's best estimate of certain key assumptions, which include prepayments speeds, forward yield curves, and discount rates commensurate with the risks involved and are classified as Level 3. Notes payable are valued by discounting the expected cash flows of these instruments using a yield curve derived from market prices observed for similar agency securities and are also classified as Level 3. Because the cash flows of Farmer Mac's financial instruments may be interest rate path dependent, estimated fair values and

184





projected discount rates for Level 3 financial instruments


213



are derived using a Monte Carlo simulation model. Different market assumptions and estimation methodologies could significantly affect estimated fair value amounts.



14.BUSINESS SEGMENT REPORTING

The following table presents the alignment of the Farmer Mac's 7 segments:

14.Agricultural FinanceBUSINESS SEGMENT REPORTINGRural Infrastructure FinanceTreasury
Farm & RanchCorporate AgFinanceRural UtilitiesRenewable EnergyFundingInvestmentsCorporate

Farmer Mac's operations consist of four operating segments – Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, Rural Utilities, and Institutional Credit. The Institutional Credit segment comprises Farmer Mac's purchases and guarantees of AgVantage securities related to general obligations of lenders that are secured by pools of eligible loans.

Farmer Mac uses these four segments to manage business risk, and each segment is based on distinct products and distinct business activities.  In addition to these four operating segments, a corporate segment is presented.  That segment represents activity in Farmer Mac's investment portfolio and other corporate activities.   Each operating segment's financial results include directly attributable revenues and expenses.  Corporate charges for administrative expenses that are not directly attributable to an operating segment are allocated to each segment based on headcount.

Farmer Mac uses core earnings to measure corporate economic performance and develop financial plans because, in management's view, core earnings is a useful alternative measure in understanding Farmer Mac's economic performance, transaction economics, and business trends.  Core earnings principally differs from net income attributable to common stockholders by excluding the effects of fair value fluctuations, which are not expected to have a cumulative net impact on financial condition or results of operations reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles if the related financial instruments are held to maturity, as is generally expected. Core earnings also differs from net income attributable to common stockholders by excluding specified infrequent or unusual transactions that Farmer Mac believes are not indicative of future operating results and that may not reflect the trends and economic financial performance of Farmer Mac's core business. This corporate economic performance measure may not be comparable to similarly labeled measures disclosed by other companies.


The financial information presented below reflects the accounts of Farmer Mac and its subsidiaries on a
consolidated basis. Accordingly, the core earnings for Farmer Mac's reportable operating segments willwould differ from theany stand-alone financial statements of Farmer Mac's subsidiaries. These differences willwould be due to various factors, including the exclusion of unrealized gains and losses related to fair value changes of trading assets and financial derivatives, as well as the allocation of certain expenses such as operating expenses, dividends and interest expense related to the issuance of capital and the issuance of indebtedness managed at the corporate level.  The allocation of general and administrative expenses that are not directly attributable to an operating segment may also result in differences.  


The following tables present core earnings for Farmer Mac's operating segments and a reconciliation to consolidated net income for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017,2021, 2020 and 2016:

2019. The amounts for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 have been revised to conform to the current year's segment alignment.


214185









Table 14.1

Core Earnings by Business Segment
For the Year Ended December 31, 2018
 Farm & Ranch USDA Guarantees 
Rural 
Utilities
 Institutional Credit Corporate Reconciling
Adjustments
 Consolidated Net Income
 (in thousands)
Net interest income$62,951
 $20,554
 $12,505
 $69,321
 $9,105
 $
 $174,436
Less: reconciling adjustments(1)(2)(3)
(9,889) (2,499) (922) (7,884) (2,047) 23,241
 
Net effective spread53,062
 18,055
 11,583
 61,437
 7,058
 23,241
 
Guarantee and commitment fees(2)
17,976
 797
 1,599
 360
 
 (6,756) 13,976
Other income/(expense)(3)
1,371
 20
 33
 
 (913) (2,747) (2,236)
Non-interest income/(loss)19,347
 817
 1,632
 360
 (913) (9,503) 11,740
              
Provision for loan losses(238) 
 
 
 
 
 (238)
              
Provision for reserve for losses(97) 
 
 
 
 
 (97)
Other non-interest expense(19,026) (5,309) (3,062) (8,011) (14,411) 
 (49,819)
Non-interest expense(4)
(19,123) (5,309) (3,062) (8,011) (14,411) 
 (49,916)
Core earnings before income taxes53,048
 13,563
 10,153
 53,786
 (8,266) 13,738
(5) 
136,022
Income tax (expense)/benefit(11,140) (2,848) (2,133) (11,295) 2,361
 (2,887) (27,942)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends and attribution of income to non-controlling interest41,908
 10,715
 8,020
 42,491
 (5,905) 10,851
(5) 
108,080
Preferred stock dividends
 
 
 
 (13,182) 
 (13,182)
Segment core earnings/(losses)$41,908
 $10,715
 $8,020
 $42,491
 $(19,087) $10,851
(5) 
$94,898
              
Total assets at carrying value$4,701,736
 $2,240,906
 $945,282
 $8,089,410
 $2,716,994
 $
 $18,694,328
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance$7,233,972
 $2,515,620
 $1,592,115
 $8,382,817
 
 
 $19,724,524
(1)
Excludes the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value, originally included in interest income, to reflect core earnings amounts.
(2)
Includes the reclassification of interest income and interest expense from consolidated trusts owned by third parties to guarantee and commitment fees, to reflect management's view that the net interest income Farmer Mac earns is effectively a guarantee fee.
(3)
Includes the reclassification of interest expense related to interest rate swaps not designated as hedges, which are included in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" on the consolidated financial statements, to determine the effective funding cost for each operating segment.
(4)
Includes directly attributable costs and an allocation of indirectly attributable costs based on employee headcount.
(5)
Net adjustments to reconcile to the corresponding income measures: core earnings before income taxes reconciled to income before income taxes; core earnings before preferred stock dividends and attribution of income to non-controlling interest reconciled to net income; and segment core earnings reconciled to net income attributable to common stockholders.

Core Earnings by Business Segment
For the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Agricultural FinanceRural InfrastructureTreasuryCorporate
Farm & RanchCorporate AgFinance
Rural 
Utilities
Renewable EnergyFundingInvestmentsReconciling
Adjustments
Consolidated Net Income
 (in thousands)
Net interest income$118,289 $27,081 $8,224 $1,219 $65,405 $557 $— $—  $220,775 
Less: reconciling adjustments(1)(2)(3)
(4,753)— (157)— 4,803 — — 107 — 
Net effective spread113,536 27,081 8,067 1,219 70,208 557 — 107 — 
Guarantee and commitment fees16,178 48 1,287 20 — — — (4,864)12,669 
Gain on sale of mortgage loans6,539 — — — — — — — 6,539 
Other income/(expense)(3)
1,966 — — — — (291)(2,821)(1,141)
Total revenues138,219 27,129 9,359 1,239 70,208 557 (291)(7,578)238,842 
Release of/(provision for) losses1,574 (210)(291)(198)— (15)— —  860 
Release of reserve for losses1,034 — 293 — — — — — 1,327 
Operating expenses— — — — — — (73,416)—  (73,416)
Total non-interest expense1,034 — 293 — — — (73,416)—  (72,089)
Core earnings before income taxes140,827 26,919 9,361 1,041 70,208 542 (73,707)(7,578)(4)167,613 
Income tax (expense)/benefit(29,574)(5,653)(1,965)(219)(14,744)(114)15,325 1,591 (35,353)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends111,253 21,266 7,396 822 55,464 428 (58,382)(5,987)(4)132,260 
Preferred stock dividends— — — — — — (24,677)—  (24,677)
Segment core earnings/(losses)$111,253 $21,266 $7,396 $822 $55,464 $428 $(83,059)$(5,987)(4)$107,583 
Total Assets$13,112,193 $1,507,848 $5,344,707 $87,553 $— $5,037,636 $55,554 $—  25,145,491 
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance$16,094,640 $1,537,834 $5,895,226 $86,763 $— $— $— $—  23,614,463 

(1)Includes the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value, originally included in interest income, to reflect core earnings amounts.

(2)Includes the reclassification of interest income and interest expense from consolidated trusts owned by third parties to guarantee and commitment fees, to reflect management's view that the net interest income Farmer Mac earns is effectively a guarantee fee.

(3)Includes the reclassification of interest expense related to interest rate swaps not designated as hedges, which are included in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" on the consolidated financial statements, to determine the effective funding cost for each operating segment.
(4)Net adjustments to reconcile to the corresponding income measures: core earnings before income taxes reconciled to income before income taxes; core earnings before preferred stock dividends reconciled to net income; and segment core earnings reconciled to net income attributable to common stockholders.



215186







Core Earnings by Business Segment
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Agricultural FinanceRural InfrastructureTreasuryCorporate
Farm & RanchCorporate AgFinance
Rural 
Utilities
Renewable EnergyFundingInvestmentsReconciling
Adjustments
Consolidated Net Income
 (in thousands)
Net interest income$96,355 $21,441 $7,083 $303 $66,446 $(1,040)$— $—  $190,588 
Less: reconciling adjustments(1)(2)(3)
(6,197)— (207)— 12,772 — — (6,368)— 
Net effective spread90,158 21,441 6,876 303 79,218 (1,040)— (6,368)— 
Guarantee and commitment fees17,800 1,345 — — — — (6,601)12,549 
Other income/(expense)(3)
3,652 — 32 — — — (534)604 3,754 
Total revenues111,610 21,446 8,253 303 79,218 (1,040)(534)(12,365)206,891 
(Provision for)/release of losses(2,941)36 (4,763)(110)— (27)— —  (7,805)
Provision for reserve for losses(80)— (170)— — — — — (250)
Operating expenses— — — — — — (61,403)—  (61,403)
Total non-interest expense(80)— (170)— — — (61,403)—  (61,653)
Core earnings before income taxes108,589 21,482 3,320 193 79,218 (1,067)(61,937)(12,365)(4)137,433 
Income tax (expense)/benefit(22,802)(4,511)(697)(41)(16,636)224 13,082 2,596 (28,785)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends85,787 16,971 2,623 152 62,582 (843)(48,855)(9,769)(4)108,648 
Preferred stock dividends— — — — — — (17,805)—  (17,805)
Loss on retirement of preferred stock— — — — — — — (1,667)(1,667)
Segment core earnings/(losses)$85,787 $16,971 $2,623 $152 $62,582 $(843)$(66,660)$(11,436)(4)$89,176 
Total Assets$12,373,781 $1,663,581 $4,760,585 $73,493 $— $5,441,426 $42,635 $—  $24,355,501 
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance$14,872,894 $1,664,115 $5,314,051 $73,035 $— $— $— $—  $21,924,095 
(1)Includes the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value, originally included in interest income, to reflect core earnings amounts.
(2)Includes the reclassification of interest income and interest expense from consolidated trusts owned by third parties to guarantee and commitment fees, to reflect management's view that the net interest income Farmer Mac earns is effectively a guarantee fee.
(3)Includes the reclassification of interest expense related to interest rate swaps not designated as hedges, which are included in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" on the consolidated financial statements, to determine the effective funding cost for each operating segment.
(4)Net adjustments to reconcile to the corresponding income measures: core earnings before income taxes reconciled to income before income taxes; core earnings before preferred stock dividends reconciled to net income; and segment core earnings reconciled to net income attributable to common stockholders.


Core Earnings by Business Segment
For the Year Ended December 31, 2017
 Farm & Ranch USDA Guarantees Rural 
Utilities
 Institutional Credit Corporate 
Reconciling
Adjustments
 Consolidated Net Income
 (in thousands)
Net interest income$54,290
 $21,106
 $11,598
 $59,842
 $10,811
 $
 $157,647
Less: reconciling adjustments(1)(2)(3)(4)
(8,922) (2,287) (539) (3,505) (1,091) 16,344
 
Net effective spread45,368
 18,819
 11,059
 56,337
 9,720
 16,344
 
Guarantee and commitment fees(2)
17,175
 456
 1,914
 805
 
 (6,236) 14,114
Other income(3)(5)
2,449
 43
 20
 
 171
 715
 3,398
Non-interest income/(loss)19,624
 499
 1,934
 805
 171
 (5,521) 17,512
              
Provision for loan losses(1,708) 
 
 
 
 
 (1,708)
              
Provision for reserve for losses(50) 
 
 
 
 
 (50)
Other non-interest expense(16,554) (4,384) (2,430) (6,439) (12,908) 
 (42,715)
Non-interest expense(6)
(16,604) (4,384) (2,430) (6,439) (12,908) 
 (42,765)
Core earnings before income taxes46,680
 14,934
 10,563
 50,703
 (3,017) 10,823
(7) 
130,686
Income tax (expense)/benefit(16,338) (5,227) (3,696) (17,746) 1,792
 (5,154) (46,369)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends and attribution of income to non-controlling interest30,342
 9,707
 6,867
 32,957
 (1,225) 5,669
(7) 
84,317
Preferred stock dividends
 
 
 
 (13,182) 
 (13,182)
Non-controlling interest
 
 
 
 165
 
 165
Segment core earnings/(losses)$30,342
 $9,707
 $6,867
 $32,957
 $(14,242) $5,669
(7) 
$71,300
              
Total assets at carrying value$4,274,693
 $2,195,189
 $1,088,986
 $7,627,749
 $2,605,657
 $
 $17,792,274
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance$6,867,586
 $2,352,214
 $1,882,633
 $7,904,878
 
 
 $19,007,311
187
(1)
Excludes the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value, originally included in interest income, to reflect core earnings amounts.
(2)
Includes the reclassification of interest income and interest expense from consolidated trusts owned by third parties to guarantee and commitment fees, to reflect management's view that the net interest income Farmer Mac earns is effectively a guarantee fee.
(3)
Includes the reclassification of interest expense related to interest rate swaps not designated as hedges, which are included in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" on the consolidated financial statements, to determine the effective funding cost for each operating segment.
(4)
Effective in fourth quarter 2017, Farmer Mac revised its methodology for calculating net effective spread, a component of core earnings, to also include the net effects of gains/(losses) due to terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives. All prior period information has been recast to reflect the revised methodology. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures—Net Effective Spread."
(5)
Includes reconciling adjustments for fair value adjustments on financial derivatives and trading assets. Also includes a reconciling adjustment related to the recognition of deferred gains over the estimated lives of certain Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities.
(6)
Includes directly attributable costs and an allocation of indirectly attributable costs based on employee headcount.
(7)
Net adjustments to reconcile to the corresponding income measures: core earnings before income taxes reconciled to income before income taxes; core earnings before preferred stock dividends and attribution of income to non-controlling interest reconciled to net income; and segment core earnings reconciled to net income attributable to common stockholders.



216







Core Earnings by Business Segment
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Agricultural FinanceRural InfrastructureTreasuryCorporate
Farm & RanchCorporate AgFinance
Rural 
Utilities
Renewable EnergyFundingInvestmentsReconciling
Adjustments
Consolidated Net Income
 (in thousands)
Net interest income$83,226 $13,757 $5,242 $22 70,500 $388 $— $—  $173,135 
Less: reconciling adjustments(1)(2)(3)
(7,095)— (176)— 2,744 — — 4,527 — 
Net effective spread76,131 13,757 5,066 22 73,244 388 — 4,527 — 
Guarantee and commitment fees19,551 — 1,784 — — — — (7,669)13,666 
Other income/(expense)(3)
1,571 — 37 — — — 167 5,501 7,276 
Total revenues97,253 13,757 6,887 22 73,244 388 167 2,359 194,077 
Provision for losses(3,165)(339)— — — — — —  (3,504)
Release of reserve for losses— — — — — — — 
Operating expenses— — — — — — (51,925)—  (51,925)
Total non-interest expense— — — — — (51,925)—  (51,922)
Core earnings before income taxes94,091 13,418 6,887 22 73,244 388 (51,758)2,359 (4)138,651 
Income tax (expense)/benefit(19,759)(2,818)(1,446)(5)(15,381)(82)10,881 (495)(29,105)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends74,332 10,600 5,441 17 57,863 306 (40,877)1,864 (4)109,546 
Preferred stock dividends— — — — — — (13,940)—  (13,940)
Loss on retirement of preferred stock— — — — $— — — (1,956)(1,956)
Segment core earnings/(losses)$74,332 $10,600 $5,441 $17 $57,863 $306 $(54,817)$(92)(4)$93,650 
Total Assets$11,889,538 $1,338,114 $4,625,125 $9,802 $— $3,809,891 $36,904 $—  $21,709,374 
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance$14,559,268 $1,328,602 $5,220,270 $9,802 $— $— $— $—  $21,117,942 
(1)Includes the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value, originally included in interest income, to reflect core earnings amounts.
Core Earnings by Business Segment
For the Year Ended December 31, 2016
 Farm & Ranch USDA Guarantees Rural 
Utilities
 Institutional Credit Corporate 
Reconciling
Adjustments
 Consolidated Net Income
 (in thousands)
Net interest income$47,219
 $21,865
 $11,739
 $48,756
 $10,695
 $
 $140,274
Less: reconciling adjustments(1)(2)(3)(4)
(7,729) (3,210) (1,771) (3,184) (1,308) 17,202
 
Net effective spread39,490
 18,655
 9,968
 45,572
 9,387
 17,202
 
Guarantee and commitment fees(2)
15,542
 101
 1,694
 1,833
 
 (4,302) 14,868
Other income(3)(5)
539
 222
 2
 
 1,322
 3,515
 5,600
Non-interest income/(loss)16,081
 323
 1,696
 1,833
 1,322
 (787) 20,468
              
Provision for loan losses(1,065) 
 
 
 
 
 (1,065)
              
Provision for reserve for losses63
 
 
 
 
 
 63
Other non-interest expense(16,206) (4,200) (2,856) (3,786) (13,335) 
 (40,383)
Non-interest expense(6)
(16,143) (4,200) (2,856) (3,786) (13,335) 
 (40,320)
Core earnings before income taxes38,363
 14,778
 8,808
 43,619
 (2,626) 16,415
(7) 
119,357
Income tax (expense)/benefit(13,428) (5,173) (3,083) (15,265) 636
 (5,744) (42,057)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends and attribution of income to non-controlling interest24,935
 9,605
 5,725
 28,354
 (1,990) 10,671
(7) 
77,300
Preferred stock dividends
 
 
 
 (13,182) 
 (13,182)
Non-controlling interest
 
 
 
 34
 
 34
Segment core earnings/(losses)$24,935
 $9,605
 $5,725
 $28,354
 $(15,138) $10,671
(7) 
$64,152
              
Total assets at carrying value$3,582,098
 $2,096,503
 $1,012,014
 $6,008,574
 $2,906,831
 $
 $15,606,020
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance$6,139,304
 $2,094,375
 $1,878,110
 $7,287,686
 
 
 $17,399,475
(1)
Excludes the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value, originally included in interest income, to reflect core earnings amounts.
(2)
(2)Includes the reclassification of interest income and interest expense from consolidated trusts owned by third parties to guarantee and commitment fees, to reflect management's view that the net interest income Farmer Mac earns is effectively a guarantee fee.
(3)
Includes the reclassification of interest expense related to interest rate swaps not designated as hedges, which are included in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" on the consolidated financial statements, to determine the effective funding cost for each operating segment.
(4)
Effective in fourth quarter 2017, Farmer Mac revised its methodology for calculating net effective spread, a component of core earnings, to also include the net effects of gains/(losses) due to terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives. All prior period information has been recast to reflect the revised methodology. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Use of Non-GAAP Measures—Net Effective Spread."
(5)
Includes reconciling adjustments for fair value adjustments on financial derivatives and trading assets. Also includes a reconciling adjustment related to the recognition of deferred gains over the estimated lives of certain Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities.
(6)
Includes directly attributable costs and an allocation of indirectly attributable costs based on staffing.
(7)
Net adjustments to reconcile to the corresponding income measures: core earnings before income taxes reconciled to income before income taxes; core earnings before preferred stock dividends and attribution of income to non-controlling interest reconciled to net income; and segment core earnings reconciled to net income attributable to common stockholders.



217



15.QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION (UNAUDITED)

Table 15.1
 2018 Quarter Ended
 Dec. 31 Sept. 30 June 30 Mar. 31
 (in thousands, except per share amounts)
Interest income:       
Interest income$146,453
 $142,615
 $135,670
 $119,546
Interest expense104,237
 97,557
 91,737
 76,317
Net interest income42,216
 45,058
 43,933
 43,229
Provision for loan losses(146) (99) (424) 431
Net interest income after provision for loan losses42,070
 44,959
 43,509
 43,660
Non-interest income: 
  
  
  
Guarantee and commitment fees3,506
 3,490
 3,481
 3,499
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives(2,999) 628
 2,534
 (3,850)
Gains/(losses) on trading assets57
 (3) 11
 16
(Losses)/gains on sale of real estate owned
 (41) 34
 
Other income118
 365
 320
 574
Non-interest income682
 4,439
 6,380
 239
Non-interest expense13,703
 11,650
 12,921
 11,642
Income before income taxes29,049
 37,748
 36,968
 32,257
Income tax expense6,193
 7,979
 7,332
 6,438
Net income22,856
 29,769
 29,636
 25,819
Net income attributable to Farmer Mac22,856
 29,769
 29,636
 25,819
Preferred stock dividends(3,296) (3,295) (3,296) (3,295)
Net income attributable to common stockholders$19,560
 $26,474
 $26,340
 $22,524
        
Earnings per common share: 
  
  
  
Basic earnings per common share$1.84
 $2.48
 $2.47
 $2.12
Diluted earnings per common share$1.82
 $2.46
 $2.45
 $2.10



218



 2017 Quarter Ended
 Dec. 31 Sept. 30 June 30 Mar. 31
 (in thousands, except per share amounts)
Interest income:       
Interest income$111,371
 $104,497
 $98,047
 $86,617
Interest expense70,088
 64,935
 58,316
 49,546
Net interest income41,283
 39,562
 39,731
 37,071
Provision for loan losses(474) (270) (327) (637)
Net interest income after provision for loan losses40,809
 39,292
 39,404
 36,434
Non-interest income/(loss):       
Guarantee and commitment fees3,484
 3,314
 3,472
 3,844
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives(1,777) 661
 (617) 2,486
Gains/(losses) on trading assets60
 
 (2) (82)
Gains on sale of available-for-sale investment securities
 89
 
 
Gains/(losses) on sale of real estate owned964
 32
 757
 (5)
Other (loss)/income(58) 203
 134
 553
Non-interest income2,673
 4,299
 3,744
 6,796
Non-interest expense10,210
 10,616
 11,390
 10,549
Income before income taxes33,272
 32,975
 31,758
 32,681
Income tax expense13,266
 11,193
 11,124
 10,786
Net income20,006
 21,782
 20,634
 21,895
Less: Net loss attributable to non-controlling
interest

 
 150
 15
Net income attributable to Farmer Mac20,006
 21,782
 20,784
 21,910
Preferred stock dividends(3,296) (3,295) (3,296) (3,295)
Net income attributable to common stockholders$16,710
 $18,487
 $17,488
 $18,615
        
Earnings per common share:       
Basic earnings per common share$1.57
 $1.74
 $1.65
 $1.76
Diluted earnings per common share$1.55
 $1.71
 $1.62
 $1.73

16.SUBSEQUENT EVENT

On February 19, 2019, we purchased a $546 million portfolio of participations in seasoned Rural Utilities loans from CoBank under a master loan participation agreement entered into on February 13, 2019. CoBank is a related party to Farmer Mac becauseearns is effectively a guarantee fee.
(3)Includes the reclassification of itsinterest expense related to interest rate swaps not designated as hedges, which are included in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives" on the consolidated financial statements, to determine the effective funding cost for each operating segment.
(4)Net adjustments to reconcile to the corresponding income measures: core earnings before income taxes reconciled to income before income taxes; core earnings before preferred stock ownershipdividends reconciled to net income; and segment core earnings reconciled to net income attributable to common stockholders.


Item 9.Changes in Farmer Mac. For more information, see the Current Reportand Disagreements with Accountants on Form 8-K that we filed with the SEC on February 20, 2019. As discussed in Note 3, Farmer Mac has a related party relationship with CoBank because CoBank is a major holder (32.6%) of Farmer Mac Class B voting common stockAccounting and because a member of Farmer Mac's board of directors has an affiliation with that entity.Financial Disclosure



219



Item 9.Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure


None.


Item 9A.Controls and Procedures

Item 9A.Controls and Procedures

Management's Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Farmer Mac maintains disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its periodic filings

188





under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange(“Exchange Act”), including this Annual Report on Form 10-K, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported on a timely basis. These disclosure controls and procedures include controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to Farmer Mac's management on a timely basis to allow decisions about required disclosure. Management, including Farmer Mac's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of Farmer Mac's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined under Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) as of December 31, 2018.2021.

Farmer Mac carried out the evaluation of the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures, required by paragraph (b) of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Based upon this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that Farmer Mac's disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2018.2021.


Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. See "Financial Statements—
Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting" in Item 8 of this Annual Report on
Form 10-K.


Attestation Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. See "Financial Statements—
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.10-

K.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. There were no changes in Farmer Mac's internal control over financial reporting during the three months ended December 31, 20182021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, Farmer Mac's internal control over financial reporting.



Item 9B.Other Information


(a) None.


(b) None.

Item 9C.Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

Not Applicable.



189





PART III


Item 10.Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance


Item 10.Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance

220




The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to Farmer Mac's definitive proxy statement to be filed on or about April 1, 2019.14, 2022.


Item 11.Executive Compensation


The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to Farmer Mac's definitive proxy statement to be filed on or about April 1, 2019.14, 2022.


Item 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters


The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to Farmer Mac's definitive proxy statement to be filed on or about April 1, 2019.14, 2022.


Item 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence


The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to Farmer Mac's definitive proxy statement to be filed on or about April 1, 2019.14, 2022.


PART IV

Item 14.Principal Accountant Fees and Services


The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to Farmer Mac's definitive proxy statement to be filed on or about April 1, 2019.14, 2022.


PART IVItem 15.Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules


a.(1)    Financial Statements.

Item 15.Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a)(1)           Financial Statements.


Refer to Item 8 above.


(2)    Financial Statement Schedules.


There are no schedules because they are not applicable, not required, or the information required to be set forth therein is included in the consolidated financial statements or in notes thereto.


(b)    b.Exhibits


221




190





*4.2
*4.3
*4.4
*4.4.1
*4.5
*4.5.1
*4.6
*4.6.14.4.1
*10.14.5

*4.5.1
*4.6
*4.6.1
*4.7
*4.7.1
*4.8
*4.8.1
*4.9
†*10.1
†*10.210.1.1
†*10.310.1.2
†*10.3.110.1.3
†*10.3.210.1.4
†*10.3.310.1.5
†*10.3.410.1.6
†*10.3.510.1.7
†*10.3.610.1.8
†*10.3.710.1.9
†*10.1.10
†*10.1.11
†*10.1.12
†*10.1.13
†*10.1.14
†*10.3.8
†*10.3.9
*Incorporated by reference to the indicated prior filing.
**Filed with this report.
#Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment.
Management contract or compensatory plan.


191

222







†*10.3.1010.2
†*10.3.11
†*10.4
†*10.510.3
†*10.610.4
†*10.710.5
†*10.810.6
†**10.910.7
*#10.1010.8
*#10.10.110.8.1
*#10.10.210.8.2
*#10.1110.9
*10.12
*10.13
*10.14
*10.15
*10.16
*10.16.110.9.1
*10.16.210.9.2
*Incorporated by reference to the indicated prior filing.
**Filed with this report.
#Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment.
Management contract or compensatory plan.



223



10.9.3
*10.17
*10.1810.10
*10.1910.11
*#10.2010.12
*10.21
*10.22
*#10.23
*#10.24
*10.25
*10.2610.13
*10.2710.14
*2110.15
*10.16
*10.17
*10.18
*10.19

192





*21
**31.1
**31.2
**32
**101.INSInline XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document
**101.SCHInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
**101.CALInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation
**101.DEFInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition
**101.LABInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label
**101.PREInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation
**104Cover Page Inline Interactive Data File - the cover page interactive data file does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document included as Exhibit 101

*Incorporated by reference to the indicated prior filing.
**Filed with this report.
#Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment.
Management contract or compensatory plan.



224

Item 16.Form 10-K Summary


Item 16.Form 10-K Summary


None.



193





SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION


          /s/ Bradford T. NordholmFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
By:Bradford T. NordholmDate
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.


NameTitleDate
NameTitleDate
/s/ Lowell L. JunkinsLaJuana S. WilcherChairmanChair of the Board and DirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Lowell L. JunkinsLaJuana S. Wilcher
/s/ Bradford T. NordholmPresident and Chief Executive OfficerFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Bradford T. Nordholm(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ R. Dale LynchExecutive Vice President – Chief FinancialFebruary 21, 2019
R. Dale Lynch
Officer and Treasurer
(Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ Gregory N. RamseyVice President – ControllerFebruary 21, 2019
Gregory N. Ramsey(Principal Accounting Officer)




225



NameTitleDate
/s/ Aparna RameshExecutive Vice President – Chief FinancialFebruary 28, 2022
Aparna RameshOfficer
(Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ Gregory N. RamseyVice President – ControllerFebruary 28, 2022
Gregory N. Ramsey(Principal Accounting Officer)



194





NameTitleDate
/s/ Dennis L. BrackDirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Dennis L. Brack
/s/ Chester J. CulverDirectorFebruary 21, 2019
Chester J. Culver
/s/ Richard H. DavidsonDirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Richard H. Davidson
/s/ Everett M. DobrinskiDirectorFebruary 28, 2022
Everett M. Dobrinski
/s/ James R. EngebretsenDirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
James R. Engebretsen
/s/ Dennis A. EversonDirectorFebruary 21, 2019
Dennis A. Everson
/s/ Sara L. FaivreDirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Sara L. Faivre
/s/ Thomas W. Hill

Amy H. Gales
DirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Thomas W. Hill

Amy H. Gales
/s/ Mitchell A. Johnson


DirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Mitchell A. Johnson


/s/ Clark B. Maxwell

Eric T. McKissack
DirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Clark B. Maxwell

Eric T. McKissack
/s/ Lowell L. Junkins
DirectorFebruary 28, 2022
Lowell L. Junkins
/s/ Robert G. Sexton


DirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Robert G. Sexton


/s/ Bruce J. Sherrick

Charles A. Stones
DirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Bruce J. Sherrick

Charles A. Stones
/s/ Keri L. Votruba

Roy H. Tiarks
DirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Keri L. Votruba

Roy H. Tiarks
/s/ Todd P. WareDirectorFebruary 28, 2022
Todd P. Ware
/s/ Myles J. WattsDirectorFebruary 21, 201928, 2022
Myles J. Watts
/s/ Douglas E. WilhelmDirectorFebruary 21, 2019
Douglas E. Wilhelm





226195