Financing
Rural America
2020 Annual Report
FARMER MAC
FINANCIAL ECOSYSTEM
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LOANS
DEBT & EQUITY FINANCING
DEBT SERVICE & DIVIDENDS
CAPITAL
MARKETS
FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS
$
$
$
S
N
A
O
L
RURAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
AGRIBUSINESS
FARMERS &
RANCHERS
WHO WE ARE
Farmer Mac is the secondary market for U.S. agricultural
credit and has been a champion for and an integral part
of this nation’s rural economy for over 30 years. Guided
by our mission—to help build a strong and vital rural
America by increasing the availability and affordability of
credit for the benefit of American agriculture and rural
communities—we provide lenders access to flexible,
competitive financing and effective risk management
tools to help their farm, ranch, agricultural, and rural
utilities customers.
LETTER FROM OUR
CEO AND CHAIR
WHY MISSION MATTERS
This last year was exceptional in multiple ways.
The impact of the ongoing pandemic, its resultant
shutdowns and economic disruption, and social
discontent boiling over into widespread protests all
reflected a uniquely challenging year for America.
At Farmer Mac, we have often said that our priorities
in such challenging times are the same as they are in
the best of times. In fact, we believe that delivering
on our mission—to help build a strong and vital rural
America by increasing the availability and
affordability of credit for the benefit of American
agriculture and rural communities—is even more
important in times of stress and economic
uncertainties. As America’s secondary market for
agricultural credit, we are a committed partner to our
customers—the rural and agricultural lenders of
America—helping to bring increased financial
security, improved economic conditions, and new
opportunities to farmers, ranchers, and rural
residents and their communities.
We know with the benefit of hindsight that rural America
has proved to be remarkably resilient in the face of the
pandemic and that many of the worst-case scenarios
facing these communities and the food supply chain
did not broadly materialize. We are gratified to see that
significant liquidity support by the Federal Reserve
to facilitate the functioning of the capital markets,
alongside government stimulus programs designed
to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic,
has reduced volatility to the economy, the sectors
we serve, and the farmers and ranchers of America.
3
BRADFORD T. NORDHOLM
President and Chief Executive Officer
LAJUANA S. WILCHER
Board Chair
2020Annual Report WEATHERING AND RESPONDING
TO THE PANDEMIC
The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and
the unknowns brought with it demanded a swift
and comprehensive response. Farmer Mac knows
that its role as a source of secondary market
credit and liquidity for America’s farmers and
ranchers and the local financial institutions
and rural utilities that serve them is especially
important in times of uncertainty. Farmer Mac rose
to the occasion, quickly rolling out new initiatives
to support our employees while continuing to fulfill
our mission to serve our customers in rural
America in a safe and sound manner:
• Farmer Mac acted quickly and early under
its Business Continuity Plan and has been
successfully operating fully remotely since March
12, 2020, without interruption or disruption
of business operations. We supported our
employees by providing resources to facilitate
the transition to their new “home office”
environment and instituted communication
channels to enable connectivity, engagement,
and timely information dissemination.
• We took significant steps to help our customers
navigate the uncertainties that loomed in
2020 by extending our rate lock deadlines and
waiving extension fees for loans submitted
throughout most of the year.
• We also worked with our customers and loan
servicers to help them provide flexibility and
financial relief to their borrowers by facilitating
COVID-19-related payment deferment
requests. In 2020, we executed $432.0
million in deferments of unpaid principal on
Farm & Ranch loans, Farm & Ranch purchase
commitments, and USDA guaranteed loans.
• We kept a close ear to the markets, enabling
uninterrupted access to the debt capital
markets and allowing us to maintain our
disciplined asset liability management
policies and practices and strong liquidity
in our investment portfolio, as evidenced by
our year-end cash position of $1.0 billion.
4 Farmer Mac
Financing Rural America
Rural America has
proved to be remarkably
resilient in the face
of the pandemic
Letter From Our CEO and Chair
In light of all of the ups and downs this year brought
with it, we are humbled to report that Farmer Mac
achieved record results in 2020. This year’s report
will outline our commitment to a two-fold strategy:
to enhance our infrastructure to elevate our lines of
business and customer relationships, and to provide
mission-critical capital to new and developing markets.
THE DIFFERENCE OUR MISSION MAKES
From our foundational lines of business, to opportunities
to enter new and developing markets, we have made
great strides in pursuit of our mission.
Farm & Ranch and USDA Guarantees
Our focus in our core, foundational lines of business
—Farm & Ranch and USDA Guarantees—centers
around strengthening our customer relationship
capabilities, implementing a flexible and collaborative
loan origination process, and providing competitively
priced products to support the financial institutions
we serve and their borrower relationships.
We have seen strong indications that the work we’re
doing to deepen our foundational business lines is
paying off. In fact, these two lines of business
5
2020Annual Report Letter From Our CEO and Chair
provided more mission-critical capital to farmers
and ranchers in 2020 than in any other year in the
company’s history. In our Farm & Ranch line of
business, new loan purchase volume was $2.5
billion, roughly 82% greater than in 2019, meaning
Farmer Mac was able to support our mission through
an increase of $1.1 billion in capital to agriculture
and rural communities. In USDA Guarantees, our
$0.8 billion in new business volume was almost
double our prior-year results.
In both business lines, we worked together with
lenders to modify loans, providing borrowers access
to important liquidity given the significant changes
in the economy and corresponding impacts to the
agriculture communities. We know that being a
flexible partner helps lenders support their borrowers
and can lower the interest rates to farmers and
ranchers in their communities. We approved 550
Farm & Ranch interest rate reductions in 2020 on
$491 million of total loan volume. The average
interest rate savings was 0.94% per loan, for a total
savings to farmers and ranchers of $4.97 million
in 2020. In USDA Guarantees, we approved 1,234
interest rate reductions on $450 million of total loan
volume. The average interest rate savings was 1.05%
per loan, for a total savings to borrowers of $4.70
million in 2020. Combined, that represents roughly
We estimate that for every $1 saved
by a farmer or rancher, roughly
$2 are invested into local businesses,
communities, and governments.
6 Farmer Mac
Financing Rural America
one modification processed per hour of each
business day of 2020. We know much of that savings
gets reinvested in farm and ranch operations, in
supplies and equipment, or spent on services in local
communities. In fact, we estimate that for every $1
saved by a farmer or rancher, roughly $2 are invested
into local businesses, communities, and governments.
Most of the customers we serve in our Farm & Ranch
Loan Purchase and USDA Guarantees solutions are
small to mid-size community banks that lend to owners
of small to mid-size farms and ranches. But our reach
and ability to improve conditions in rural America
through these business lines is not limited to this core
function. Our lending also reaches agribusinesses,
such as a sugar processing facility that we helped a
customer refinance in 2020. Facilities like these have
local upstream benefits (in this case, buying sugar
beets from local farmers) and nationwide downstream
benefits, like helping to reduce the cost of sugar to
consumers across America.
Our continued investment in providing a secondary
market for USDA guaranteed loans also supports key
USDA programs that provide demonstrable value to
rural America. Loans guaranteed by the Farm Service
Agency include those earmarked for first-time, minority,
and other historically underserved classes of farmers
and ranchers. Business & Industry guaranteed loans
include community facilities and other non-agricultural
loans that benefit rural communities, such as funding
the construction of rural hotels and hospitals.
GREAT REIMAGINED
One major driver of our efforts to elevate our
customers’ experience has been a suite of
system and product improvements we’ve been
developing as part of our “Great Reimagined”
initiative. We achieved major milestones in this
initiative in 2020, starting with a launch early in
the year of a new online portal for our customers
to transact with us. The new portal, in addition to
offering an elevated user experience and enhanced
security, establishes the foundation upon which
we will continue to build infrastructure
enhancements that make Farmer Mac more
efficient, effective, and easier to work with.
In the fall, we debuted another “Great Reimagined”
product improvement by doubling the qualifying
loan limits for two of our Farm & Ranch
underwriting options—Fast Track and AgXpress.
This enhancement allows for loans with low-risk
profiles to quickly and easily get approved
through a less stringent underwriting process,
and has been met with considerable interest and
acclaim from our customers. The AgXpress
scorecard, our newest and fastest underwriting
option, now allows for loans of up to $1.5 million.
Teams from across the company continue to
devote their time and resources towards our
“Great Reimagined” initiatives. We look forward
to announcing the implementation of more system
and product improvements that will further elevate
our customers’ experience, our efficiency, and the
strength of the valuable products we offer.
2020
Annual Report
7
ENVIRONMENTAL,
SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE
Farmer Mac’s dedication to our mission—from how
we operate in the markets to how we measure our
success in helping rural America—is one way we
try to be a conscientious company and look to
ensure that we’re not just good at what we do, but
purposeful in how we do it. Another way we are
looking to bolster our commitment to conducting
our business sustainably and responsibly is by
identifying and integrating Environmental, Social,
and Governance (“ESG”) objectives, for which we
formed our internal ESG committee in March 2020.
The Board approved Farmer Mac’s first-ever ESG
policy statement in November, intended to build
towards enhanced communication of our ESG
practices. We look forward to being able to share
more about our progress in this initiative in the
coming year.
Rural Infrastructure
Farmer Mac’s focus in 2020 for our Rural Infrastructure
line of business centered around developing our business
relationships with existing eligible counterparties,
finding new opportunities to expand our customer base,
and exploring broadband-related capital expenditures
and new types of loan products.
In 2020, we purchased $744 million in new rural utilities
loans, including $64 million of renewable energy loans
as part of Farmer Mac’s renewable energy project finance
strategic initiative. We also set a new annual volume
record in electric generation and transmission deals
and purchased our 1,000th rural infrastructure loan.
The mission-oriented impact of our Rural Infrastructure
line of business is significant. Our financing activities
increase the ability of generators and distributors of
electricity to provide access to reliable, affordable
power, which ultimately helps to keep the lights on
throughout rural America. Our loan funds are used for
capital expenditures by rural electric cooperatives,
including installing and repairing critical infrastructure
8 Farmer Mac
Financing Rural America
Letter From Our CEO and Chair
to keep electricity flowing reliably. Farmer Mac’s
low-cost capital also helps rural electric cooperatives
be able to afford to invest in their electrical systems,
which may result in lower power rates charged to
cooperative members/owners. Our portfolio serves
6.77 million customer accounts across 44 states,
which we estimate helps to lower the cost of power
and connectivity for about 17.6 million rural Americans.
a resource that is proving to be increasingly vital
to small businesses, agribusinesses, and farm
and ranch operations throughout rural America.
Access to reliable broadband is not universal across
America, nor is it an optional luxury; the pandemic
has highlighted the need for reliable connections in
rural America for schools and businesses alike to
operate safely and effectively in a remote environment.
Financing for renewable energy projects is an exciting
new product line for Farmer Mac. These projects can
provide rural communities with increased tax revenues,
employment, and access to clean power that is
increasingly cost competitive with other forms of
generation. Farmer Mac has worked to develop new
eligible counterparty relationships in this space, and
the renewable energy project loans purchased in 2020
represent loans purchased from two new sellers and
the expansion of another seller relationship into the
project finance space.
Our financing of rural electric cooperatives also
contributes to the installation of rural broadband—
Institutional Credit
We continue to see significant liquidity support in the
market as a direct result of the Federal Reserve’s
actions to continue to facilitate the functioning of the
capital markets given economic uncertainties caused
by the pandemic. This has caused investment-grade
credit spreads for many of our large institutional
counterparties to remain at historically low levels.
While we may see some unwinding of incremental
liquidity in our current Institutional Credit portfolio,
we remain focused on cultivating and enhancing
strategic relationships with our institutional
counterparties and adding new customers.
9
2020Annual Report Letter From Our CEO and Chair
We remained stalwart in our support of our institutional
customers in 2020. We provided approximately $250
million in liquidity to institutional customers through
a very volatile capital markets environment during
March of 2020. This liquidity support is a testament
to Farmer Mac’s ability and commitment to be
competitive in price while also being effective in
execution to meet the needs of our institutional
customers. The Federal Reserve’s market support
ultimately resulted in significant available liquidity
for institutional customers, which resulted in us not
refinancing some maturing securities given current
market pricing and return dynamics. As market
conditions and credit spreads moderate over time,
we expect to continue to broaden our relationships
in this space.
We know that the appropriate deployment of capital
is an important ingredient in serving this market—
and our mission—in the long term. We remain
determined to support our customers and their
liquidity needs, and we are focused on providing
new and innovative product solutions to help our
customers manage growth, capital efficiency, and
support of their borrowers in the sectors we serve.
2020 FINANCIAL RESULTS
Throughout 2020, we entered new markets, enriched
existing relationships across several business lines,
and demonstrated some of the tangible benefits our
flexible products and solutions bring to our
customers, their borrowers, and rural communities
across America. Farmer Mac produced total
revenues of $218.8 million and non-GAAP core
earnings of $100.6 million, increases of 14% and
7%, respectively, over prior year results. We added
$0.8 billion of net new business volume during the
year, bringing our total outstanding business volume
to $21.9 billion at the end of 2020.
Another important validation of our growth objectives
has been a year of record financial results for the
company. Amidst a year of exceptional uncertainties,
Farmer Mac delivered record earnings growth, record
net effective spread, stable operating expense
ratios, and healthy credit metrics. We see our
performance as a reflection of our resilience, our
business model, the innovative implementation of
our strategy, and the talent and diligence of our
employees, leadership, and Board.
10 Farmer Mac
Financing Rural America
Net effective spread (a non-GAAP measure) increased
$28.3 million to a record $197.0 million in 2020,
reflecting our strong new business volume. Our net
effective spread in percentage terms gradually
increased each quarter to 0.93% in 2020 compared
to 0.91% in 2019, as we benefited from effective use
of our callable debt instruments and are beginning to
see a shift in the composition of our portfolio towards
higher spread loan purchase products.
Our access to the capital markets remained strong
throughout the unprecedented year, as we issued
different debt structures daily across various tenors
out to 30 years and continued to maintain our
disciplined asset-liability-management policies
and practices. We have a broad and diverse set of
debt investors, and our deep relationships with them
help ensure strong and reliable access to the capital
markets. These relationships also help to benefit
rural America. It is noteworthy that, in many cases,
the interest earned on the debt we issue is used
by investors across the country to improve their
local communities.
CORE EARNINGS*
$100.6
$93.7
$84.0
s
n
o
i
l
l
i
M
n
i
$
$120.0
$100.0
$80.0
$60.0
$40.0
$20.0
$0.0
2018
2019
2020
NET EFFECTIVE SPREAD*
$250.0
$200.0
$150.0
$197.0
$168.6
$151.2
$100.0
0.91%
0.93%
s
n
o
i
l
l
i
M
n
i
$
2.00%
1.50%
1.00%
0.50%
$50.0
$0.0
2018
Net Effective Spread
($ in Millions)
2019
0.0%
2020
Net Effective Spread
(as a %)
* Core earnings and net effective spread are non-GAAP
measures. For a reconciliation of core earnings to GAAP net
income and net effective spread to GAAP net interest income,
please refer to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
2020
Annual Report
11
QUARTERLY COMMON
STOCK DIVIDENDS
We know that mission-focused growth is key to
delivering strong value to our shareholders, and
are proud to report a 10% increase in our quarterly
common stock dividend to $0.88 per share
beginning in the first quarter of 2021. This marks
the tenth consecutive year Farmer Mac has
increased its quarterly dividend, and is in line with
our stated dividend payout policy of ~35% of core
earnings. We believe that this most recent dividend
increase aligns us squarely with providing higher
returns to shareholders while allowing us to fund our
long-term strategic initiatives and retain sufficient
capital to maintain our safety and soundness.
QUARTERLY COMMON STOCK DIVIDENDS
ENHANCED CAPITAL POSITION*
$1.00
$0.80
$0.70
$0.60
$0.58
$0.40
$0.36
$0.20
$0.00
r
e
t
r
a
u
Q
r
e
p
e
r
a
h
S
r
e
p
$
$1,200
$0.88
$0.80
$1,000
$800
$727.6
$657.1
$182.6
$600
$136.8
$520.3
$545.0
s
n
o
i
l
l
i
M
n
i
$
$400
$200
$0
$1,006.4
$325.5
$815.4
$196.7
$618.7
$680.9
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2017
2018
2019
2020
Minimum Statutory
Core Capital
Core Capital Amount
Above Statutory Minimum
*Charts may not sum to total due to rounding
12 Farmer Mac
Financing Rural America
Letter From Our CEO and Chair
We remain well capitalized with strong liquidity.
As we’ve said throughout the past year, we view a
strong capital position as a necessary foundation
to achieve our growth objectives. We enhanced our
capital position twice in 2020, starting with raising
$79.5 million of non-cumulative perpetual Series E
preferred stock in the second quarter. In the third
quarter, we enhanced our capital position again
through the issuance of $120.0 million of non-
cumulative perpetual Series F preferred stock,
of which we used $60.0 million of net proceeds
to redeem $60.0 million of the outstanding
non-cumulative Series A preferred stock. These two
issuances further strengthened our Tier 1 capital
position and position us well for growth and to help
navigate these uncertain times effectively.
These issuances at attractive pricing levels reflect
our strong access to and execution in the capital
markets, which we remain focused on preserving.
Farmer Mac’s consistent year-over-year financial
performance and our access to the capital markets
remain critical to our ability to fully execute upon our
mission and provide effective capital to rural Americans.
OUTSTANDING BUSINESS VOLUME*
$25.0
$20.0
$19.0
$19.7
$7.9
$1.9
$2.4
$6.9
$8.4
$1.6
$2.5
$7.2
s
n
o
i
l
l
i
B
n
i
$
$15.0
$10.0
$5.0
$0.0
$21.1
$8.4
$2.3
$2.6
$7.8
$21.9
$7.7
$2.8
$2.8
$8.6
2017
2018
2019
2020
Farm & Ranch
USDA Guarantees
Rural Utilities
Institutional Credit
13
2020Annual Report
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY,
EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
2020 offered many strong and solemn reminders
of the inherent dignity and value of human life and
the importance of coming together to understand,
respect, value, and harness our differences for
the greater good. Farmer Mac’s Board of Directors
has grown more diverse, and the Directors have
brought their varied professional, cultural, and
geographic perspectives into our Boardroom to
encourage and support our employee initiatives
with the same passion and support that they
share for farmers, ranchers, and those living in
rural America. Our Board and leadership team
renewed and continued their focus on diversity,
equity, and inclusion; issued a statement about
racism that directly notes the ties to our core
values around inclusion; and held a series of
discussions on the topic over the summer. The
company also formed a Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion Council comprised of a cross-section of
employees to advise on how to strengthen the
company’s policies and practices. One of our
primary objectives is for Farmer Mac to continue
to understand, protect, and highlight the value of
our employees’ diverse backgrounds by fostering
an inclusive work environment that encourages
collaboration, vision, and the highest standards of
excellence. We believe that talent, diversity, and
inclusion are sources of pride for our employees
and contribute to our strong financial performance
for our shareholders and to the achievement of
our mission in serving rural America.
Letter From Our CEO and Chair
HOW OUR MISSION WILL GUIDE OUR FUTURE
We know that when Farmer Mac has an exceptional
year, it is not just our customers, employees, and
shareholders who benefit. It is also the people of
rural America and their communities. Our strong
presence in these markets helps to benefit small
farms and family farmers and ranchers; members of
rural electric cooperatives; and the owners, employees
of, and suppliers to rural agribusinesses. We will
continue to assess and incorporate initiatives that
allow Farmer Mac to serve the lending institutions
of rural America—our core customers—and their
borrowers as a dependable source of capital.
We remain resolved in our conviction to continue
serving as a valuable and vital partner to rural America.
Speaking on behalf of our leadership team, our Board,
and all our employees, we are proud of the results we
have achieved so far in building on our strategic goals.
We look forward to delivering more benefits to rural
America in the years to come as an unwavering and
committed partner helping to fulfil the needs of our
valued customers and their borrowers, through
whatever the future may hold.
Sincerely,
BRADFORD T. NORDHOLM
LAJUANA S. WILCHER
14 Farmer Mac
Financing Rural America
EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As of March 15, 2021
BRADFORD T. NORDHOLM
President and Chief Executive Officer
ZACHARY N. CARPENTER
Executive Vice President –
Chief Business Officer
STEPHEN P. MULLERY
Executive Vice President –
General Counsel and Secretary
APARNA RAMESH
Executive Vice President –
Chief Financial Officer
LAJUANA S. WILCHER, CHAIR1
Owner – Scuffle Hill Farm
Partner – English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley, LLP
Bowling Green, Kentucky
MITCHELL A. JOHNSON2
Financial Consultant
Washington, District of Columbia
LOWELL L. JUNKINS, VICE CHAIR1
Political Affairs Consultant
Lowell Junkins & Associates
Donnellson, Iowa
ERIC T. MCKISSACK2
CEO Emeritus
Channing Capital Management, LLC
Chicago, Illinois
DENNIS L. BRACK2
Director
Bath State Bank and Bath State Bancorp
Bath, Indiana
ROBERT G. SEXTON3
President
Oslo Citrus Growers Association
Vero Beach, Florida
BRIAN M. BRINCH
Senior Vice President –
Enterprise Risk Officer
MARC J. CRADY
Senior Vice President –
Chief Credit Officer
ROBERT J. MAINES
Senior Vice President –
Operations
TODD A. BATTA
Vice President –
Government Affairs
CATHERINE D. BIRR
Chief of Staff
MÁRIO S. MORAIS
Vice President –
Information Technology
KERRY T. WILLIE
Vice President –
Human Capital
RICHARD H. DAVIDSON3
Former Director
AgriBank, FCB
St. Paul, Minnesota
EVERETT M. DOBRINSKI3
Former Director
CoBank, ACB
Greenwood Village, Colorado
JAMES R. ENGEBRETSEN2
Retired Professor, Finance
Marriott School of Management
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah
SARA L. FAIVRE1
Co-Owner and Advisory Partner
Wild Type Ranch
Cameron, Texas
AMY H. GALES3
Former Executive Vice President
CoBank, ACB
Greenwood Village, Colorado
DANIEL L. SHAW3
Director
AgriBank, FCB
St. Paul, Minnesota
CHARLES A. STONES1
Former President
Kansas Bankers Association
Topeka, Kansas
TODD P. WARE2
President and Chief Executive Officer
Licking Rural Electrification –
The Energy Cooperative
Newark, Ohio
MYLES J. WATTS1
Professor Emeritus, Agricultural Economics
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
1 Presidential Appointee
2 Director elected by holders of Class A Common Stock
3 Director elected by holders of Class B Common Stock
CORPORATE INFORMATION
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
1999 K Street, N.W.
Fourth Floor
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202.872.7700
800.879.3276
Website: www.farmermac.com
STOCK EXCHANGE
Farmer Mac’s Class A voting common stock
and Class C non-voting common stock trade
on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbols AGM.A and AGM, respectively.
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
Thursday, May 13, 2021, 8:00 a.m. EDT
Dial-In: 888.346.2616
Webcast: https://www.farmermac.com/
investors/events-presentations/
Formal notice of the meeting, the proxy
statement, and the proxy card are being
mailed to each stockholder of record entitled
to vote at the meeting simultaneously with
the mailing of this Annual Report.
TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street
30th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Phone: 212.509.4000
800.509.5586
Website: www.continentalstock.com
CERTIFICATION
Farmer Mac has included as Exhibit 31 to
its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the
SEC the certifications of the Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer certifying
the quality of Farmer Mac’s financial disclosures.
FORM 10-K
Stockholders may obtain, without charge, a
copy of Farmer Mac’s 2020 Annual Report on
Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC on February 25,
2021, from Farmer Mac’s website or by
contacting Farmer Mac’s Secretary at
Farmer Mac’s Corporate Headquarters.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE YEAR ENDED
DECEMBER 31, 2020
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
1800 Tysons Boulevard
McLean, VA 22102
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2021
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
or
For the transition period from _____ to _____.
Commission File Number 001-14951
FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Federally chartered instrumentality
of the United States
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
1999 K Street, N.W., 4th Floor,
Washington, DC
(Address of principal executive offices)
52-1578738
(I.R.S. employer identification number)
20006
(Zip code)
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
(202) 872-7700
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Class A voting common stock
Class C non-voting common stock
6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative
Preferred Stock, Series C
5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D
5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E
5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F
Trading symbol
AGM.A
AGM
AGM.PRC
Exchange on which registered
New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
AGM.PRD
AGM.PRE
AGM.PRF
New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
1
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 ☒ No ☐
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 ☒ No ☐
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 filer
Non-accelerated filer
☒
☐
Accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company
☐
☐
☐
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.
☐
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 ☐ No ☒
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 $588,995,888 as of June 30, 2020, 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, 2020
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, 2020 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 8, 2021, the registrant had outstanding 1,030,780 shares of Class A voting common stock,
500,301 shares of Class B voting common stock, and 9,206,055 shares of Class C non-voting common stock.
2
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Certain information contained in the registrant's Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is
incorporated herein by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Proxy Statement will be filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the registrant's fiscal year to which
this report relates.
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4
Forward-Looking Statements
Table of Contents
PART I
Item 1.
Business
General
Farmer Mac's Lines of Business
Competition
Capital and Corporate Governance
Human Capital
Available Information
Funding of Guarantee and LTSPC Obligations
Financing
Debt Issuance
Equity Issuance
Farmer Mac's Authority to Borrow from the U.S. Treasury
Government Regulation of Farmer Mac
General
Office of Secondary Market Oversight
Capital Standards
Liquidity Requirements
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
PART II
Item 5.
Item 6.
Item 7.
Properties
Legal Proceedings
Mine Safety Disclosures
Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholders Matters, and Issuer Purchases of
Equity Securities
Selected Financial Data
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Overview
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
Results of Operations
Outlook
Balance Sheet Review
Risk Management
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Regulatory Matters
Other Matters
Supplemental Information
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 8.
Financial Statements
Management's Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
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7
9
9
9
10
19
19
22
23
24
24
24
25
28
30
30
30
31
33
35
50
50
50
50
50
51
53
54
54
60
64
66
84
89
89
107
110
111
111
115
116
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Consolidated Statements of Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Item 9B. Other Information
Part III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance
Item 11.
Executive Compensation
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management Related Stockholder Matters
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence
Item 14.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Part IV
Item 15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary
Signatures
117
120
121
122
123
124
126
193
193
194
195
195
195
195
195
195
195
195
198
199
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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" as 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," "might," "should," "will," and
"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;
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 Item 1A of this report,
and uncertainties about:
•
•
•
•
the duration, spread, and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic;
the actions taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including government actions to
mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic, how quickly and to what extent normal
economic and operating conditions can resume, the possibility of future disruptions to
economic recovery caused by more outbreaks, regulatory measures or voluntary actions to
limit the spread of COVID-19, and the duration and efficacy of those restrictions;
the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business operations of agricultural and rural
borrowers, the capital markets, and Farmer Mac's business operations;
the availability to Farmer Mac of debt and equity financing and, if available, the
reasonableness of rates and terms;
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
legislative or regulatory developments that could affect Farmer Mac, its sources of business, or
the agricultural or rural utilities industries;
fluctuations in the fair value of assets held by Farmer Mac and its subsidiaries;
the level of 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 and geopolitics on agricultural mortgage or rural utilities
lending, borrower repayment capacity, or collateral values, including fluctuations in interest
rates, changes in U.S. trade policies, fluctuations in export demand for U.S. agricultural
products, and volatility in commodity prices;
the degree to which Farmer Mac is exposed to interest rate risk resulting from fluctuations in
Farmer Mac's 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;
the effect of any changes in Farmer Mac's executive leadership; and
other factors that could hinder agricultural mortgage lending or borrower repayment capacity,
including the effects of weather and fluctuations in agricultural 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 required by applicable law. The information in this report is not
necessarily indicative of future results.
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Item 1.
Business
PART I
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 secondary market activities include:
•
•
•
•
purchasing eligible loans (including participations in eligible loans and revolving lines of credit)
directly from lenders;
purchasing general obligation securities that are issued by lenders and guaranteed by Farmer Mac
and that are secured by eligible loans, which Farmer Mac refers to as "AgVantage," a registered
trademark of Farmer Mac;
issuing securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac that represent interests in, or obligations secured by,
pools of eligible loans (together with AgVantage, these securities are referred to as "Farmer Mac
Guaranteed Securities"); and
providing long-term standby purchase commitments ("LTSPCs") for eligible loans.
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 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 ("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.
Farmer Mac's two primary 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.
Farmer Mac funds its purchases of eligible loans and securities primarily by issuing debt obligations of
various maturities in the public capital markets. Farmer Mac also uses the proceeds of debt issuance to
9
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 regulations can be found at 12 C.F.R. §§ 652.1-652.45 ("Liquidity and Investment
Regulations"). Farmer Mac's regular debt issuance supports its access to the capital markets, and Farmer
Mac's liquidity investments provide an alternative source of funds should market conditions become
unfavorable. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had $1.8 billion of discount notes and $20.0 billion
of medium-term notes outstanding. For more information about Farmer Mac's eligible loans, securities,
and liquidity 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 borrowers. This
secondary market is designed to increase the availability of credit at competitive interest rates to America's
rural communities and agricultural sectors, as well as to provide borrowers with the benefits of capital
markets pricing and product innovation. The secondary market provided by Farmer Mac functions as a
bridge between the public capital markets and the U.S. agricultural and rural credit markets by attracting
additional capital sources for financing rural America and agricultural borrowers.
Farmer Mac's purchases of loans and securities and its sale of guaranteed securities to investors increase
lenders' liquidity and lending capacity and provide a stable source of funding for lenders that extend credit
to the agricultural and rural credit markets. Farmer Mac's issuance of LTSPCs for loans held by lenders
and its issuance of guaranteed securities to lenders in exchange for the related securitized loans could
result in lower regulatory capital requirements and reduced borrower or commodity concentration
exposure for many lenders, thereby expanding their lending capacity. Through providing efficient and
competitive financing solutions, Farmer Mac has the potential to increase lending flexibility for rural
credit markets, which may result in lower 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 market a
mix of products to lenders in need of capital, liquidity, portfolio diversification, and 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 lenders to identify how the utilization of secondary
market capital could further support their origination efforts and drive efficient capital deployment to
agriculture communities and rural America. Farmer Mac also provides wholesale funding 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 outreach to institutions whose profile presents opportunity to benefit
from wholesale funding. Farmer Mac seeks to maximize the use of technology to support these business
development efforts.
FARMER MAC'S LINES OF BUSINESS
Farmer Mac conducts its secondary market activities through four lines of business – Farm & Ranch,
USDA Guarantees, Rural Utilities, and Institutional Credit. The loans (and participation interests in those
loans) eligible for Farmer Mac's secondary market include:
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• 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);
agricultural and rural development loans guaranteed by the United States Department of
Agriculture ("USDA") (comprising the assets eligible for the USDA Guarantees line of business);
and
loans by lenders organized as cooperatives to finance electrification and telecommunications
systems in rural areas (comprising the assets eligible for the Rural Utilities line of business).
Farmer Mac also guarantees and purchases general obligations of lenders that are secured by pools of
these three types of eligible loans (comprising the assets eligible for the Institutional Credit line of
business). As of December 31, 2020, the total outstanding business volume in all of Farmer Mac's lines of
business was $21.9 billion.
The following table presents the outstanding balances under Farmer Mac's four lines of business (Farm &
Ranch, USDA Guarantees, Rural Utilities, and Institutional Credit) as of December 31, 2020 and
December 31, 2019:
Lines of Business - Outstanding Business Volume
As of December 31, 2020
As of December 31, 2019
(in thousands)
$
4,889,393 $
3,675,640
On-balance sheet:
Farm & Ranch:
Loans
Loans held in trusts:
Beneficial interests owned by third party investors
1,287,045
1,600,917
USDA Guarantees:
USDA Securities
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities
Rural Utilities:
Loans
Institutional Credit:
AgVantage securities
Total on-balance sheet
Off-balance sheet:
Farm & Ranch:
LTSPCs
Guaranteed Securities
USDA Guarantees:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities
Rural Utilities:
LTSPCs
Institutional Credit:
AgVantage securities
Total off-balance sheet
Total
2,452,964
34,456
2,199,072
31,887
2,260,412
1,671,293
7,734,947
18,659,217 $
8,432,679
17,611,488
2,325,431 $
79,312
299,298
556,425
4,412
3,264,878 $
21,924,095 $
2,393,071
107,322
389,216
609,278
7,567
3,506,454
21,117,942
$
$
$
$
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Farm & Ranch
Under the Farm & Ranch line of business, Farmer Mac provides a secondary market for mortgage loans
secured by first liens on agricultural real estate (including part-time farms and rural housing) by
(1) purchasing and retaining eligible mortgage loans and revolving lines of credit, (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 interest income on loans and securities held on balance sheet,
guarantee fees earned on securities issued to third parties, and commitment fees earned on loans in
LTSPCs.
Farmer Mac experiences direct credit exposure to borrowers through its loan purchases, 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 methodologies to help assess exposures to Farm &
Ranch loans, which may include collateral valuation, financial metrics, and other appropriate borrower
financial and credit information.
Loan Eligibility
To be eligible for the Farm & Ranch line of business, a loan must:
•
•
•
be 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;
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 having training or farming experience that
is sufficient to ensure a reasonable likelihood that the loan will be repaid according to its terms;
and
• meet the credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other specified standards for
the Farm & Ranch line of business. See "—Underwriting and Collateral Standards" and "—
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 consists of a minimum of five acres or generates minimum annual receipts of $5,000.
This variety in the types of permitted collateral to include buildings and structures used in agriculture
production means that eligible Farm & Ranch loans may include loans to agribusinesses that support
agriculture production, food and fiber processing, and other supply chain production, as well as loans to
direct growers and producers of agricultural commodities.
Farmer Mac's charter authorizes a maximum loan size (adjusted annually for inflation) for an eligible
Farm & Ranch loan secured by more than 2,000 acres of agricultural real estate. That maximum loan size
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was $13.2 million as of December 31, 2020. The charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a
total borrower exposure for an eligible Farm & Ranch 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 ($100.6 million as of
December 31, 2020).
Guarantees and Commitments
Farmer Mac offers two credit enhancement alternatives to direct loan purchases through the Farm &
Ranch line of business 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. 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 or participation interests in those loans held by a trust or other
entity. Farmer Mac either retains or sells these securities and guarantees the timely payment of principal
and interest on the securities in the event of a payment shortfall due to default. As consideration for its
assumption of the credit risk on the assets underlying the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, Farmer
Mac receives guarantee fees based on the outstanding principal balance of the related securities.
Farmer Mac is obligated under its guarantee on the securities to make timely payments to investors of
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
13
Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities outstanding is influenced by the repayment rates on the underlying
loans and by the rate at which Farmer Mac issues new Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. 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. Farmer Mac's guarantee does not cover prepayments on the loans
underlying the related Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.
Underwriting and Collateral Standards
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 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, eligible loans in Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch line of business are
also typically required to meet more specific underwriting criteria established by Farmer Mac or
demonstrate compensating strength in one or more other underwriting criteria. For larger loan exposures
to agriculture production and agribusinesses that support agriculture production, food and fiber processing,
and other supply chain production, which may have different risk profiles, Farmer Mac has implemented
methodologies and parameters that help assess credit risk based on the appropriate sector, borrower
construct, and transaction complexity. 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.
Lenders
Farmer Mac approves lenders into its network of 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 the Farm & Ranch line of business meet prescribed criteria that
Farmer Mac establishes for loan-selling counterparties, which typically include the requirement to:
•
•
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, as well as have appropriate internal controls, policies, and procedures;
• maintain a minimum amount of net liquidity; and
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•
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.
Loan 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 contracts with
other institutions to undertake most of the servicing responsibilities for its 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. However, 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.
Loans under 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.
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 loans purchased
from LTSPCs to collateralize Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, in order to accommodate the
borrower rights regime unique to loans originated by FCS institutions.
USDA Guarantees
Farmer Mac's charter provides 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, issue, and guarantee timely interest and principal on securities
backed by USDA Securities ("Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities").
•
Farmer Mac purchases USDA Securities through 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 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.
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.
15
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 Utilities
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 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 Service ("RUS"), an agency of the USDA. Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business
encompasses purchases of eligible Rural Utilities loans and guarantees of securities backed by those loans,
as well as LTSPCs for pools of eligible Rural Utilities loans. To be eligible, Rural Utilities loans must
meet Farmer Mac's credit underwriting and other specified standards. 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. The vast majority of Farmer
Mac's business to date under the Rural Utilities line of business has involved loans made to electric
facilities (primarily electric distribution cooperatives and electric generation and transmission
cooperatives). During 2020, Farmer Mac purchased $64.3 million of renewable energy loans in
connection with various projects as part of Farmer Mac's renewable energy project finance strategic
initiative under its Rural Utilities authority.
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 to a borrower that has received or is eligible to receive a loan under the REA for an electric or
telecommunications facility;
be by a lender organized as a cooperative;
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. 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
Utilities 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 practices for similar Rural Utilities loans and are
designed to assess the creditworthiness of the borrower, as well as the risk to Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac
16
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 results 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. Loans to renewable
electric energy borrowers are typically secured by the borrower's project equipment, contracts, and land or
leasehold interest, but Farmer Mac's enforcement rights may be subject to tax equity interests in the
borrower's renewable energy project. 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.
Lenders and Loan Servicing
Farmer Mac's charter requires eligible Rural Utilities loans to be by a lender organized as a cooperative.
Farmer Mac does not directly service the Rural Utilities loans held in its portfolio, which are serviced by a
designee of Farmer Mac.
Institutional Credit
Under the Institutional Credit line of business, Farmer Mac guarantees and purchases general obligations
of lenders and other financial institutions (including financial funds) that are secured by pools of the types
of loans eligible for purchase under Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, or Rural Utilities
lines of business..Farmer Mac refers to these as AgVantage securities. Typically, Farmer Mac retains
AgVantage securities in its portfolio. Farmer Mac's guarantee and purchase of AgVantage securities
comprise the Institutional Credit line of business.
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 required to remove from the pool of pledged collateral any loan that becomes
more than 30 days 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.
17
For AgVantage securities secured by loans eligible for Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch 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;
other highly-rated securities; or
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%. The required collateralization level is determined based on credit factors
related to the issuer, 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 Farm & Ranch 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.
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 maintain a higher
collateralization level through lower loan-to-value ratio thresholds and contain specified financial
covenants for the life of the related AgVantage security.
AgVantage securities secured by loans eligible for Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business require:
•
•
the counterparty issuing the general obligation to have a credit rating from an 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 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 electric cooperatives
on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure also apply to loans made to electric cooperatives that
secure the general obligation of the lender in AgVantage transactions. 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). Farmer Mac also permits up to 20% of Rural Utilities loans pledged to secure
AgVantage securities to be unsecured or secured by less than all of the borrower's assets.
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COMPETITION
Farmer Mac is the only federally-chartered corporation established to provide a secondary market for
agricultural mortgage loans, Rural Utilities loans, and USDA Securities. But Farmer Mac does face
indirect competition from many sources. These sources include other entities that purchase, retain,
securitize, or provide financing for the types of assets eligible for Farmer Mac's secondary market
activities such as commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, other FCS institutions,
financial funds, 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 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 the agricultural and rural utilities sectors;
the ability of other lending institutions to compete with Farmer Mac (e.g., by price averaging
through offering multiple loan and fee based products or by accepting a lower return on equity
given market dynamics);
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 Farm & Ranch 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."
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. 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 of Farmer Mac's outstanding common stock and their relationship to
Farmer Mac's board of directors are described below.
19
• 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 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 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 (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.
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"), 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
20
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. 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.
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 Oversight
Farmer Mac's charter assigns to FCA, acting through the separate Office of Secondary Market Oversight
("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 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
21
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, 2020, Farmer Mac employed 121 people, with 34 new employees hired during the
year. Farmer Mac employs full-time employees to meet its business needs as it grows and evolves while
supplementing human capital needs with independent contractors and consultants as needed. Our
workforce included seven actively engaged independent contractors as of the end of the year.
Farmer Mac's employees are located throughout the United States, often near many of its primary
customers. As of December 31, 2020, 83 full-time employees were located in the Washington, D.C. area,
14 full-time employees were located in the Johnston, Iowa area, and 24 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 utilize traditional methods to attract and retain talent,
such as competitive salaries and benefits, including a generous group health plan and an employer-funded
401(k) plan. 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. 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.
We also utilize flexible work structures and technology to create incentives to join and remain with
Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac experienced a 9.6% turnover rate in 2020, which was down 4.3% compared to
2019.
COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic altered the way many companies work, including Farmer Mac. In March 2020,
we executed our business continuity plan swiftly and with minimal disruption, and all of our employees
have been working in a fully-remote environment since then. We promptly assessed the technical
resources required for Farmer Mac to operate on a fully-remote basis, as well the ability of our employees
to manage home and work in this new paradigm. For example, Farmer Mac provided stipends to all
employees to purchase office equipment and supplies for remote work capability. To encourage employee
morale and support our mission, Farmer Mac donated the budgeted stipend funds that remained unused to
a nonprofit organization fighting against food insecurity in the United States. To ensure continuity in
regular communications, we have reinforced our employees' access to secure digital meeting platforms,
and our senior executive team has been leading bi-weekly 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 leveraged 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 have established a cross-functional team to assess the criteria necessary for a safe return to Farmer
Mac's offices, including employee health screenings, facility redesign, and family care needs. We do not
22
currently have an established timeline for a full-scale return of our employees to Farmer Mac's offices.
However, we remain confident in our employees' capacity to remain engaged and productive on a remote
basis as may be needed for the foreseeable future.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Farmer Mac provides appropriate orientation for every new hire and requires 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 2018 to reflect 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.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
During 2020, we strengthened our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion ("DE&I") efforts within
Farmer Mac's workforce. Our philosophy emphasized listening first, with a focus on small employee
groups to solicit feedback on Farmer Mac's practices. This yielded guidance for a newly-formed internal
Diversity Council, which is charged with helping to shape Farmer Mac's strategy for DE&I. Farmer Mac
has also contracted with an external consultant to help deepen our understanding of race and racism and
how it may affect the workplace and to assist Farmer Mac's Diversity Council with building a framework
and strategy for DE&I.
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.
23
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 has
traditionally satisfied its obligations under LTSPCs and its guarantees by purchasing defaulted loans out of
the LTSPCs or from related securitization trusts under the 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 acquired through foreclosure (known as "real estate owned" or
"REO"), and fair value adjustments of REOs held.
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, 2020, this reserve
against losses arising from Farmer Mac's guarantee activities was $101.6 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 securities it guarantees, including AgVantage
securities. This amount does not represent either anticipated credit losses or estimated probable 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
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, which 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(h), Note 8, and Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements.
Debt Issuance
FINANCING
Farmer Mac's charter authorizes Farmer Mac to issue debt obligations to purchase eligible loans and
securities, USDA Securities, and to maintain reasonable amounts of liquid investments to maintain an
adequate supply of liquidity. Farmer Mac funds its purchases of eligible program 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 obligations under
guarantees and LTSPCs. Farmer Mac's debt obligations include discount notes and medium-term notes,
including callable medium-term notes, all of which are unsecured general obligations of Farmer Mac.
24
Discount notes have original maturities of 1 year or less. Medium-term notes generally have maturities of
6 months to 15 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 invests the proceeds of its debt issuances in eligible 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.
For more information about the Liquidity and Investment Regulations, see "Management's Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources." For more
information about Farmer Mac's outstanding investments and indebtedness, see 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
common stock and 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, 2020, the following shares of Farmer Mac common stock were outstanding:
25
•
•
•
1,030,780 shares of Class A voting common stock;
500,301 shares of Class B voting common stock; and
9,205,897 shares of Class C non-voting common stock.
During first quarter 2020, Farmer Mac repurchased approximately 4,000 shares of Class C non-voting
common stock at a cost of approximately $0.2 million under a share repurchase program that Farmer
Mac's board or 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. As
of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had repurchased approximately 673,000 shares of Class C non-voting
common stock at a cost of approximately $19.8 million under the share repurchase program since 2015.
The program expires at the end of March 2021.
The following table presents the dividends declared on Farmer Mac's common stock during and after
2020:
Date
Dividend
Declared
February 24, 2020
May 29, 2020
August 27, 2020
November 11, 2020
February 23, 2021
Per
Share
Amount
$0.80
$0.80
$0.80
$0.80
$0.88
For
Holders Of
Record As Of
March 16, 2020
June 15, 2020
Date
Paid
March 31, 2020
June 30, 2020
September 16, 2020
September 30, 2020
December 15, 2020
December 31, 2020
March 16, 2021
*
* The dividend declared on February 23, 2021 is scheduled to be paid on March 31, 2021.
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, 2020, the following shares of Farmer Mac preferred stock were
outstanding:
•
•
•
•
3,000,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock, all of which were issued in June 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; and
4,800,000 shares of Series F Preferred Stock, all of which were issued in August 2020.
On September 19, 2020, Farmer Mac used part of the net proceeds from the sale of the Series F Preferred
Stock to redeem and repurchase all $60.0 million aggregate outstanding of Farmer Mac's 5.875% Non-
Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A ("Series A Preferred Stock"), plus any declared and unpaid
dividends through and including the redemption date. As a result of the retirement of the Series A
Preferred Stock, Farmer Mac recognized $1.7 million of deferred issuance costs, which is presented as
"Loss on retirement of preferred stock" on the consolidated statements of operations.
26
The Series C Preferred Stock, Series D Preferred Stock, Series E Preferred Stock, and Series F Preferred
Stock (collectively, "Outstanding Preferred Stock") each has a par value of $25.00 per share and an initial
liquidation preference of $25.00 per share. Since each of their respective issuances, Farmer Mac has not
issued any more 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 D Preferred Stock, Series E Preferred Stock, and the Series F Preferred Stock pay an annual
dividend rate fixed at 5.700%, 5.750%, and 5.250%, 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 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.
The Series C Preferred Stock, Series D Preferred Stock, Series E Preferred Stock, and Series F 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 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, and the Series F Preferred Stock on and
after October 17, 2025, all at a price equal to the then-applicable liquidation preference. Any redemption
date for the Series D, Series E, or Series F 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 2020:
Date
Dividend
Declared
February 24, 2020
May 29, 2020
August 27, 2020
Per
Share
Amount
$0.3672
$0.3672
$0.2530
For
Period
Beginning
January 18, 2020
April 18, 2020
July 18, 2020
For
Period
Ending
April 17, 2020
July 17, 2020
Date
Paid
April 17, 2020
July 17, 2020
September 19, 2020
September 19, 2020
27
The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series C Preferred Stock during and after
2020:
Date
Dividend
Declared
February 24, 2020
May 29, 2020
August 27, 2020
November 11, 2020
February 23, 2021
Per
Share
Amount
$0.3750
$0.3750
$0.3750
$0.3750
$0.3750
For
Period
Beginning
January 18, 2020
April 18, 2020
July 18, 2020
For
Period
Ending
April 17, 2020
July 17, 2020
Date
Paid
April 17, 2020
July 17, 2020
October 17, 2020
October 17, 2020
October 18, 2020
January 17, 2021
January 17, 2021
January 18, 2021
April 17, 2021
*
* The dividend declared on February 23, 2021 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2021.
The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series D Preferred Stock during and after
2020:
Date
Dividend
Declared
February 24, 2020
May 29, 2020
August 27, 2020
November 11, 2020
February 23, 2021
Per
Share
Amount
$0.35625
$0.35625
$0.35625
$0.35625
$0.35625
For
Period
Beginning
January 18, 2020
April 18, 2020
July 18, 2020
For
Period
Ending
April 17, 2020
July 17, 2020
Date
Paid
April 17, 2020
July 17, 2020
October 17, 2020
October 17, 2020
October 18, 2020
January 17, 2021
January 17, 2021
January 18, 2021
April 17, 2021
*
* The dividend declared on February 23, 2021 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2021.
The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series E Preferred Stock during and after
2020:
Date
Dividend
Declared
May 29, 2020
August 27, 2020
November 11, 2020
February 23, 2021
Per
Share
Amount
$0.227600
$0.359375
$0.359375
$0.359375
For
Period
Beginning
May 21, 2020
July 18, 2020
For
Period
Ending
Date
Paid
July 17, 2020
July 17, 2020
October 17, 2020
October 17, 2020
October 18, 2020
January 17, 2021
January 17, 2021
January 18, 2021
April 17, 2021
*
* The dividend declared on February 23, 2021 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2021.
The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series F Preferred Stock during and after
2020:
Date
Dividend
Declared
August 27, 2020
November 11, 2020
February 23, 2021
Per
Share
Amount
For
Period
Beginning
For
Period
Ending
Date
Paid
$0.2078125
August 21, 2020
October 17, 2020
October 17, 2020
$0.3281250
October 18, 2020
January 17, 2021
January 17, 2021
$0.3281250
January 18, 2021
April 17, 2021
*
* The dividend declared on February 23, 2021 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2021.
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 to fulfill
28
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
$101.6 million as of December 31, 2020); 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, 2020, 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,
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.
29
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 to be registered under the
Securities Act of 1933 and related regulations (collectively, "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.
Since Farmer Mac's creation, Congress has amended Farmer Mac's charter five times:
•
•
•
•
•
in 1990 to create the USDA Guarantees line of business;
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 subsidiaries) is the only entity regulated by OSMO, which was created as a separate office in
30
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.
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 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.
The risk-based capital stress test then adds an additional 30% to the resulting capital requirement for
management and operational risk. Farmer Mac's risk-based capital requirement as of December 31, 2020
was $197.4 million and Farmer Mac's regulatory capital of $1.0 billion exceeded that amount by
31
approximately $826.6 million. 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, 2020, Farmer Mac was classified as within level I – the highest compliance
level.
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
capital or if the value of property subject to mortgages backing securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac has
decreased significantly.
32
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, Rural Utilities, and
Institutional Credit 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
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 Buffer
Payout 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%
greater than 1.25% to and including 1.875%
greater than 0.625% to and including 1.25%
60%
40%
20%
equal to or less than 0.625%
0% (no payout permitted)
These distribution restrictions would 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, 2020, Farmer Mac's Tier 1
capital ratio was 14.1%. 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 an 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 maintain at all times a liquidity reserve sufficient to fund at least
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
33
investments that Farmer Mac holds as its liquidity 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 asset 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 that outlines Farmer Mac's 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.
34
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 along with
"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Item 7 of
this 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, may affect Farmer Mac's actual
results and financial condition. If any of the following risks materialize, Farmer Mac's business, financial
condition, or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Farmer Mac undertakes no
obligation to update or revise this risk factor discussion, unless required by applicable law.
COVID-19 Pandemic Risk
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are uncertain and may heighten the risk factors described in
this report or could otherwise have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's business, operations,
operating results, financial condition, liquidity, or capital levels.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create extensive disruptions to the global economy and to the lives
of individuals throughout the world. The effectiveness of Farmer Mac’s efforts to manage and mitigate
the following risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic and 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 and the
widespread distribution, public acceptance, availability, and use of vaccines;
the existence and scope of government intervention to mitigate the negative economic effects of
the COVID-19 pandemic, including imposing any moratoria on agricultural mortgage foreclosures;
the ability of Farmer Mac’s borrowers to withstand economic pressures caused by the COVID-19
pandemic, how quickly and to what extent affected borrowers can recover from the negative
economic effects of the pandemic, and the nature and extent to which affected borrowers require
loan payment deferments;
the extent to which disruptions in the capital markets or volatility in interest rates stemming from
the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic impair customer demand for Farmer Mac’s loan products,
Farmer Mac’s ability to offer those loan products at competitive prices, or Farmer Mac’s ability to
access the capital markets to fund and capitalize its operations;
the continued ability of Farmer Mac, its vendors, and the organizations on which they rely, such as
government offices and courthouses, to operate effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic,
including their ability to implement effective cyber-security protocols in remote-working
environments as needed;
how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume, including
whether any future COVID-19 outbreaks interrupt economic recovery; and
35
• whether the COVID-19 pandemic causes any residual negative effects 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 may
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 may impair borrowers' profitability and ability
to repay their loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio, which could have a material adverse effect on Farmer
Mac's financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital levels.
External factors beyond Farmer Mac's or borrowers' control could impair borrowers' profitability, such as
severe or protracted adverse weather and related effects (including recent severely cold weather in Texas);
volatility in demand for agricultural products or electricity in rural areas; variability in borrowers' input
costs; protracted regional, domestic, or global 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 farming 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 in its portfolio.
Farmer Mac assumes the ultimate credit risk of borrower defaults on its agricultural mortgage and rural
utilities loan assets, 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 portfolio could result in losses, particularly if the value of
the available collateral does not cover Farmer Mac's exposure, and this could have a material adverse
effect on Farmer Mac's financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital levels.
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 to a particular
commodity type, geographic region, or collateral type. Widespread weakening in the financial condition
of borrowers within a particular geographic region, commodity type, or collateral type (which could be
exacerbated by a prolonged period of economic stress due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic)
could negatively affect Farmer Mac’s financial condition if the geographic and commodity diversity
within Farmer Mac's portfolio does not successfully mitigate concentration risk. Farmer Mac's credit risk
may also increase due to decline in the collateral values securing the loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio,
particularly if the collateral is single-use or highly improved, such as storage and processing facilities or
permanent plantings. Single-use or highly improved collateral increases the risk of ultimate losses on a
given loan because producers requiring single-use or highly improved collateral are less able to adapt their
operations or switch functional production when faced with adverse conditions and are more likely to be
undercollateralized in a default scenario. For example, Farmer Mac's cumulative net credit losses for
36
loans to borrowers in the Agricultural Storage and Processing category are 54.5% of its cumulative net
credit losses for all categories.
Farmer Mac's exposure to credit risk may also increase due to concentrated exposure to a particular
borrower or counterparty. Farmer Mac’s Farm & Ranch portfolio consists of loans varying in size and by
borrower, including large exposures ($25 million or more) to individual borrowers. The default of any
one of these borrowers could negatively affect Farmer Mac's financial condition. Farmer Mac also has
concentrated exposures to individual business counterparties on AgVantage securities, which are general
obligations of institutional counterparties secured by eligible loans held by the issuing institution.
Although AgVantage securities are collateralized by eligible loans in a principal amount equal to or
greater than the principal amount of the securities outstanding, Farmer Mac could suffer losses if the
market value of the loan collateral declines and the 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's loans held on balance sheet, as well as increased capital requirements. Most of
Farmer Mac's AgVantage exposure is concentrated in a few issuers. As of December 31, 2020, $7.0
billion of the $7.7 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's exposure to credit risk may also increase due to concentrated exposure to one or more
investment types or counterparties in the investment portfolio Farmer Mac maintains for liquidity. This
investment portfolio consists primarily of cash and cash equivalents, U.S. Treasury securities, investment
securities guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and GSEs, and asset-backed securities backed
primarily by U.S. Government-guaranteed 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, particularly to issuers to whom Farmer Mac may
have a higher concentration of exposure relative to the rest of Farmer Mac's investment portfolio. For
example, as of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac held at fair value $1.9 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 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, 2020, Farmer Mac had $3.3 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, 2020, Farmer Mac held cash, cash equivalents, and other investment
securities with a fair value of $4.9 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
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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 counterparty 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 uses interest rate swap contracts and hedging arrangements to manage its interest rate risk.
Farmer Mac clears a significant portion of its interest rate swaps through a swap clearinghouse 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 directly with swap counterparties
and posts and receives 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
reposition 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 within 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 more interest rate risk, which could materially and adversely affect its business, operating
results, and financial condition. As of December 31, 2020, the aggregate notional balance of Farmer
Mac's cleared swaps was $12.8 billion, and the aggregate notional balance of Farmer Mac's non-cleared
swaps was $2.6 billion (including $0.3 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:
•
•
disruptions in the capital markets;
competitive pressures in Farmer Mac's loan purchase and guarantee activities or in the issuance of
its debt securities;
changes in interest rates that may increase Farmer Mac's funding costs;
•
• market or customer perception of Farmer Mac's reputation;
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•
•
•
legislative or regulatory developments adversely affecting Farmer Mac's ability to offer new
products, the ability or motivation of lenders to participate in Farmer Mac's lines of business, or
the cost of related corporate 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 capacity to remain adequately capitalized through the
issuance of equity and debt securities at favorable rates and terms in the U.S. financial markets. Farmer
Mac's potential for growth and future net income depends in part on Farmer Mac's ability to access equity
markets to raise efficient capital. The issuance of debt securities is Farmer Mac's primary source for
repaying or refinancing existing debt, and 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 held and the
related borrowing costs. Farmer Mac's ability to access the debt 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 or debt securities at favorable
rates and terms, Farmer Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition could be adversely
affected.
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 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 and to purchase or guarantee
AgVantage securities. Farmer Mac conducts a significant portion of its business with a few business
counterparties. This could result in vulnerability as existing assets pay down or mature and the status and
needs of Farmer Mac's business partners evolve. In 2020, ten institutions generated approximately 57% of
loan purchase volume in the Farm & Ranch line of business. As of December 31, 2020, approximately
90% of the $7.7 billion outstanding principal amount of AgVantage securities under Farmer Mac's
Institutional Credit line of business were issued by three institutions (of which $1.7 billion and $1.4 billion
will be maturing in 2021 and 2022, respectively). As of December 31, 2020, transactions with two
institutions represented nearly all of the business volume under Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of
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 decrease Farmer Mac's revenues and profitability. Farmer Mac may be unable 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 Farmer Mac's secondary market, which could
adversely affect Farmer Mac's business and decrease its revenues and profits.
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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, 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, and the guaranteed portions of USDA-guaranteed loans. In pursuing this mission, Farmer
Mac's secondary market activities are designed to:
•
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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, these activities could contribute to a lower
return to stockholders than if Farmer Mac's sole purpose were to maximize stockholder value. If Farmer
Mac were to undertake activities involving greater risk or lower returns to satisfy its mission, Farmer
Mac's business, operating results, or financial condition could be adversely affected.
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 few
institutions. Three financial institutions hold approximately 44% of Farmer Mac's Class A voting
common stock, with 31% held by one institution. Five FCS institutions hold approximately 97% of
Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock (two of which are related to each other through a parent-
subsidiary relationship). 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 Mac's board of directors. Many of these holders 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 seek to influence (and may succeed in influencing), Farmer
Mac's business, strategy, or board composition in a way that may not be in the best interests of either
Farmer Mac or other stockholders.
Changes in Farmer Mac's board could adversely affect its business, operations, and strategy.
Farmer Mac's charter prescribes that its board of directors consist of fifteen members. The holders of
Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock and the holders of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common
stock separately elect five board members for each class annually. The President of the United States,
with the advice and consent of the United States Senate, appoints five board members (one of whom is
designated as the chair of the board of directors). Farmer Mac's Presidentially appointed board members
serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States and therefore could be replaced at any time. If,
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as a result of annual elections or new Presidential appointments to the board, Farmer Mac were to
experience a significant turnover in board membership within a short time and the new directors were not
able to become proficient quickly in Farmer Mac's business, operations, and strategies, the effectiveness of
Farmer Mac's board of directors in overseeing the business, affairs, strategies, and operations of Farmer
Mac could be adversely affected. In 2020, three new individuals joined Farmer Mac's board of directors,
two of whom were elected by holders of voting common stock in May 2020 (one of whom died later that
year) and one of whom was appointed by the President of the United States after confirmation by the U.S.
Senate in December 2020.
Operational Risk
The inadequacy or failure of Farmer Mac's operational systems, cybersecurity plan, 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 is exposed to operational risk due to the complex nature of its business operations and the
processes and systems used to undertake its business activities and comply with regulatory requirements.
Operational risk refers to the risk of loss to Farmer Mac resulting from:
•
•
•
•
•
inadequate or failed internal processes, systems, cybersecurity plan, or infrastructure;
Farmer Mac's inability to successfully implement enhancements to any of these or migrate to new
systems or infrastructure;
failed execution based on human error;
inadequate or failed internal controls or processes to detect or prevent fraud; 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, 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 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 all of its 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 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 failure of local technology networks, which could impair Farmer Mac's ability to perform
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critical functions. The realization of any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on Farmer
Mac’s business, results of operations, or financial condition.
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 third parties provide. Yet 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. The risk of disruption to third-party systems or infrastructure may be
heightened due to COVID-19-related illnesses or government or third-party actions taken to mitigate the
public health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including stay-at-home orders. 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, which could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's
business, results of operations, or financial condition.
Any significant deficiency, failure, interruption, or breach in Farmer Mac's information systems,
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 information systems, including from third parties, to conduct and manage its
business operations. These information systems encompass an integrated set of hardware, software,
infrastructure, and trained personnel organized to facilitate the planning, control, coordination, and
decision-making processes within Farmer Mac. As Farmer Mac's reliance on information systems has
increased, so have the risks posed to its systems, including the effect of events that would threaten the
confidentiality, integrity, or availability of Farmer Mac's information resources, known as cyber incidents.
Like many other financial institutions, Farmer Mac faces regular attempts by third parties to gain
unauthorized access to its information systems. Despite the increased cybersecurity risks presented by a
workforce that is operating entirely remotely, Farmer Mac is not aware of any cyber-attacks or other
privacy or data security incidents through the date of this report that negatively affected the
confidentiality, integrity, or availability of Farmer Mac’s information resources or that have had a material
effect on its business, operating results, or financial condition, but it is not possible to predict the effect on
Farmer Mac of any future cyber incidents.
Farmer Mac has undertaken preventive measures and devotes what Farmer Mac believes to be adequate
resources to design, manage, monitor, deploy, and assess its information systems and cybersecurity
program consistent with industry best practices. Farmer Mac's cybersecurity program assesses Farmer
Mac's cybersecurity risk profile and seeks to ensure there are sufficient measures and safeguards in place
to mitigate the risks identified. However, Farmer Mac may be unable to prevent, address on a timely 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 methods until discovered. A failure
or interruption in any of Farmer Mac's information systems could cause a disruption or malfunction of its
operations, which could adversely affect Farmer Mac's ability to conduct business with its customers, loan
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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
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's business, operating results, reputation,
or financial condition
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, 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 for Farmer Mac. During these activities, these third parties collect and have access to a
variety of confidential or proprietary information, including, among others, sensitive financial
information, information presented to Farmer Mac's board of directors, information provided to Farmer
Mac's regulators, information about 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 systems of one of these third
parties, including through viruses, malware, cyber-attacks, or other information system breaches, could
result in the misappropriation and inappropriate release of the confidential or proprietary information
entrusted to 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. The risk of unauthorized access to confidential or proprietary
information through information system breaches or inadvertent dissemination may be heightened in a
remote-working environment, which may be more prevalent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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's business, operating results, or financial condition.
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. Some of Farmer Mac's qualitative tools and
43
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 or may not be effective in mitigating its risk exposure in all economic
market environments or against all types of risk, which could expose Farmer Mac to material
unanticipated losses. The 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 operating
results or financial condition.
Farmer Mac is subject to interest rate risk due to the timing differences in the cash flows of the assets it
holds and the liabilities issued to fund those assets. Farmer Mac's primary strategy for managing interest
rate risk is to fund asset purchases with liabilities that have similar duration and convexity characteristics
so that they will perform similarly as interest rates change. However, the ability of borrowers to prepay
their loans before the scheduled maturities increases the likelihood 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.
Conversely, if assets repay more slowly than anticipated and the associated debt issued to fund the assets
must be reissued at a higher interest rate, Farmer Mac's earnings could be adversely affected. Volatility in
market conditions during the past year stemming from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted
the Federal Reserve to significantly lower the target range for the federal funds rate, resulting in an
extremely low interest rate environment. A resumption of market volatility from uncertainties
surrounding a prolonged pandemic could adversely affect Farmer Mac's ability to manage interest rate
risk, which could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's operating results or financial condition.
Farmer Mac is also subject to repricing risk, which is the risk that Farmer Mac's funding cost relative to a
benchmark index (for example, the London Interbank Offered Rate known as "LIBOR") will increase
from the time the initial funding was issued and the time the liabilities are re-funded. This risk arises from
maturity mismatches between assets and liabilities where assets with longer maturities must be re-funded.
A significant increase in the difference between Farmer Mac's funding cost relative to the benchmark
44
index, including LIBOR, could compress spread income on the assets Farmer Mac holds and seeks to re-
fund with the higher cost funding. Widespread compression within a short timeframe could adversely
affect Farmer Mac's operating results or financial condition.
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, liquidity position, or operating results.
Farmer Mac enters into financial derivatives transactions to hedge interest rate risks inherent in its
business and carries its financial derivatives at fair value in its consolidated financial statements.
Although Farmer Mac's financial derivatives provide 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. In 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac recorded a loss of $3.7 million and a gain of $10.1
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 $9.2 million and $7.9
million in 2020 and 2019, respectively, related to ineffectiveness in hedge accounting relationships.
Changes in interest rates have required, and in the future may require, Farmer Mac to post cash or
investment 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, 2020, Farmer Mac posted $11.2 million of cash and $201.1
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
environment, it could have a material adverse effect on Farmer Mac's liquidity position or operating
results.
The reform, replacement, or 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 would no longer persuade or compel banks to submit rates
for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021 and would support the LIBOR indexes through 2021 to allow for
a transition to any alternative reference rates. In 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 be discontinued after June 2023. Farmer Mac is evaluating the potential effect on its business of
the replacement of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate, including the possibility of replacement
benchmark interest rates. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac held $5.1 billion of floating rate assets
in its lines of business and its investment portfolio, had issued $4.7 billion of floating rate debt, and had
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entered into $14.6 billion notional amount of interest rate swaps, each of which resets 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 an alternative 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 re-funding and repricing risk for Farmer Mac if an alternative
benchmark interest rate index is used along with LIBOR during a transition period. If LIBOR is
discontinued and an alternative benchmark interest rate 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. This could result in different financial performance for previously booked transactions, require
different hedging strategies, or require renegotiation of previously booked transactions, and may affect
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.
Financial Risk
Incorrect estimates and assumptions by management 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
estimates and assumptions in preparing Farmer Mac's consolidated financial 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, 2020, Farmer Mac's assets and
liabilities recorded at fair value included financial instruments valued at $7.0 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 29% of total assets and
65% of financial instruments measured at fair value as of December 31, 2020. See "Management's
Discussion and Analysis—Critical Accounting Policies—Fair Value Measurement" for more information
about fair value measurement If management makes incorrect assumptions or estimates that result in
understating or overstating reported financial results, it 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 on January 1, 2020, that required entities to measure credit
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losses based on an "expected credit loss" approach rather than an "incurred loss" approach previously
required under GAAP. The new approach requires 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. This new accounting
standard could cause increases and more volatility in Farmer Mac's provision for credit losses and could
adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results, financial condition, or capital levels. See Note
2(p) 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, 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
securities. This requires Farmer Mac to rely on market observations and internal models to estimate the
fair values of its investment securities and to determine whether credit losses exist. 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 its internal models to estimate the fair value of its
investment securities, those estimates could adversely affect results of operations during the reporting
period. 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, which could be
significantly less than Farmer Mac's estimates for fair value. Failure to accurately estimate the fair value
of Farmer Mac's investment securities could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business, operating results,
financial condition, 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.
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 remain volatile. For example, the closing price of the
Class C stock ranged from $43.02 per share to $83.55 per share during 2020. The trading price may
fluctuate in response to various factors, including short sales, hedging, the presence or absence of a share
repurchase program, stock market influences in general that are unrelated to Farmer Mac's operating
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 the Class C stock, including grants 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 the Class C stock. All
of these factors may be exacerbated during periods of low trading volume for Farmer Mac's Class C stock,
which averaged 53,700 shares daily during 2020, and may have a prolonged negative effect on its trading
price or increase price volatility.
47
Regulatory and Compliance Risk
Farmer Mac and many of its business partners are subject to comprehensive government regulation,
and changes to applicable laws and regulations could adversely affect Farmer Mac's business,
operating results, reputation, or financial condition.
Farmer Mac was established under a statutory charter that the U.S. Congress may amend at any time and
is regulated by various government agencies, including the FCA and the SEC. Farmer Mac is therefore
exposed to the risk of legal or regulatory penalties; material financial loss including fines, judgments,
damages, or settlements; or loss of reputation if it violates 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 more 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 counterparties and customers
operate, is subject to significant legislation and regulations. To the extent that current or future legislation,
regulations, or supervisory 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 loss of business or 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.
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, 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. As
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;
adverse changes in interest rates or credit spreads;
the need to increase the level of the allowance for losses on loans;
48
•
•
legislative or regulatory actions that increase Farmer Mac's capital requirements; and
changes in GAAP.
Political Risk
Farmer Mac is a GSE that may be materially and adversely affected by legislative or political
developments.
Farmer Mac is a GSE with a statutory charter that may be amended by 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 materially impact its business or operations,
Farmer Mac's ability to effectively conduct its business is subject to risks and uncertainties related to
political developments that could affect Farmer Mac or GSEs generally. 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
negatively affect the status of Farmer Mac as a GSE or how Farmer Mac operates, 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 significant or sustained disruption in the continuity of Farmer Mac's employees or
executive leaders 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 Farmer Mac and related industries
to run its business operations successfully. If Farmer Mac cannot continue to retain and attract motivated
and qualified employees or does not have adequate human capital to achieve its business objectives,
Farmer Mac's business performance, operations, 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 result in a loss of productivity and affect Farmer Mac's
ability to successfully execute business strategies by creating uncertainty or instability or requiring Farmer
Mac to divert or expend more resources to replace personnel. For example, after the termination of
employment of Farmer Mac's former Chief Financial Officer in July 2019 and resignation of Farmer Mac's
former Chief Credit Officer in February 2020, Farmer Mac expended significant resources and attention to
identify 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 of these
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.
49
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
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
one other office location at 9169 Northpark Drive, Johnston, Iowa 50322, under a lease that began on
October 1, 2017 and ends on June 30, 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 all of its operating segments.
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
None.
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
50
PART II
Item 5.
Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer
Purchases for Equity Securities
Farmer Mac has three classes of common stock outstanding – Class A voting common stock, Class
(a)
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 8, 2021, Farmer Mac had 889 registered owners of the Class A voting common stock,
77 registered owners of the Class B voting common stock, and 839 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 February 19, 2019, Farmer Mac's board of directors declared a dividend
of $0.70 per share on Farmer Mac's common stock payable for first quarter 2019. That dividend was paid
quarterly through fourth quarter 2019. On February 24, 2020, Farmer Mac's board of directors declared a
dividend of $0.80 per share on Farmer Mac's common stock payable for first quarter 2020. That dividend
was paid quarterly through fourth quarter 2020. On February 23, 2021, Farmer Mac's board of directors
declared a dividend of $0.88per share on Farmer Mac's common stock payable for first quarter 2021. See
"Business—Financing—Equity Issuance" for more information on Farmer Mac's common stock.
The quarterly dividend of $0.88 per share on all three classes of common stock for first quarter 2021
represents an increase of $0.08 per common share, or 10%, over the quarterly dividend payout in 2020 and
reflects the board's goal to maintain Farmer Mac's common stock dividend payout target as a percentage
of annual core earnings at 35%. In deciding to maintain Farmer Mac's common stock dividend payout
target, the board of directors considered Farmer Mac's strong capital position and the consistency of and
outlook for earnings, balanced against the need for capital to fund the significant growth objectives
identified in the company's strategic plan and to meet regulatory requirements and metrics established by
the 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.
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
51
to pay dividends on its common stock is also subject to the payment of dividends on its outstanding
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 5, 2021. 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 2020 that was not registered under the Securities Act
and not otherwise reported on a Current Report on Form 8-K:
• On October 2, 2020, 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 187 shares of Class C non-voting common stock to the four 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 $63.66 per share, which was the closing
price of the Class C non-voting common stock on September 30, 2020, the last business day of the
third quarter, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange.
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 ("NYSE Comp") and the Standard & Poor's 500 Diversified Financials Index
("S&P 500 Div Fin") over the period from December 31, 2015 to December 31, 2020. The graph assumes
that $100 was invested on December 31, 2015 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.
52
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)
(c)
Not applicable.
None.
Item 6.
Selected Financial Data
No longer required. Reference is made to "Item 8—Financial Statements."
53
Index ValueTotal Return PerformanceFarmer Mac Class C (AGM)Farmer Mac Class A (AGM.A)S&P 500 Div FinNYSE Comp12/31/1512/31/1612/31/1712/31/1812/31/1912/31/2050100150200250300350
Item 7.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
The objective of this 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, 2020. Financial information 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. 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, 2020, 2019, and
2018.
Overview
The discussion below of Farmer Mac's financial information includes "non-GAAP measures," which are
measures of financial performance not presented in accordance with 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."
COVID-19 Update
Farmer Mac continues to closely monitor the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our financial
condition and operations. We have operated uninterrupted and entirely remotely since March 2020, and
our liquidity levels remain well above regulatory requirements, which has enabled us to execute our
mission to support rural America during the pandemic. During 2020:
• we maintained uninterrupted access to the debt capital markets;
• we provided a total of $5.7 billion in liquidity and lending capacity to lenders serving rural
America;
• we worked with our loan servicers and other partners to respond to and facilitate COVID-19-
related payment deferment requests from borrowers and executed COVID-19 payment deferments
for $432.0 million of unpaid principal balance on Farm & Ranch loans, Farm & Ranch LTSPCs,
and USDA Securities to provide relief to borrowers;
• we continued to maintain strong liquidity in our investment portfolio, as evidenced by our year-end
cash position of $1.0 billion; and
• we built and preserved capital and liquidity by issuing net new preferred stock of $139.5 million
and indefinitely suspending our common stock repurchase program.
The economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic caused our total allowance for credit losses to remain
elevated at the end of 2020. On January 1, 2020, we adopted Accounting Standards Update 2016-13,
Financial Instruments - Credit Loss (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments
("CECL"). Under CECL, our allowances and reserve for credit losses reflect our estimate of expected
losses over the lives of our financial instruments based on historical information and reasonable and
supportable forecasts. The economic effects from the COVID-19 pandemic that most affected our
estimate of expected credit losses were the effects on credit spreads and expectations for continued
elevated levels of unemployment. Of the $8.1 million credit loss provision that we recorded during 2020,
$1.0 million was attributable to economic factors, mostly related to COVID-19. For more information
about the effect of COVID-19 on Farmer Mac's expected credit losses, see "Management's Discussion and
54
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans &
Guarantees."
For more information about Farm & Ranch payment deferments, see "Management's Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and
Guarantees." For more information about AgVantage loan collateral payment deferments, see
"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk
Management—Credit Risk – Institutional."
Net Income and Core Earnings
The following table shows our net income attributable to common stockholders and core earnings for the
periods presented. Core earnings and core earnings per share are non-GAAP measures that differ from net
income attributable to common stockholders and 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,
2020
2019
2018
Net income attributable to common stockholders
$
89,176 $
Core earnings
100,612
(in thousands)
93,650 $
93,742
94,898
84,047
The $4.5 million decrease in net income attributable to common stockholders for 2020 compared to 2019
was primarily due 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 $1.3 million after-tax increase in other income.
The $1.2 million decrease in net income attributable to common stockholders for 2019 compared to 2018
was due to a $2.5 million after-tax increase in the provision for loan losses, a $1.6 million after-tax
increase in operating expenses, a $1.0 million after-tax decrease in net interest income, and a $0.8 million
increase in preferred stock dividends. These factors were partially offset by a $7.1 million after-tax
increase in the fair value of undesignated financial derivatives due to fluctuations in long-term interest
rates.
The $6.9 million increase in core earnings for 2020 compared to 2019 was primarily due to a $22.4
million after-tax increase in net effective spread. This increase was partially offset by a $7.5 million after-
tax increase in operating expenses, a $3.9 million increase in preferred stock dividends, and a $3.6 million
after-tax increase in the total provision for credit losses.
The $9.7 million increase in core earnings for 2019 compared to 2018 was primarily due to a
$13.8 million after-tax increase in net effective spread driven by higher business volume, partially offset
by a $2.5 million after-tax increase in the provision for loan losses and a $1.6 million after-tax increase in
operating expenses.
55
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."
Net Interest Income and Net Effective Spread
The following table shows our net interest income and net effective spread in both dollars and percentage
yield or spread for the periods presented. Farmer Mac uses net effective spread, a non-GAAP measure, as
an alternative 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
Net interest income
Net interest yield %
Net effective spread
Net effective spread %
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
$
190,588
$
173,135
$
174,436
0.85 %
196,956
0.93 %
0.87 %
168,608
0.91 %
0.96 %
151,195
0.91 %
The $17.5 million increase in net interest income for 2020 compared to 2019 was primarily due to a
$23.2 million increase related to new business volume. This was partially offset by a $4.1 million increase
in funding and liquidity costs and a $1.3 million decrease in the fair value of derivatives designated in fair
value hedge accounting relationships (designated financial derivatives). In percentage terms, the decrease
of 0.02% in net 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 an increase of 0.04% related to new business volume.
The $1.3 million decrease in net interest income in 2019 compared to 2018 was due to a $12.8 million
decrease in net fair value changes from fair value hedge accounting relationships and a $5.2 million
increase in funding and liquidity costs. These factors were partially offset by $15.1 million in net new
business volume across all lines of business, the change in composition of existing Institutional Credit
business volume and $1.6 million in various interest income fluctuations primarily related to prepayment
activity. The 0.09% decrease in percentage terms was primarily attributable to a 0.06% decrease in net fair
value changes from fair value hedge accounting relationships and a 0.05% increase in funding and
liquidity costs, partially offset by a 0.01% increase from business volume.
The $28.3 million increase in net effective spread in dollars for 2020 compared to 2019 was primarily due
to new business volume, which increased net effective spread by approximately $23.2 million, and a
$4.6 million decrease in non-GAAP funding costs. In percentage terms, the increase of 0.02% was
primarily attributable to new business volume.
The $17.4 million increase in net effective spread in dollars for 2019 compared to 2018 was due to a
$14.2 million increase from net new business volume across all lines of business, the change in
56
composition of existing Institutional Credit business volume, a $1.6 million increase in various interest
income fluctuations primarily related to prepayment activity, and a $1.6 million decrease in non-GAAP
funding costs. In percentage terms, net effective spread was 0.91% in both 2019 and 2018, as the increase
from the absence of the amortization of $2.0 million in premium of an interest-only security held in
Farmer Mac's investment portfolio (the "Interest-Only Amortization") was offset by the decrease from
narrower spreads on liquidity investment securities.
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 11 in
"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of
Operations—Net Interest Income."
Business Volume
Our outstanding business volume was $21.9 billion as of December 31, 2020, a net increase of $806.2
million from December 31, 2019 after taking into account all new business, maturities, and paydowns on
existing assets. This net increase was primarily attributable to net increases of $804.2 million in Farm &
Ranch, $536.3 million in Rural Utilities, and $166.5 million in USDA Guarantees. These net increases
were partially offset by a net decrease of $700.9 million in the Institutional Credit line of business.
The $804.2 million net increase in our Farm & Ranch line of business reflected a $1.2 billion net increase
in outstanding loan purchase volume that was partially offset by net decreases of $313.9 million in loans
held in consolidated trusts and $95.7 million in loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.
The $536.3 million net increase in our Rural Utilities line of business reflected a $589.1 million net
increase in outstanding loan purchase volume that was partially offset by a $52.9 million net decrease in
loans under LTSPCs.
The $700.9 million net decrease in our Institutional Credit line of business was primarily attributable to
maturities of $2.0 billion in our Institutional Credit line of business that was only partially offset by new
business.
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."
57
Capital
Table 3
Core capital
Capital in excess of minimum capital level required
As of
December 31, 2020 December 31, 2019
(in thousands)
$
1,006,400 $
325,455
815,437
196,669
The increase in capital in excess of the minimum capital level required was primarily due to the issuance
of the Series E Preferred Stock and Series F Preferred Stock and the increase in retained earnings, partially
offset by growth in our outstanding business volume and the redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock.
Current Expected Credit Loss
As noted above, Farmer Mac adopted CECL on January 1, 2020. Under CECL, we estimate and recognize
expected credit losses over the lives of our financial assets. We base our estimate of expected losses on
historical loss information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. In 2020, our reasonable and
supportable forecasts included the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic factors such as credit
spreads and unemployment. Thus, our total provision for credit losses during the year ended December 31,
2020 was affected by the ongoing economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac's allowance for losses on its on-balance sheet loan portfolio was
$13.8 million (0.16% of all loans), compared to $10.5 million (0.15% of all loans) as of December 31,
2019. As of January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac recorded a cumulative transition adjustment of $1.5 million. For
the year ended December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac recorded a provision to its allowance for loan losses of
$7.7 million. Farmer Mac also recorded a direct charge-off of $5.8 million from the allowance. The
charge-off was primarily related to a Farm & Ranch agricultural storage & processing loan secured by a
specialized poultry facility.
As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac's reserve for losses on its off-balance sheet LTSPCs and
Guaranteed Securities was $3.3 million (0.10% of all off-balance sheet LTSPCs and Guaranteed
Securities), compared to $2.2 million (0.06% of all off-balance sheet LTSPCs and Guaranteed Securities)
as of December 31, 2019. As of January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac recorded a cumulative transition adjustment
of $0.9 million. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac recorded a provision to its reserve for
its off-balance sheet portfolio of $0.3 million.
58
Credit Quality
The following table presents Farm & Ranch substandard assets, in dollars and as a percentage of the Farm
& Ranch portfolio, for both on- and off-balance sheet assets as of December 31, 2020 and December 31,
2019:
Table 4
Farm & Ranch Line of Business
On-Balance Sheet
Off-Balance Sheet
Substandard Assets
% of Portfolio
Substandard Assets
% of Portfolio
December 31, 2020
December 31, 2019
Increase/(decrease) from prior year-ending
$
$
180,823
207,078
(26,255)
(dollars in thousands)
2.9 % $
3.9 %
(1.0) % $
110,671
102,877
7,794
4.6 %
4.1 %
0.5 %
The decrease of $26.3 million in on-balance sheet substandard assets during 2020 was primarily driven by
credit upgrades during the year, particularly in permanent plantings, livestock, and crops. The on-balance
sheet Farm & Ranch portfolio grew by $899.9 million which, when coupled with credit upgrades, and
charge-offs, caused the percentage of substandard assets to decrease. The $7.8 million increase in
substandard assets in our off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch portfolio during 2020 was primarily due to
credit downgrades in the livestock portfolio during the year.
There were no substandard assets in the Rural Utilities portfolio as of both December 31, 2020 and 2019.
For an analysis of current loan-to-value ratios across substandard and other internally assigned risk
ratings, see Table 27 in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees."
59
The following table presents Farm & Ranch 90-day delinquencies, in dollars and as a percentage of the
Farm & Ranch portfolio, for both on- and off-balance sheet assets as of December 31, 2020 and
December 31, 2019:
Table 5
December 31, 2020
December 31, 2019
Increase/(decrease) from prior year-ending
Farm & Ranch Line of Business
On-Balance Sheet
Off-Balance Sheet
90-Day
Delinquencies
% of Portfolio
90-Day
Delinquencies
% of Portfolio
$
$
34,799
57,719
(dollars in thousands)
0.56 % $
1.09 %
11,433
3,235
(22,920)
(0.53) % $
8,198
0.48 %
0.13 %
0.35 %
On-balance sheet Farm & Ranch loans 90 or more days delinquent decreased in permanent plantings,
livestock, crops, and part-time farms, offset by an increase in agricultural storage and processing
attributable to the single loan secured by a specialized poultry facility. Off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch
loans 90 days or more delinquent increased in crops and part-time farms, offset by decreases in livestock
and permanent plantings. The top ten borrower exposures over 90 days delinquent in either the on- or off-
balance sheet portfolio represented over half of the aggregate 90-day delinquencies as of December 31,
2020.
There were no delinquencies in the Rural Utilities portfolio as of both December 31, 2020 and 2019.
For more information about Farmer Mac's credit metrics, including 90-day delinquencies, the total
allowance for losses, and substandard assets, as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on loan
payment deferments, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees."
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 losses and fair value measurement as critical accounting policies. Both policies
require complex and subjective judgments and are important to the presentation of Farmer Mac's financial
condition and results of operations.
Allowance for Losses
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, ("CECL"). 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.
60
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, "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,
"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 Utilities line of business. Upon the adoption
of CECL, Farmer Mac is now required to measure its expected credit losses for the expected life of all
financial instruments, including its Rural Utilities 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
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.
Estimation Methodology
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 Farm & Ranch, Rural Utilities, and Institutional
Credit;
• 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
61
• 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 the company's financial assets.
Allowance for Loss on Available-for-Sale (AFS) Securities
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")
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.
62
COVID-19 Payment Deferments
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act") was signed into law on
March 27, 2020. Section 4013 of the CARES Act titled “Temporary Relief from Troubled Debt
Restructurings” provides financial institutions the option to temporarily suspend certain requirements
under U.S. GAAP related to troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”) for a limited period of time to account
for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 10, 2020, Farmer Mac’s prudential regulator, FCA
(through OSMO) issued guidance to Farmer Mac on loan servicing and reporting TDRs for lines of
business affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This guidance was consistent with the guidance provided
by other financial regulatory agencies and the Financial Accounting Standards Board that short-term
modifications made on a good faith basis in response to the COVID-19 national emergency are not TDRs
when the borrower was not past due on loan payments before the March 13, 2020 presidential
proclamation declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency.
During second quarter 2020, Farmer Mac implemented the guidance from FCA by granting up to 6-month
payment deferments to borrowers who have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Farmer Mac deems loans under a COVID-19 payment deferment not to be past due and continues to
accrue interest on those loans. Furthermore, Farmer Mac does not consider a payment deferment on any
such loan to be a troubled debt restructuring. In estimating expected credit losses on Farm & Ranch loans
held for investment, Farmer Mac does consider payment deferments along with other available credit and
economic information that pertains to that portfolio.
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(g) 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 effect 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
63
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
assets or liabilities and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs. The hierarchy has the following three
levels to classify fair value measurements:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for
identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.
Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all
significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
Prices or valuations that require unobservable inputs that are significant to the fair value
measurement.
As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities recorded at fair value included financial
instruments valued at $7.0 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 29% of total assets and 65% of financial instruments measured at fair value as of
December 31, 2020.
See Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements for more information about fair value measurement.
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
In the accompanying analysis of its financial information, Farmer Mac 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.
64
Core Earnings and Core Earnings Per Share
The main difference between core earnings and core earnings per share (non-GAAP measures) and net
income attributable to common stockholders and earnings per common share (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.
Another difference is that these two 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. For example, we have
excluded from core earnings and core earnings per share any losses on retirement of 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. As further explained below, net effective
spread differs from net interest income and net interest yield by excluding certain items from net interest
income and net interest yield and including certain other items that net interest income and 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. Farmer Mac also excludes
from net effective spread the fair value changes of financial derivatives and the corresponding assets or
liabilities designated in fair value hedge relationships because they are not expected to have an economic
effect on Farmer Mac's financial performance, as we expect to hold the financial derivatives and
corresponding hedged items to maturity.
Net effective spread also 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,
the accrual of the contractual amounts due for undesignated financial derivatives are included in Farmer
Mac's calculation of net effective spread.
65
Net effective spread also differs from net interest income and net interest yield because it includes the net
effects of terminations or net settlements on financial 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 is intended to reflect our 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.
For a reconciliation of net interest income and net interest yield to net effective spread, see Table 11 in
"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of
Operations—Net Interest Income."
Results of Operations
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:
66
Table 6
Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to Common Stockholders to Core Earnings
Net income attributable to common stockholders
$
89,176 $
93,650 $
94,898
For the Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Less reconciling items:
(Losses)/gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value
changes (see Table 14)
(Losses)/gains on hedging activities due to fair value changes
Unrealized gains on trading securities
Net effects of amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on
assets consolidated at fair value
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives
Issuance costs on the retirement of preferred stock
Income tax effect related to reconciling items
Sub-total
Core earnings
Composition of Core Earnings:
Revenues:
Net effective spread(1)
Guarantee and commitment fees(2)
Other(3)
Total revenues
Credit related expense (GAAP):
Provision for losses
REO operating expenses
(Gains)/losses on sale of REO
Total credit related expense
Operating expenses (GAAP):
Compensation and employee benefits
General and administrative
Regulatory fees
Total operating expenses
Net earnings
Income tax expense(4)
Preferred stock dividends (GAAP)
Core earnings
Core earnings per share:
Basic
Diluted
Weighted-average shares:
Basic
Diluted
(3,691)
(10,019)
51
58
1,236
(1,667)
2,596
(11,436)
10,077
(9,010)
326
(122)
1,089
(1,956)
(496)
(92)
100,612 $
93,742 $
196,956 $
168,608 $
19,150
2,687
218,793
8,055
—
(463)
7,592
36,502
21,976
2,925
61,403
149,798
31,381
17,805
21,335
1,775
191,718
3,501
64
—
3,565
28,762
20,311
2,788
51,861
136,292
28,610
13,940
100,612 $
93,742 $
9.38 $
9.33
8.76 $
8.70
10,728
10,786
10,696
10,778
7,959
4,449
81
(461)
1,708
—
(2,885)
10,851
84,047
151,195
20,733
520
172,448
335
16
7
358
27,534
19,707
2,562
49,803
122,287
25,058
13,182
84,047
7.89
7.82
10,654
10,746
$
$
$
$
(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 11 for a reconciliation of net interest income to net
effective spread.
67
(2)
(3)
(4)
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.
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.
Includes the tax impact of non-GAAP reconciling items between net income attributable to common stockholders and core earnings.
Table 7
Reconciliation of GAAP Basic Earnings Per Share to Core Earnings - Basic Earnings Per Share
GAAP - Basic EPS
Less reconciling items:
(Losses)/gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes (see
Table 14)
(Losses)/gains on hedging activities due to fair value changes
Unrealized gains on trading securities
Net effects of amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets
consolidated at fair value
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives
Issuance costs on the retirement of preferred stock
Income tax effect related to reconciling items
Sub-total
Core Earnings - Basic EPS
For the Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
$
8.31 $
8.76 $
8.91
(0.34)
(0.94)
—
0.01
0.12
(0.16)
0.24
(1.07)
9.38 $
0.94
(0.83)
0.03
(0.01)
0.10
(0.18)
(0.05)
—
8.76 $
0.75
0.41
0.01
(0.04)
0.16
—
(0.27)
1.02
7.89
$
Shares used in per share calculation (GAAP and Core Earnings)
10,728
10,696
10,654
Reconciliation of GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share to Core Earnings - Diluted Earnings Per Share
GAAP - Diluted EPS
Less reconciling items:
For the Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
$
8.27 $
8.69 $
8.83
(Losses)/gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes (see
Table 14)
(Losses)/gains on hedging activities due to fair value changes
Unrealized gains on trading securities
Net effects of amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets
consolidated at fair value
Net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives
Issuance costs on the retirement of preferred stock
Income tax effect related to reconciling items
Sub-total
Core Earnings - Diluted EPS
$
(0.34)
(0.93)
—
0.01
0.11
(0.15)
0.24
(1.06)
9.33 $
0.93
(0.83)
0.03
0.74
0.41
0.01
(0.01)
(0.04)
0.10
(0.18)
(0.05)
(0.01)
8.70 $
0.16
—
(0.27)
1.01
7.82
Shares used in per share calculation (GAAP and Core Earnings)
10,786
10,778
10,746
68
The non-GAAP reconciling items between net income attributable to common stockholders and core
earnings are:
1. Losses on financial derivatives due to fair value changes are presented by two reconciling items in
Table 6 above: (a) (Losses)/gains on undesignated financial derivatives due to fair value changes; and
(b) Losses on hedging activities due to fair value changes. The table below calculates the non-GAAP
reconciling item for losses on hedging activities due to fair value changes:
Table 8
Non-GAAP Reconciling Items for (Losses)/Gains on Hedging Activities due to Fair Value Changes
For the Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(Losses)/gains due to fair value changes (see Table 6.2)
Initial cash payment (received) at inception of swap
(Losses)/gains on hedging activities due to fair value changes
$
$
(9,184) $
(835)
(10,019) $
(7,907) $
(1,103)
(9,010) $
4,941
(492)
4,449
2. Unrealized gains on trading securities. The unrealized gains/(losses) 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. The 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 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, 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.
5. The recognition of deferred issuance costs on the retirements of the Series A Preferred Stock in third
quarter 2020 and Series B Preferred Stock in second quarter 2019 has been excluded from core earnings
because they are not frequently occurring transactions, nor are they indicative of future operating results.
69
This is consistent with Farmer Mac's previous treatment of deferred issuance costs associated with the
retirement of preferred stock. The next eligible preferred stock redemption date is in third quarter 2024.
The following sections provide more detail about specific components of Farmer Mac's results of
operations.
Net Interest Income. The following table provides information about interest-earning assets and funding
for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018. 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 9
Interest-earning assets:
December 31, 2020
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2019
December 31, 2018
Average
Balance
Income/
Expense
Average
Rate
Average
Balance
Income/
Expense
Average
Rate
Average
Balance
Income/
Expense
Average
Rate
(dollars in thousands)
Cash and investments
$ 4,180,158 $ 42,144
1.01 % $ 3,218,286 $ 81,522
2.53 % $ 2,723,136 $ 55,179
2.03 %
Loans, Farmer Mac Guaranteed
Securities and USDA Securities(1)
16,950,819
407,296
2.40 % 15,214,248
502,694
3.30 % 13,917,222
434,585
Total interest-earning assets
21,130,977
449,440
2.13 % 18,432,534
584,216
3.17 % 16,640,358
489,764
Funding:
Notes payable due within one year
Notes payable due after one year(2)
Total interest-bearing
liabilities(3)
3,937,104
24,242
0.62 % 3,758,256
86,031
2.29 % 3,412,019
62,447
16,869,918
241,211
1.43 % 14,116,085
332,719
2.36 % 12,501,093
259,638
20,807,022
265,453
1.28 % 17,874,341
418,750
2.34 % 15,913,112
322,085
2.02 %
Net non-interest-bearing funding
323,955
—
558,193
—
727,246
—
Total funding
21,130,977
265,453
1.26 % 18,432,534
418,750
2.27 % 16,640,358
322,085
1.94 %
Net interest income/yield prior to
consolidation of certain trusts
21,130,977
183,987
0.87 % 18,432,534
165,466
0.90 % 16,640,358
167,679
Net effect of consolidated trusts(4)
1,396,850
6,601
0.47 % 1,544,052
7,669
0.50 % 1,443,394
6,757
Net interest income/yield
$ 22,527,827 $ 190,588
0.85 % $ 19,976,586 $ 173,135
0.87 % $ 18,083,752 $ 174,436
1.01 %
0.47 %
0.96 %
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Excludes interest income of $54.1 million, $60.9 million, and $54.5 million in 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively, related to consolidated trusts with
beneficial interests owned by third parties.
Includes current portion of long-term notes.
Excludes interest expense of $47.5 million, $53.2 million, and $47.8 million in 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively, related to consolidated trusts with
beneficial interests owned by third parties.
Includes the effect of consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties.
70
3.12 %
2.94 %
1.83 %
2.08 %
For 2020 compared to 2019, the $17.5 million increase in net interest income was primarily due to net
business volume growth across most lines of business, which contributed $23.2 million to net interest
income. This was partially offset by a $4.1 million increase in funding and liquidity costs and a decrease
of $1.3 million in net fair value changes from designated financial derivatives as a result of fluctuations in
interest rates. In percentage terms, the decrease of 0.02% in net 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 an increase of 0.04% related to new business
volume.
For 2019 compared to 2018, the $1.3 million decrease in net interest income was due to a $12.8 million
decrease in net fair value changes from fair value hedge accounting relationships, a $5.2 million increase
in funding and liquidity costs and a $1.7 million decrease in cash-basis interest income. These factors
were partially offset by:
•
•
1) $15.1 million from business volume, including:
$12.3 million in new business volume,
$1.9 million from the refinancing of existing Institutional Credit business volume at higher
spreads,
and $0.9 million from consolidated trusts; and
•
2) $3.4 million in interest income fluctuations, including:
•
•
the absence of $2.0 million from the Interest-Only Amortization, and
the receipt of a $1.4 million prepayment penalty.
The decrease of 0.09% was primarily attributable to a decrease of 0.06% in net fair value changes from
designated financial derivatives and an increase of 0.05% in funding and liquidity costs, partially offset by
an increase of 0.01% from 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), and then allocated based on the relative size of
rate and volume changes from the prior period.
Table 10
2020 vs. 2019
2019 vs. 2018
Increase/(Decrease) Due to
Increase/(Decrease) Due to
Rate
Volume
Total
Rate
Volume
Total
(in thousands)
Income from interest-earning assets:
Cash and investments
$
(58,877) $
19,499 $
(39,378) $
15,253 $
11,090 $
26,343
Loans, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and
USDA Securities
Total
Expense from other interest-bearing liabilities
Change in net interest income prior to
consolidation of certain trusts(1)
(148,159)
(207,036)
(213,715)
52,761
72,260
60,418
(95,398)
(134,776)
(153,297)
26,158
41,411
54,225
41,951
53,041
42,440
68,109
94,452
96,665
$
6,679 $
11,842 $
18,521 $
(12,814) $
10,601 $
(2,213)
(1)
Excludes the effect of debt in consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties.
71
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) the fair value changes of
financial derivatives and corresponding financial assets or liabilities in fair value hedge 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 net effective spread.
Table 11
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
Dollars
Yield
Dollars
Yield
Dollars
Yield
Net interest income/yield
Net effects of consolidated trusts
$ 190,588
0.85 % $ 173,135
0.87 % $ 174,436
(6,601)
0.02 %
(7,669)
0.03 %
(6,757)
0.96 %
0.04 %
Expense related to undesignated financial derivatives
3,468
0.02 %
(5,095)
(0.03) %
(11,685)
(0.07) %
Amortization of premiums/discounts on assets consolidated at fair
value
Amortization of losses due to terminations or net settlements on
financial derivatives
197
120
— %
398
— %
417
0.01 %
— %
(68)
— %
(275)
— %
Fair value changes on fair value hedge relationships
9,184
0.04 %
7,907
0.04 %
(4,941)
(0.03) %
Net effective spread
$ 196,956
0.93 % $ 168,608
0.91 % $ 151,195
0.91 %
For 2020 compared to 2019, the $28.3 million increase in net effective spread in dollars was primarily due
to net business volume growth across most lines of business, which contributed $23.2 million to net
effective spread, and a $4.6 million decrease in non-GAAP funding costs. In percentage terms, the
increase of 0.02% was primarily attributable to new business volume.
For 2019 compared to 2018, the $17.4 million increase in net effective spread in dollars was due to:
1) $14.2 million increase from business volume, including:
•
•
$12.3 million in net new business volume,
$1.9 million from the refinancing of existing Institutional Credit business volume at higher
spreads;
2) $1.6 million in interest income fluctuations, including:
•
•
•
the absence of $2.0 million from the Interest-Only Amortization,
the receipt of a $1.4 million prepayment penalty,
partially offset by a $1.7 million decrease in cash-basis interest income; and
3) $1.6 million decrease in non-GAAP funding costs.
72
In percentage terms, net effective spread remained at 0.91% in both 2019 and 2018 primarily because the
increase from the absence of the Interest-Only Amortization was offset by the decrease from narrower
spreads on liquidity investment securities.
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.
Provision for and Release of Allowance for 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, 2020:
Table 12
Balance as of January 1, 2018
Provision for losses
Charge-offs
Balance as of December 31, 2018
Provision for/(release of) losses
Charge-offs
Balance as of December 31, 2019
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of current expected credit loss standard
Adjusted beginning balance
Provision for/(release of) losses
Charge-offs
Ending balance
Allowance
for
Losses
Reserve
for Losses
(in thousands)
Total
Allowance
for Losses
6,796 $
2,070 $
8,866
$
$
238
(17)
97
—
7,017 $
2,167 $
3,504
(67)
(3)
—
$
10,454 $
2,164 $
1,793
12,247
7,810
(5,759)
863
3,027
250
—
335
(17)
9,184
3,501
(67)
12,618
2,656
15,274
8,060
(5,759)
$
14,298 $
3,277 $
17,575
During 2020, the allowance and reserve for losses was impacted by the cumulative transition adjustment
that we recorded related to the adoption of CECL and provisions for changes in risk ratings, economic
factors, and net business volume growth during the year.
The cumulative effect adjustment from the adoption of CECL on January 1, 2020 was $2.7 million and
was recorded directly to retained earnings, net of tax. The transition adjustment was the difference
between (1) the total allowance for losses on December 31, 2019 that reflected probable incurred losses
under the previous accounting standard and (2) the total allowance for losses on January 1, 2020 that
reflected expected losses under CECL.
The cumulative effect adjustment for credit losses on on-balance sheet assets was $1.8 million after an
increase of $5.4 million to the allowance for losses on Rural Utilities loans and Farmer Mac Guaranteed
Securities and a $3.6 million decrease in the allowance for losses on Farm & Ranch loans and Farmer Mac
Guaranteed Securities. Although Farmer Mac has never experienced any credit losses in its portfolio of
Rural Utilities loans and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, our estimate of expected losses is based upon
reasonable and supportable forecasts over the expected lives of these assets. The cumulative effect of
CECL on the Farm & Ranch portfolio was a reduction in the allowance for losses on those loans and
73
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities that reflected the expected recovery rate based on loan-to-value ratios
in those portfolios.
The cumulative effect adjustment for credit losses on LTSPCs was $0.9 million after an increase of $1.0
million on Rural Utilities LTSPCs and a decrease of $0.1 million on Farm & Ranch LTSPCs.
Our estimates of expected losses are based on historical information and reasonable and supportable
forecasts. Our reasonable and supportable forecasts incorporate economic factor forecasts and are
sensitive to changes in those economic factor forecasts. As of December 31, 2020, our forecasts included
the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic factors such as land values, gross domestic product,
credit spreads, and unemployment expectations. The economic factor related to unemployment
expectations had the most significant impact on our 2020 provision for credit losses, particularly on our
estimate of expected losses in the Rural Utilities portfolio. Unemployment expectations did not affect our
estimate of expected losses on the Farm & Ranch portfolio as much because of stable farm land values and
improved credit quality in the Farm & Ranch portfolio during the year. The provision to Farmer Mac's
allowance for losses for on-balance sheet assets was $7.8 million during 2020, reflecting $4.7 million for
expected losses on Rural Utilities loans and a provision of $3.0 million on Farm & Ranch loans and
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.
See Notes 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 – Loans and
Guarantees."
Guarantee and Commitment Fees. The 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, for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 13
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
Guarantee and commitment fees
$
12,549 $
13,666 $
13,976
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 the consolidated Farmer Mac
Guaranteed Securities. The decrease in guarantee and commitment fees for the year ended December 31,
2020 compared to 2019 was primarily due to decreased LTSPC volume. As adjusted for the core earnings
presentation, guarantee and commitment fees were $19.2 million for 2020, compared to $21.3 million and
$20.7 million for 2019 and 2018, 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
"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."
74
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives. The components of gains and losses on financial derivatives for
the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 are summarized in the following table:
Table 14
(Losses)/gains due to fair value changes
Accrual of contractual payments
(Losses)/gains due to terminations or net settlements
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
$
(3,691) $
10,077 $
7,958
3,468
(23)
(5,095)
(11,685)
300
40
$
(246) $
5,282 $
(3,687)
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
undesignated 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 and initial cash payments received
upon the inception of certain undesignated swaps are included in "(Losses)/gains due to terminations or
net settlements" in the table above. For undesignated 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.
Changes in the fair value of these swaps are recognized immediately in "(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.
Other Income. The following table presents other income for years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and
2018:
Table 15
Late fees
Other
Total other income
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
1,292 $
1,135 $
2,195
769
3,487 $
1,904 $
$
$
1,258
119
1,377
The increase in other fees is primarily due to an increase in the fees received from borrowers to modify
their long-term fixed borrowing rate to a new lower rate.
75
Operating Expenses. The components of operating expenses for the years ended December 31, 2020,
2019, and 2018 are summarized in the following table:
Table 16
Compensation and employee benefits
General and administrative
Regulatory fees
Total Operating Expenses
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
$
36,502 $
28,762 $
21,976
2,925
20,311
2,788
$
61,403 $
51,861 $
27,534
19,707
2,562
49,803
a. Compensation and Employee Benefits. The increase in compensation and employee benefits
expenses for 2020 compared to 2019 was primarily due to increased headcount in the current
period, higher bonus expense, and severance payments made to an executive who resigned in first
quarter 2020. The increase in compensation and employee benefits in 2019 compared to 2018 was
primarily due to hiring of executives and related employee health insurance costs.
b. General and Administrative Expenses (G&A). The increase in G&A expenses for 2020 compared
to 2019 was primarily due to increased spending on software licenses and information technology
consultants to support growth and strategic initiatives. The increase in G&A expenses in 2019
compared to 2018 was due to various growth, strategic, and compliance initiatives in 2019.
Income Tax Expense. The following table presents income tax expense and the effective income tax rate
for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 17
Income tax expense
Effective tax rate
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(dollars in thousands)
$
28,785
$
29,105
$
20.9 %
20.9 %
27,942
20.5 %
76
Business Volume.
The following table sets forth the net growth or decrease under Farmer Mac's lines of business for the
years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 18
Net New Business Volume – Farmer Mac Loan Purchases, Guarantees, LTSPCs, and AgVantage Securities
Farm & Ranch:
Loans
Loans held in trusts:
Beneficial interests owned by third party investors
LTSPCs
USDA Guarantees:
USDA Securities
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities
Rural Utilities:
Loans
LTSPCs
Institutional Credit:
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
Net Growth/
(Decrease)
2019
Net Growth/
(Decrease)
(in thousands)
2018
Net Growth/
(Decrease)
$
1,213,754 $
604,418 $
272,316
(313,872)
(95,650)
83,816
(145,257)
83,023
21,532
256,461
(89,918)
589,119
(52,853)
732,450
(43,994)
(137,448)
(153,069)
117,273
(23,204)
52,537
110,870
AgVantage securities
AgVantage revolving line of credit facility(1)
(700,887)
357,429
—
(300,000)
477,939
—
Total purchases, guarantees, LTSPCs, and AgVantage securities
$
806,154 $
1,393,417 $
717,214
(1)
During 2019, the facility was drawn on two separate occurrences for $100.0 million and $150.0 million and later repaid. During 2018, $100.0 million
of this facility was drawn and later repaid. The facility was terminated during fourth quarter 2019.
Our outstanding business volume was $21.9 billion as of December 31, 2020, a net increase of $806.2
million from December 31, 2019 after taking into account all new business, maturities, and repayments on
existing assets. This net increase was primarily attributable to net increases of $804.2 million in Farm &
Ranch, $536.3 million in Rural Utilities, and $166.5 million in USDA Guarantees. The net increases were
partially offset by a net decrease of $700.9 million in the Institutional Credit line of business.
The $804.2 million net increase in our Farm & Ranch line of business reflected a $1.2 billion net increase
in outstanding loan purchase volume that was partially offset by net decreases of $313.9 million in loans
held in consolidated trusts and $95.7 million in loans underlying LTSPCs and off-balance sheet
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities. Included in the $1.2 billion net increase in outstanding loan purchase
volume is a growing proportion of larger loan exposures (generally loan commitments more than
$10 million) to agribusinesses that support agriculture production, food and fiber processing, and other
supply chain production. The net growth in 2020 reflected our ability to retain borrowers in a decreasing
interest rate environment by proactively engaging with borrowers and adjusting their rates and loan sizes
to reflect current market conditions and their specific funding needs. We broadened and deepened our
market share as evidenced by gross new loan purchase volume increasing 82%, or $1.1 billion, versus
2019. Of this gross new loan purchase volume, 80% is attributable to active lenders (lenders selling
Farmer Mac volume in 2020 and 2019) and 20% is attributable to new or previously inactive lenders. We
77
deepened our relationship with our lenders as evidenced by an 80% increase in the number of lenders
selling us loans totaling $1 million or more versus the prior year period. Our net growth of 17.1% in the
Farm & Ranch on-balance sheet portfolio over the twelve months ended December 31, 2020 is
significantly higher than the 5.0% net growth of the overall agricultural mortgage loan market over the
twelve months ended September 30, 2020 (based on our analysis of bank and Farm Credit System call
report data). During 2020, Farmer Mac syndicated a $15.0 million position of a newly purchased $59.2
million agricultural loan. This transaction represents new activity for Farmer Mac to broaden its
relationships across the agricultural lending spectrum.
Our USDA Guarantees line of business grew by $166.5 million in 2020. Our gross volume of
$777.9 million was the highest gross volume that we have ever recorded in any calendar year. This growth
reflected the positive effect of adjustments that we made to our product structure in the second half of
2019 to more effectively meet customer demands in an increasingly competitive environment and in
response to increased USDA loan limits permitted by the 2018 Farm Bill.
The $700.9 million net decrease in the Institutional Credit line of business during 2020 was due primarily
to three large counterparties who reduced their amount of outstanding credit in connection with scheduled
maturities and payments on multiple AgVantage bonds. The year-over-year changes in AgVantage
securities volume are primarily driven by the generally larger transaction sizes for that product, scheduled
maturity amounts, the liquidity needs of Farmer Mac’s AgVantage counterparties, and changes in the
pricing and availability of wholesale funding.
The $536.3 million net increase in our Rural Utilities line of business reflected a $589.1 million net
increase in outstanding loan purchase volume that was partially offset by a $52.9 net decrease in loans
under LTSPCs. During 2020, we funded $64.3 million of loans for solar and wind projects as part of our
renewable energy strategic initiative.
The level and composition of Farmer Mac’s outstanding business volume is based on the relationship
between new business, maturities, and repayments on existing assets from quarter to quarter. This
relationship in turn depends on a variety of factors both internal and external to Farmer Mac. The external
factors include general market forces, competition, and our counterparties’ liquidity needs, access to
alternative funding, desired products, and assessment of 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 information about the Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities issued during the
periods indicated:
Table 19
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
Loans securitized and sold as Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities
$
165,054 $
263,561 $
—
57,853
1,298,751
2,258,550
3,010,307
255,078
127,851
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities
AgVantage securities
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities Issuances
$
1,463,805 $
2,579,964 $
3,393,236
78
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 eligible loans purchased and retained (excluding the purchases of defaulted loans) during both
2020 and 2019 was less than one year. Of those loans, 45% and 50% had principal amortization periods
longer than the maturity date, resulting in balloon payments at maturity, with a weighted-average
remaining term to maturity of 19.8 years and 14.2 years for each period, respectively.
During 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac securitized some of the Farm & Ranch loans it had purchased and
sold the resulting Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, as shown above. During 2020 and 2019, Farmer
Mac realized no gains or losses from the sale of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities or USDA Securities.
Farmer Mac consolidates these loans and presents them as "Loans held for investment in consolidated
trusts, at amortized cost" on the consolidated balance sheets. For 2020, 2019 and 2018, $41.2 million,
$163.1 million and $68.7 million, respectively, of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities were sold to a
related party (related by virtue of its owning more than 10% of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common
stock).
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 20
Lines of Business - Outstanding Business Volume
Farm & Ranch:
Loans
Loans held in trusts:
Beneficial interests owned by third party investors
LTSPCs
Guaranteed Securities
USDA Guarantees:
USDA Securities
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities
Rural Utilities:
Loans
LTSPCs
Institutional Credit
As of December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
$
4,889,393 $
3,675,640 $
3,071,222
1,287,045
2,325,431
79,312
1,600,917
2,393,071
107,322
1,517,101
2,509,787
135,862
2,452,964
333,754
2,199,072
421,103
2,120,553
395,067
2,260,412
556,425
1,671,293
609,278
938,843
653,272
AgVantage Securities
Revolving floating rate AgVantage facility(1)
Total
7,739,359
8,440,246
—
—
8,082,817
300,000
$
21,924,095 $
21,117,942 $
19,724,524
(1)
During 2019, the facility was drawn on two separate occurrences for $100.0 million and $150.0 million and later repaid. During 2018, $100.0 million of
this facility was drawn and later repaid. The facility was terminated during fourth quarter 2019.
79
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, 2020:
Table 21
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Thereafter
Total
Schedule of Principal Amortization as of December 31, 2020
Loans
Underlying
Off-Balance
Sheet Farmer
Mac
Guaranteed
Securities and
LTSPCs
Loans Held
USDA Securities
and Farmer Mac
Guaranteed
USDA Securities
Total
(in thousands)
$
354,984 $
253,508 $
117,226 $
725,718
343,208
356,542
350,961
384,864
230,490
209,665
185,040
188,737
121,173
125,543
123,667
126,479
694,871
691,750
659,668
700,080
6,646,291
1,893,728
2,172,630
10,712,649
$
8,436,850 $
2,961,168 $
2,786,718 $ 14,184,736
Of the $21.9 billion outstanding principal balance of volume included in Farmer Mac's four lines of
business as of December 31, 2020, $7.7 billion were AgVantage securities included in the Institutional
Credit line 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, 2020:
Table 22
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Thereafter(1)
Total
AgVantage Balances by Year of Maturity
As of
December 31, 2020
(in thousands)
$
$
1,823,932
1,565,655
1,045,738
864,090
231,025
2,208,919
7,739,359
(1)
Includes various maturities ranging from 2026 to 2044.
The weighted-average remaining maturity of the outstanding AgVantage securities shown in the table
above was 4.9 years as of December 31, 2020.
80
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
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% 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).
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
require financial institutions 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. 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 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, 2020 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, 2020. 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 23
Primary Aspects of Institution's
Business Relationship with Farmer Mac
In both 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac earned
approximately $1.2 million in fees
attributable to transactions with AgFirst,
primarily commitment fees for LTSPCs.
Ownership of
Farmer Mac
Voting Common Stock
Affiliation with Any
Farmer Mac Directors
Name of Institution
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)
None
81
Name of Institution
AgriBank, FCB
Ownership of
Farmer Mac
Voting Common Stock
Affiliation with Any
Farmer Mac Directors
Primary Aspects of Institution's
Business Relationship with Farmer Mac
Farmer Mac directors
Richard H. Davidson and
Daniel L. Shaw serve as
directors of AgriBank.
Farmer Mac did not conduct any business
with AgriBank during 2020 or 2019.
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)
Bath State Bank
Less than 5% ownership
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
Dennis L. Brack serves as a
director of Bath State Bank
and Bath State Bancorp, the
holding company of Bath
State Bank.
Farmer Mac director
Everett M. Dobrinski served
as a director of CoBank
through December 2019.
Farm Credit Bank of
Texas (FCBT)
None
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)
Matthew 25
Management Corp.
None
85,241 shares of Class A
voting common stock
(8.27% of outstanding
Class A stock and 5.57%
of total voting common
stock outstanding)
Farmer Mac purchased $9.2 million and
$4.0 million in USDA Securities from Bath
State Bank in 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Farmer Mac purchased $416.8 million and
$776.4 million in participation interests in
loans from CoBank in 2020 and 2019,
respectively. This represented 56.0% and
89.1% of loan purchases under the Rural
Utilities line of business for 2020 and 2019,
respectively.
In 2020 and 2019, CoBank retained $2.3
million and $1.2 million of servicing fees
related to the loan participations sold to
Farmer Mac, respectively.
In 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac earned
approximately $1.2 million and $1.1 million,
respectively, in fees attributable to
transactions with FCBT, primarily
commitment fees for LTSPCs.
In both 2020 and 2019, FCBT retained
approximately $0.1 million in servicing fees
for its work as a Farmer Mac servicer.
Farmer Mac did not conduct any business
with Matthew 25 Management Corp. during
2020 or 2019.
82
Name of Institution
National Rural
Utilities
Cooperative
Finance
Corporation (CFC)
Ownership of
Farmer Mac
Voting Common Stock
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)
Affiliation with Any
Farmer Mac Directors
Farmer Mac director
Todd P. Ware serves as a
director of CFC.
The Vanguard
Group, Inc.
Zions
Bancorporation,
National
Association (Zions)
None
None
49,999 shares of Class A
voting common stock
(4.85% of outstanding
Class A stock and 3.27%
of total voting common
stock outstanding)
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)
Primary Aspects of Institution's
Business Relationship with Farmer Mac
Transactions with CFC represented 36.7%
and 9.8% of loan purchases under the Rural
Utilities line of business during 2020 and
2019, respectively.
In 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac earned
commitment fees of approximately $1.3
million and $1.7 million, respectively,
attributable to transactions with CFC.
In 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac earned
interest income of $63.1 million and $97.3
million, respectively, attributable to
AgVantage transactions with CFC.
In 2020 and 2019, CFC retained
approximately $3.3 million and $3.2 million,
respectively, in servicing fees for its work as
a Farmer Mac servicer.
Farmer Mac did not conduct any business
with The Vanguard Group during 2020 or
2019.
In 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac's purchases
of loans from Zions under the Farm &
Ranch line of business represented
approximately 7.1% and 9.5%, respectively,
of Farm & Ranch loan purchase volume for
those years. Those purchases represented
6.2% and 7.6%, respectively, of total Farm
& Ranch business volume for those years.
The purchases of USDA Securities from
Zions under the USDA Guarantees line of
business represented approximately 1.4%
and 2.1%, respectively, of the USDA
Guarantees line of business purchases for
the years ended December 31, 2020 and
2019. Transactions with Zions represented
4.1% and 4.5%, respectively, of Farmer
Mac's total outstanding business volume as
of December 31, 2020 and 2019.
In 2020 and 2019, Zions retained
approximately $11.8 million and $12.2
million, respectively, in servicing fees for its
work as a Farmer Mac servicer.
As discussed in more detail in Note 2(n) to the consolidated financial statements, Farmer Mac’s
consolidated financial statements include the accounts of 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.
83
Outlook
Farmer Mac continues to provide a stable source of liquidity, capital, and risk management tools as the
secondary market that helps meet the financing needs of rural America. The pace of Farmer Mac’s growth
will depend on the capital and liquidity needs of the lending institutions in the agricultural and rural
utilities business as well as the overall health of borrowers in the sectors we serve. Farmer Mac foresees
opportunities for profitable growth across our lines of business driven by several key factors:
• As agricultural and rural utilities lenders seek to manage equity capital and return on equity capital
requirements or seek to reduce exposure due to lending or concentration limits, Farmer Mac can
provide relief for those institutions through loan and portfolio purchases, participations,
guarantees, LTSPCs, or wholesale funding.
• While prospects for overall loan growth within the rural utilities industry appears to be moderate in
the near term due to slow growth in the demand for capital, future growth opportunities may
increase in Farmer Mac’s Rural Utilities line of business from deepening business relationships
with eligible counterparties, broadband-related capital expenditures, and the exploration of new
types of loan products. These opportunities may be limited by sector growth, credit quality, and the
competitiveness of Farmer Mac’s products.
• As a result of business and product development efforts and continued interest in the agricultural
asset class from institutional investors, Farmer Mac’s customer base and product set continue to
expand, which may generate more demand for Farmer Mac’s products from new sources.
• Consolidation within the agricultural finance industry, coupled with Farmer Mac’s relationships
with larger regional and national lenders, continue to provide opportunities that could influence
Farmer Mac’s loan demand and increase the average transaction size within Farmer Mac’s Farm &
Ranch line of business.
• Expansion and refinancing opportunities for agricultural producers resulting from a decrease in
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.
The COVID-19 pandemic and related efforts to contain it continue to create disruptions to the global
economy. Government stimulus programs designed to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic, as
well as significant liquidity support by the Federal Reserve to facilitate the functioning of the capital
markets, has reduced volatility to the economy and the sectors we serve. But the duration, severity, and
continued spread of COVID-19, the effectiveness and availability of vaccines, and ongoing government
efforts taken to contain COVID-19 and mitigate public health and economic effects continue to evolve and
remain uncertain. Farmer Mac’s mission is to support rural America during this pandemic, and the
disruptions caused by COVID-19 may present some new and expanded opportunities for Farmer Mac to
help meet the financing needs of rural America while also presenting uncertainties and risks. COVID-19
has highlighted the importance of a healthy and stable global food supply chain, as well as the need for
increased connectivity through rural broadband. These market conditions could result in increased
investment in the supply chain for food, fuel, fiber, energy, and broadband, all of which require access to
low-cost, long-term capital. Farmer Mac can provide a source of secondary market liquidity to help
stimulate capital deployment to help facilitate these investments while continually monitoring potential
market and sector volatility associated with the ongoing impacts of the pandemic. See "Risk Factors" in
84
Part II, 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.
Operating Expense. 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. Farmer Mac expects continued increases in its
operating expenses over the next several 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.
Operations. On March 12, 2020, Farmer Mac activated its business continuity plan and has been
operating uninterruptedly since then, with all of its employees working remotely from their homes. Farmer
Mac has provided guidance and support to all of its employees to ensure that they have the tools and
knowledge needed to effectively work from home, 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 and rural utility
lending space, Farmer Mac's business model is already based on a remote interface with its customers and
vendors. We do not expect Farmer Mac's remote-working environment to have a material effect on our
operations either in the near term or for the foreseeable future.
Agricultural Industry. Like most industries, the COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted the U.S.
agricultural and food sectors throughout 2020. According to advance sales data from the U.S. Census
Bureau, regional school and restaurant closures combined with consumer social distancing precautions
caused a 53% drop in food and beverage sales away from home in April 2020. Sales at food and beverage
places ended the year 19% below 2019 levels. Meat and poultry processing plants experienced widespread
closures in April and May, as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported more than 239 facilities
affected by COVID-19 outbreaks in 23 states. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information
Administration, ethanol production fell to 50% of 2019 levels in April 2020 as gasoline consumption fell
amid closures and reduced mobility. Ethanol is a primary demand driver for corn, so the sudden demand
shock caused downward pressure on grain commodity prices. The USDA corn price index hit a 10-year
low in April 2020.
Despite these pressures, the agricultural and food sectors endured with a strong finish in 2020. Food
consumption at home picked up considerably, with U.S. Census data showing an 11% increase in sales at
food and beverage stores in 2020 compared to 2019. USDA research shows that farm production and food
processing take a higher net margin of the food dollar spent at home, so the shift of consumer spending to
food at home could offset some or all of the losses from sales to restaurants and schools. Consumer
mobility increased steadily in the second half of 2020, restoring fuel demand and pushing ethanol
production back to 88% of 2019 levels by December. Record government support payments to farmers
and ranchers helped offset the mid-year disruptions. The USDA estimates total farm program payments to
farmers at over $46 billion for the year, a combination of typical farm programs, payments from the trade-
oriented Market Facilitation Program (MFP), forgivable loans from the Paycheck Protection Program
(PPP), and two rounds of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments. Finally, reduced
global supply of grains and increased export demand for grains combined to push world grain prices to 7-
year highs. USDA corn and soybean cash price indices closed the year 30% and 42% above 2019 levels,
respectively. Of the major agricultural commodities, only cattle and dairy prices did not end the year
higher than when it began.
85
The rebound in commodity prices combined with extensive government support payments led to a large
increase in sector-wide profitability for 2020. USDA projections for net farm income and net cash farm
income in 2020 are the highest levels since 2013 at $121.1 billion and $136.2 billion, respectively. An
average year generates approximately $100 billion in net farm income, so both 2020 metrics are well
above historical averages. A small decline in cash expenses due to a reduction in interest expense added to
improved profitability. Animal protein and specialty crop producers did not fully participate in the
increase, as higher labor, feed, and other input costs partially offset any gains in cash receipts. Early
USDA estimates for 2021 show a stable income outlook of $111.4 billion in net farm income and $128.3
billion in net cash farm income due to a reduction in government support payments but an increase in
grain cash receipts. Higher profitability and lower overall interest rates allow sector participants to
refinance and restructure their balance sheets with more favorable terms, driving deal flow and lender
competition.
Farmland values held steady throughout much of 2020 after rising at approximately the rate of inflation
for the last two years. Data released in August 2020 by the USDA indicates an average increase in farm
real estate values of 0.2% in 2020 in Corn Belt states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio), but a
decrease of 2.3% 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. The COVID-19 pandemic
slowed public auctions and sales in the first half of 2020, but transactions picked up in the third and fourth
quarters, and values trended higher in the fourth quarter. An improved profitability outlook combined with
low market interest rates could provide support for land values into 2021. Early estimates from the USDA
show a 2% increase in farm real estate in 2021. Historically, rising farm real estate values are paired with
an increase in 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.
As a result of improved profitability and an injection of working capital into the sectors, Farmer Mac's 90-
day delinquencies and substandard assets decreased in fourth quarter 2020. Forty-four percent of the loans
past due 90-days or more in third quarter 2020 cured or paid off by December 31, 2020. However, the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the potential for continued economic stress increase the level of
uncertainty inherent in the agricultural credit sector and could alter the trajectory of the current
agricultural cycle. A prolonged disruption may result in elevated loan delinquencies and a higher
percentage of loans rated substandard. Farmer Mac believes that its portfolio continues to be highly
diversified, both geographically and by commodity, and that its portfolio has been underwritten to high
credit quality standards. Therefore, Farmer Mac believes that its portfolio is well-positioned to endure
reasonably foreseeable volatility in commodity prices and farmland values. For more information about
the loan balances, loan-to-value ratios, 90-day delinquencies, and substandard asset rate for the Farm &
Ranch loans in Farmer Mac’s portfolio as of December 31, 2020, see "Management's Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and
Guarantees."
Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, three exogenous factors will continue to be a source of heightened
uncertainty for the agricultural and food sectors: international trade, weather conditions, and state and
federal farm policy. The U.S. agricultural sector has become increasingly dependent on foreign markets as
a source of demand. Agriculture exports were strong in 2020, aided by a weaker U.S. dollar, a recovery in
Chinese hog production and subsequent demand for feed inputs, and better overall trade relations. The
U.S. experienced $22 billion in severe weather disasters in 2020, the highest level in the 40 years tracked
86
by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Many of those events affected agriculture,
including a midwestern derecho, western wildfires, and western drought. Federal crop insurance provides
a strong mitigator against this risk, but farmers and ranchers face increasingly-severe weather incidents.
For more information about the recent Texas Arctic Freeze, please refer to the separate section below.
Farmer Mac closely monitors state and federal legislation and regulations that could affect U.S.
agriculture. Democrats took control of the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S.
Senate in 2021. Although party control has not historically correlated with the availability of government
farm payments, there could be changes in regulatory or tax policies that could affect the U.S. agricultural
and food sectors. Farmer Mac continues to monitor the effects that any changes in legislation or regulation
could have on Farmer Mac or its customers.
Rural Utilities Industry. The rural energy industry has less cyclicality than the agricultural sector, but
does trend with conditions in the general economy. Higher levels of unemployment and adverse credit
markets are typically associated with drops in energy demand (i.e., lower commercial, industrial, or
residential demand) and increases in industry ratings downgrades. The economic distress caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic has led to historic levels of unemployment and reduced energy demand from the
commercial and industrial sectors. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration,
electricity sales to commercial and industrial consumers dropped 8% year-to-date through November 2020
compared to 2019. However, residential sales during the same period were up 2% compared to 2019, as
residents spent more time at home during state, local, and self-imposed quarantines. Residential power
sales are typically significantly more profitable than those for commercial and industrial consumers, so
some of the profitability reduction from the loss of commercial and industrial sales can be offset by the
change in sales mix. Sector sales mix varies from utility to utility based on the characteristics of the region
served, so the degree of profitability offset may differ. Some rural electric cooperatives received
forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which are another potential source to
offset any profitability reduction. The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the greater need for and
interest in access to broadband internet in rural areas, and the CARES Act authorized more than $300
million to support healthcare industry telecommunications and rural broadband grants. Farmer Mac
expects the heightened level of uncertainty surrounding the economic impacts of COVID-19 to continue
into 2021. Through December 31, 2020 Farmer Mac had not observed material degradation in the
financial performance of its Rural Utilities portfolio.
During 2020, the sudden decrease of interest rates to historic lows drove significant financing activity on
the part of rural electric cooperatives. Prospects for loan growth within the rural utilities industry overall
appear to be moderate in the short to medium term as ongoing normal-course capital expenditures related
to maintaining and upgrading utility infrastructure continue at typical levels. Farmer Mac's future growth
opportunities for financing the electric cooperative industry may be affected 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, and competitive dynamics within the rural
utilities cooperative finance industry. In December 2020, the Federal Communication Commission’s Rural
Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction awarded $9.2 billion in broadband-related operating cost
subsidies to winning bidders. This may provide a catalyst for capital demands from rural electric
cooperatives who seek to develop and deploy broadband services, as over $1.5 billion in subsidies were
awarded to various rural electric cooperatives. The cooperatives that were unsuccessful RDOF bidders
also gained knowledge about the processes and technologies involved in broadband projects, which may
enable them to develop broadband infrastructure. In particular, these capital needs may provide Farmer
Mac with new financing opportunities with our existing customers.
87
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 with them.
This growth may also broaden Farmer Mac's customer base with cooperative lenders focused on lending
to renewable cooperatives. 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 program, Farmer Mac purchased solar project participation interests from a new
counterparty during first quarter 2020, wind project participation interests from an existing counterparty in
third quarter 2020, and loans from a new counterparty in fourth quarter 2020. Farmer Mac anticipates
further growth in this area during 2021. As of December 31, 2020 the total outstanding balance of Farmer
Mac’s renewable energy financing portfolio was $73.0 million.
Texas Arctic Freeze. Farmer Mac is carefully monitoring the effects of the extremely cold weather during
mid-February 2021 in the mid-south region, particularly in Texas, on both our agricultural and rural
infrastructure portfolios. As of December 31, 2020, our agricultural portfolio exposure in Texas was
approximately $611 million, with cattle being the largest commodity exposure. Cattle producers in that
region could face animal health issues as a result of the freezing conditions, but most of our other
commodity exposures in that region are less likely to be significantly affected by these conditions. As of
December 31, 2020, our rural infrastructure portfolio exposure in Texas was approximately $377 million
and is split between distribution and generation and transmission cooperatives. All these cooperatives
were affected in some way by the arctic freeze such as obstacles in receiving fuel for power plants or the
inability to obtain contracted electricity, which resulted in rolling blackouts across the state. We believe
that the electric cooperatives in our portfolio located in Texas entered this period of stress in a strong
financial position (including revolving lines of credit) to absorb cost increases. Most of these electric
cooperatives have fuel or power cost pass-through provisions within their rate-making authority which
provides flexibility to recoup market price fluctuations. It is unknown at this time what magnitude of cost
pass-throughs will be required to pay for additional energy costs and whether there will be new regulatory
barriers to implementing them. As of February 25, 2021, we are not aware of any damage from the arctic
freeze that would likely result in a material credit loss in either our agricultural portfolio or our rural
infrastructure portfolio.
88
Balance Sheet Review
The following table summarizes the balance sheet as of the periods indicated:
Table 24
As of
Change
December 31, 2020
December 31, 2019
$
%
(in thousands)
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Investment securities, net of allowance
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, net of allowance
USDA Securities
Loans, net of allowance
Other
Total assets
Liabilities
Notes Payable
Other
Total liabilities
Total equity
Total liabilities and equity
$
1,033,941 $
604,381
$ 429,560
3,898,724
8,123,493
2,480,321
8,535,146
283,876
3,004,875
8,590,476
2,241,073
893,849
(466,983)
239,248
6,981,440
1,553,706
287,129
(3,253)
$
$
$
24,355,501 24,355,501
$
21,709,374
$ 2,646,127
21,848,917
19,098,648
2,750,269
1,514,107
23,363,024 $
992,477
1,811,450
20,910,098
(297,343)
$ 2,452,926
799,276
193,201
24,355,501 $
21,709,374
$ 2,646,127
71 %
30 %
(5) %
11 %
22 %
(1) %
12 %
14 %
(16) %
12 %
24 %
12 %
Assets. The increase in total assets was primarily attributable to the net growth in our outstanding business
volume across most lines of business.
The increase in cash and cash equivalents and investment securities was primarily due to a decision to
increase our liquidity investment portfolio due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to support our program
asset growth.
Liabilities. The increase in total liabilities was primarily due to an increase in total notes payable to
support our program asset growth.
Equity. The increase in total equity was primarily due to the issuance of the Series E Preferred Stock and
the Series F Preferred Stock and an increase in net income. These increases were partially offset by the
redemption of the Series A Preferred stock and an increase in other comprehensive losses, net of tax,
primarily due to decreases in the fair value of available-for-sale securities and financial derivatives
designated in cash flow hedge accounting relationships.
Risk Management
Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees.
COVID-19
Farmer Mac continues to monitor the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Farmer Mac's credit risk
related to Farmer Mac's borrower exposures. In mid-2020, Farmer Mac experienced an increase in
payment deferment requests from its network of loan servicers on behalf of borrowers in Farmer Mac's
89
Farm & Ranch loan portfolio, although deferment requests were below our expectations. Our early
expectations for payment deferment requests were based on forecasts provided by other GSEs and other
Farm Credit System institutions. To address the requests that we have received, Farmer Mac has
established criteria for approval of payment deferments for borrowers impacted by the COVID-19
pandemic and have communicated these criteria to key counterparties. Farmer Mac will monitor the
criteria as the impact of the pandemic continues to unfold and determine if any changes should be made.
Most of the payment deferments Farmer Mac has approved and executed for loans it has purchased or
securitized in its Farm & Ranch portfolio have been for up to six months, with the deferred principal and
interest payments capitalized into the unpaid principal balance of the loan. The unpaid principal balance is
then re-amortized over the remaining term of the loan. Approved and executed payment deferments for
loans in LTSPCs have varied from three-month payment deferments for principal and interest to deferred
interest-only payments for up to twelve months, depending on the applicable LTSPC lender's deferment
policy. As of December 31, 2020, we have executed payment deferments in the Farm & Ranch and USDA
Securities portfolios related to an aggregate of $432.0 million of unpaid principal balances, which
represents 1.97% of our total outstanding business volume.
In addition, FCA has issued regulatory guidance encouraging Farmer Mac to work with its lending and
servicing partners in approving and executing servicing actions for borrowers impacted by COVID-19.
The table below presents a cumulative summary of COVID-19 payment deferments through December 31,
2020 in the Farm & Ranch and USDA Guarantees lines of business. Farmer Mac has not received any
payment deferment requests in the Rural Utilities line of business. For more information about FCA's
regulatory guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Regulatory Matters."
Table 25
Farm & Ranch COVID-19 Deferments Summary
As of December 31, 2020(1)
Unpaid Principal Balance
Requested, but not
yet Approved
Approved, but not
yet Executed
Not Approved(2)
Approved and
Executed
Farm & Ranch:
On-balance sheet:
Loans held for investment
Loans held in consolidated trusts
On-balance sheet total
Off-balance sheet:
LTSPCs
Farm & Ranch Total
USDA:
USDA Securities
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities
USDA Total
Farm & Ranch and USDA Total Deferments
(in thousands)
675 $
2,005
2,680 $
286 $
—
286 $
585
8,144
871 $ — $
10,824 $
11,664 $
946
12,610 $
— $
—
— $
— $
1,140
1,140 $
3,502
4,642 $
5,081 $
382
5,463 $
118,903
26,564
145,467
193,665
339,132
86,703
6,189
92,892
13,481 $
10,824 $
10,105 $
432,024
$
$
$
$
$
$
(1)
(2)
Loans under a COVID-19 deferment are not considered to be past due.
Typically due to the borrower withdrawing from the COVID-19 deferment process. For example, the borrower may have refinanced the loan, paid off the
loan, or decided not to pursue payment relief.
90
Farm & Ranch
Farmer Mac's direct credit exposure to Farm & Ranch loans held and loans underlying Farm & Ranch
Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs as of December 31, 2020 was $8.6 billion across 48 states. Farmer
Mac applies credit underwriting standards and methodologies to help assess exposures to Farm & Ranch
loans, which may include collateral valuation, financial metrics, and other appropriate borrower financial
and credit information. For larger loan exposures to agriculture production and agribusinesses that support
agriculture production, food and fiber processing, and other supply chain production, which may have
different risk profiles, Farmer Mac has implemented methodologies and parameters that help assess credit
risk based on the appropriate sector, borrower construct, and transaction complexity. For more information
about Farmer Mac's underwriting and collateral valuation standards for Farm & Ranch loans, see
"Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Farm & Ranch—Underwriting and Collateral Standards".
Farmer Mac has indirect credit exposure to the Farm & Ranch loans that secure AgVantage securities
included in the Institutional Credit line of business. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had not
experienced any credit losses on any AgVantage securities. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Institutional" for
more information about Farmer Mac's credit risk on AgVantage securities.
Farmer Mac considers a loan's original loan-to-value ratio as one of many factors in evaluating loss
severity. 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, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the
average unpaid principal balances for loans outstanding in the Farm & Ranch line of business was
$742,000 and $683,000, respectively. 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 combined basis rather than on a loan-by-loan basis. The weighted-average original loan-to-
value ratio for Farm & Ranch loans purchased during 2020 was 54%, compared to 51% for loans
purchased during 2019. The weighted-average original loan-to-value ratio for all Farm & Ranch loans
held and all loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs was
52% and 51% as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The weighted-average
original loan-to-value ratio for all 90-day delinquencies was 50% and 53% as of December 31, 2020 and
December 31, 2019, respectively.
The weighted-average current loan-to-value ratio (the loan to-value ratio based on original appraised value
and current outstanding loan amount adjusted to reflect amortization) for Farm & Ranch loans held and
loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs was 46% and 45%
as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.
For more information about the credit quality of Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch portfolio and the associated
allowance for losses please refer to Notes 8 and 12 to the consolidated financial statements. 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."
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, 2020,
Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquencies were $46.2 million (0.54% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio), compared
91
to $61.0 million (0.78% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio) as of December 31, 2019. Those 90-day
delinquencies were comprised of 38 delinquent loans as of December 31, 2020, compared to 57 delinquent
loans as of December 31, 2019. The decrease in 90-day delinquencies was primarily driven by three
commodity groups – permanent plantings, livestock, and part-time farms. The decreases in those
commodity groups were partially offset by increases related to the agricultural storage & processing loan
secured by a specialized poultry facility and multiple crop loans. The top ten borrower exposures over 90
days delinquent represented over half of the 90-day delinquencies as of December 31, 2020. Loans under
COVID-19 deferment are not considered past due and are not included in our delinquent loan statistics.
Farmer Mac believes that it remains adequately collateralized on its delinquent loans.
Our 90-day delinquency rate as of December 31, 2020 was below Farmer Mac's historical average. In the
near-term, our delinquency rate may exceed our historical average due to the expected impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic on 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.
The following table presents historical information about Farmer Mac's 90-day delinquencies in the
Farm & Ranch line of business compared to the unpaid principal balance of all Farm & Ranch loans held
and loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs:
Table 26
As of:
December 31, 2020
September 30, 2020
June 30, 2020
March 31, 2020
December 31, 2019
September 30, 2019
June 30, 2019
March 31, 2019
December 31, 2018
Farm & Ranch
Line of Business
90-Day
Delinquencies
Percentage
(dollars in thousands)
$
8,581,181 $
8,249,349
8,017,850
7,811,594
7,776,950
7,393,728
7,291,352
7,215,585
7,233,971
46,232
88,041
68,682
79,722
60,954
59,691
28,045
52,366
26,881
0.54 %
1.07 %
0.86 %
1.02 %
0.78 %
0.81 %
0.38 %
0.73 %
0.37 %
Across all of Farmer Mac's lines of business, 90-day delinquencies represented 0.21% of total outstanding
business volume as of December 31, 2020, compared to 0.29% as of December 31, 2019 and 0.14% as of
December 31, 2018. 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, 2020 by year of origination, geographic region, commodity/collateral type, original
loan-to-value ratio, and range in the size of borrower exposure:
92
Table 27
By year of origination:
2010 and prior
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Total
By geographic region(2):
Northwest
Southwest
Mid-North
Mid-South
Northeast
Southeast
Total
By commodity/collateral type:
Crops
Permanent plantings
Livestock
Part-time farm
Ag. Storage and Processing
Other
Total
By original loan-to-value ratio:
0.00% to 40.00%
40.01% to 50.00%
50.01% to 60.00%
60.01% to 70.00%
70.01% to 80.00%(3)
80.01% to 90.00%(3)
Total
By size of borrower exposure(4):
Less than $1,000,000
$1,000,000 to $4,999,999
$5,000,000 to $9,999,999
$10,000,000 to $24,999,999
$25,000,000 and greater
Total
Farm & Ranch 90-Day Delinquencies as of December 31, 2020
Distribution of
Farm & Ranch
Line of Business
Farm & Ranch
Line of Business
90-Day
Delinquencies(1)
Percentage
(dollars in thousands)
7 % $
2 %
4 %
6 %
4 %
6 %
10 %
11 %
9 %
14 %
27 %
592,548 $
130,862
326,344
474,806
373,001
540,674
875,272
903,891
828,905
1,178,015
2,356,863
100 % $
8,581,181 $
12 % $
35 %
29 %
12 %
4 %
8 %
100 % $
50 % $
24 %
18 %
6 %
2 %
—
100 % $
17 % $
25 %
35 %
20 %
3 %
— %
1,048,868 $
2,981,880
2,483,698
1,059,152
368,156
639,427
8,581,181 $
4,344,410 $
2,041,054
1,536,808
506,140
148,091
4,678
8,581,181 $
1,466,011 $
2,104,552
2,998,033
1,695,216
301,886
15,483
100 % $
8,581,181 $
29 % $
35 %
15 %
12 %
9 %
100 % $
2,475,210 $
2,980,950
1,297,834
1,019,996
807,191
8,581,181 $
2,591
—
—
961
1,077
691
11,326
14,811
2,317
12,458
—
46,232
11,690
1,616
15,056
3,043
4,396
10,431
46,232
27,589
1,462
8,927
754
7,500
—
46,232
3,803
16,615
22,874
2,608
222
110
46,232
6,456
22,026
7,500
10,250
—
46,232
0.44 %
— %
— %
0.20 %
0.29 %
0.13 %
1.29 %
1.64 %
0.28 %
1.06 %
1.06 %
0.54 %
1.11 %
0.05 %
0.61 %
0.29 %
1.19 %
1.63 %
0.54 %
0.64 %
0.07 %
0.58 %
0.15 %
5.06 %
— %
0.54 %
0.26 %
0.79 %
0.76 %
0.15 %
0.07 %
0.71 %
0.54 %
0.26 %
0.74 %
0.58 %
1.00 %
— %
0.54 %
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
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.
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).
Primarily part-time farm loans. Loans with an original loan-to-value ratio of greater than 80% are required to have private mortgage insurance.
Includes aggregated loans to single borrowers or borrower-related entities.
93
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 percentage 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. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac's substandard assets were $291.5 million (3.4% of the
Farm & Ranch portfolio), compared to $310.0 million (4.0% of the Farm & Ranch portfolio) as of
December 31, 2019. Those substandard assets were comprised of 343 loans as of December 31, 2020 and
353 loans as of December 31, 2019.
The decrease of $18.5 million in substandard assets during 2020 was primarily driven by credit upgrades
in our on-balance sheet portfolio, partially offset by credit downgrades in our off-balance sheet portfolio
during the year. Substandard assets decreased as a percentage of the total on-balance sheet portfolio
primarily due to the credit upgrades in our on-balance sheet portfolio. Substandard assets increased as a
percentage of the total off-balance sheet portfolio primarily due to the credit downgrades in our off-
balance sheet portfolio. The percentage of substandard assets within the portfolio closely approximates the
historical average.
Farmer Mac's average substandard assets as a percentage of its Farm & Ranch portfolio over the last
15 years is approximately 4%. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe that the substandard rate could
rise above that historical average in the short-term. However, the recent improvements in the agricultural
economy could potentially counter the negative effects of COVID-19 on our loan portfolio. The full extent
of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic remains to be seen, and we will continue to monitor its impact
on our substandard asset rate. 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 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
losses associated with the current agricultural credit cycle will be moderated by the strength and diversity
of its portfolio, which Farmer Mac believes is adequately collateralized.
The following table presents the current loan-to-value ratios for the Farm & Ranch portfolio, as
disaggregated by internally assigned risk ratings:
Table 28
Farm & Ranch current loan-to-value ratio by internally assigned risk rating as of December 31, 2020
Acceptable
Special Mention
Substandard
Total
(in thousands)
Current loan-to-value ratio(1):
0.00% to 40.00%
40.01% to 50.00%
50.01% to 60.00%
60.01% to 70.00%
70.01% to 80.00%
80.01% and greater
Total
$
2,569,762 $
81,890 $
91,930 $
2,161,539
1,994,724
1,010,825
235,587
5,920
90,165
58,366
60,555
18,343
2,011
72,847
81,283
18,988
18,675
7,771
2,743,582
2,324,551
2,134,373
1,090,368
272,605
15,702
$
7,978,357 $
311,330 $
291,494 $
8,581,181
(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.
94
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, 2020 by year of origination, geographic region,
and commodity/collateral type. The purpose of this information is to present information about realized
losses relative to original Farm & Ranch purchases, guarantees, and commitments.
Table 29
Farm & Ranch Credit Losses Relative to Cumulative
Original Loans, Guarantees, and LTSPCs as of December 31, 2020
Cumulative Original Loans,
Guarantees and LTSPCs
Cumulative Net
Credit Losses/
(Recoveries)
Cumulative Loss
Rate
(dollars in thousands)
By year of origination:
2010 and prior
$
15,323,945 $
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Total
By geographic region(1):
Northwest
Southwest
Mid-North
Mid-South
Northeast
Southeast
Total
By commodity/collateral type:
Crops
Permanent plantings
Livestock
Part-time farm
Ag. Storage and Processing
Other
Total
780,955
1,157,760
1,460,375
1,032,953
1,197,566
1,488,794
1,578,674
1,291,175
1,488,791
2,590,540
30,124
3,661
—
—
—
(516)
—
5,365
—
—
29,391,528 $
38,634
3,816,339 $
10,415,885
7,414,805
3,632,060
1,611,170
2,501,269
11,191
8,542
18,219
(613)
323
972
29,391,528 $
38,634
13,582,696 $
6,535,361
6,555,620
1,707,662
857,324
152,865
2,887
9,783
3,836
1,090
21,038
—
38,634
0.20 %
0.47 %
— %
— %
— %
(0.04) %
— %
0.34 %
— %
— %
— %
0.13 %
0.29 %
0.08 %
0.25 %
(0.02) %
0.02 %
0.04 %
0.13 %
0.02 %
0.15 %
0.06 %
0.06 %
2.45 %
— %
0.13 %
$
$
$
$
$
29,391,528 $
(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).
95
Analysis of portfolio performance indicates that commodity type is the primary determinant of Farmer
Mac's exposure to loss on a given loan. 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 30
As of December 31, 2020
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
$ 505,381
$ 196,530
$ 257,345
$ 84,553
$
5,000
$
59
$ 1,048,868
5.8 %
2.3 %
3.0 %
1.0 %
0.1 %
— %
12.2 %
Southwest
708,740
1,549,973
537,006
96,863
86,919
2,379
2,981,880
8.2 %
18.1 %
6.3 %
1.1 %
1.0 %
— %
34.7 %
Mid-North
2,102,120
10,955
222,812
117,914
27,963
1,934
2,483,698
Mid-South
628,515
43,568
312,432
67,897
6,721
19
1,059,152
24.4 %
0.1 %
2.6 %
1.4 %
0.4 %
— %
28.9 %
Northeast
Southeast
7.3 %
0.5 %
3.7 %
0.8 %
0.1 %
— %
12.4 %
161,833
58,401
78,494
65,996
3,432
—
368,156
1.9 %
0.7 %
0.9 %
0.8 %
— %
— %
4.3 %
237,821
181,627
128,719
72,917
18,056
287
639,427
2.8 %
2.1 %
1.5 %
0.9 %
0.2 %
— %
7.5 %
Total
$ 4,344,410
$ 2,041,054
$ 1,536,808
$ 506,140
$
148,091
$ 4,678
$ 8,581,181
50.4 %
23.8 %
18.0 %
6.0 %
1.8 %
— %
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).
96
Table 31
As of December 31, 2020
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:
2010 and prior
$
3,427 $
9,783 $
3,836 $
1,066 $
12,012 $
—
—
—
—
(540)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
24
—
—
—
—
—
3,661
—
—
—
—
—
5,365
—
—
—
30,124
3,661
—
—
—
(516)
—
5,365
—
—
—
$
2,887 $
9,783 $
3,836 $
1,090 $
21,038 $
38,634
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Total
Rural Utilities
Farmer Mac's direct credit exposure to Rural Utilities loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs as of
December 31, 2020 was $2.8 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 Utilities—Underwriting". As of December 31, 2020, there were no
delinquencies in Farmer Mac's portfolio of Rural Utilities loans.
Farmer Mac has indirect credit exposure to Rural Utilities loans that secure AgVantage securities included
in the Institutional Credit line of business. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had not experienced
any credit losses on any AgVantage securities. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Institutional" for more
information about Farmer Mac's credit risk on AgVantage securities.
Farmer Mac has never experienced a credit loss in its Rural Utilities line of business. Upon the adoption
of the current expected credit loss accounting standard ("CECL") on January 1, 2020, we are now required
to forecast and disclose our expected credit losses for the expected life of our Rural Utilities portfolio
assets. To do this, Farmer Mac relies upon industry data purchased from ratings agencies as well as
publicly available information as disclosed in the securities filings of other major lenders who serve this
industry. 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."
Farmer Mac evaluates 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
regulatory environment.
97
The following table presents Farmer 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.
Table 32
Distribution Cooperative
G&T Cooperative
Renewable Energy
Rural Utilities Total
Rural Utilities portfolio by internally assigned risk rating as of December 31, 2020
Acceptable
Special Mention
Substandard
Total
$
$
2,128,985 $
614,817
73,035
2,816,837 $
(in thousands)
— $
—
—
— $
— $
2,128,985
—
—
614,817
73,035
— $
2,816,837
For more information about the credit quality of Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities portfolio and the associated
allowance for losses please refer to Notes 8 and 12 of the consolidated financial statements.
Other Considerations Regarding Credit Risk Related to Loans and Guarantees
The credit exposure on USDA Securities, including those underlying Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA
Securities, is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Therefore, Farmer Mac believes
that we have little or no credit risk exposure in the USDA Guarantees line of business because of the
USDA guarantee. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had not experienced any credit losses on any
securities under the USDA Guarantees line of business and does not expect to incur any such losses in the
future. Because we do not expect credit losses on this portfolio, Farmer Mac does not provide an
allowance for losses on its portfolio of USDA Guaranteed Securities. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer
Mac had executed COVID-19 payment deferments on loans with unpaid principal balances of $92.9
million underlying USDA Securities.
Farmer Mac requires most approved lenders to make representations and warranties about the conformity
of eligible agricultural mortgage and Rural Utilities 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. 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, 2020, there have been no breaches of representations and warranties 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 sellers, Farmer Mac also underwrites the agricultural real estate
mortgage loans (other than rural housing and part-time farm mortgage loans) and Rural Utilities loans on
which it 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. For more information about Farmer Mac's loan eligibility
requirements and underwriting standards, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Farm &
Ranch—Loan Eligibility," "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Farm & Ranch—Underwriting
and Collateral Standards," "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities—Loan
Eligibility," and "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities—Underwriting and
Collateral Standards."
98
Under contracts with Farmer Mac and in consideration for servicing fees, Farmer Mac-approved servicers
service loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's requirements. Servicers are responsible to Farmer Mac for
serious errors in the servicing of those loans. If a servicer materially breaches the terms of its servicing
agreement with Farmer Mac, such as failing to forward payments received or releasing collateral without
Farmer Mac's consent, or experiences insolvency or bankruptcy, the servicer is responsible for any
corresponding damages to Farmer Mac 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 servicer. Farmer Mac also
can proceed against the servicer in arbitration or exercise any remedies available to it under law. During
the previous three years ended December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had not exercised any remedies or taken
any formal action against any servicers. For more information about Farmer Mac's servicing requirements,
see "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Farm & Ranch—Servicing" and "Business—Farmer
Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities—Servicing."
Credit Risk – Institutional. Farmer Mac is exposed to credit risk arising from its business relationships
with other institutions, 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 without Farmer Mac's consent. In AgVantage transactions,
the corporate obligor is typically required to remove from the pool of pledged collateral any loan that
becomes more than 30 days delinquent in the payment of principal or interest and to substitute an eligible
loan that is current in payment to maintain the minimum required collateralization level. Since the onset
of the COVID-19 pandemic, Farmer Mac has approved and expects to continue to approve payment
deferments on loans collateralizing AgVantage securities, allowing the AgVantage counterparty to keep
these loans in its collateral pool without replacing them. The criteria currently in place for approving
payment deferments for these loans is similar to the criteria Farmer Mac has established for loans in its
Farm & Ranch portfolio that are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the event of a default on an AgVantage security, Farmer Mac would have recourse to the pledged
collateral and have rights to the ongoing borrower payments of principal and interest. For Farm Equity
AgVantage counterparties and smaller financial funds or entities, Farmer Mac also requires that the
counterparty generally (1) maintain a higher collateralization level either through a higher
overcollateralization percentage or through lower loan-to-value ratio thresholds and (2) comply with
specified financial covenants for the life of the related AgVantage security to avoid default. For a more
detailed description of AgVantage securities, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—
Institutional Credit."
The unpaid principal balance of outstanding on-balance sheet AgVantage securities secured by loans
eligible for the Farm & Ranch line of business totaled $5.2 billion as of December 31, 2020 and $5.5
billion as of December 31, 2019. The unpaid principal balance of on-balance sheet AgVantage securities
secured by loans eligible for the Rural Utilities line of business totaled $2.6 billion as of December 31,
99
2020 and $2.9 billion as of December 31, 2019. The unpaid principal balance of outstanding off-balance
sheet AgVantage securities totaled $4.4 million as of December 31, 2020 and $7.6 million as of
December 31, 2019. A $0.3 billion off-balance sheet AgVantage revolving line of credit facility was
terminated during fourth quarter 2019.
The following table provides information about the issuers of AgVantage securities, as well as the
required collateralization levels for those transactions as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019:
Table 33
Counterparty
Balance
Credit
Rating
Required
Collateralization
Balance
Credit
Rating
Required
Collateralization
As of December 31, 2020
As of December 31, 2019
(dollars in thousands)
AgVantage:
CFC
MetLife
Rabo AgriFinance
Other(1)
Farm Equity AgVantage(2)
$ 2,570,249
2,375,000
2,050,000
551,654
192,456
A
AA-
None
None
None
100%
103%
110%
106% to 125%
110%
$ 2,949,500
A
2,550,000
2,225,000
436,041
279,705
AA-
None
None
None
100%
103%
110%
106% to 125%
110%
Total outstanding
$ 7,739,359
$ 8,440,246
(1)
(2)
Consists of AgVantage securities issued by 6 and 5 different issuers as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.
Consists of AgVantage securities issued by 4 and 5 different issuers as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.
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—Lenders" and "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—
Rural Utilities—Lenders."
Farmer Mac manages institutional credit risk related to its interest rate swap counterparties through
collateralization provisions contained in each of its swap agreements that vary based on the market value
of its swap portfolio with each counterparty. Farmer Mac and its interest rate swap counterparties are
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. Farmer Mac
transacts interest rate swaps with multiple counterparties to reduce counterparty credit exposure
concentration. Farmer Mac's usage of cleared derivatives has increased over time as has its exposure to
clearinghouses. The usage of cleared swap transactions 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 Risk – Other Investments. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had $1.0 billion of cash and cash
equivalents and $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 the Liquidity and Investment
Regulations for Farmer Mac, which were issued by FCA and 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. In addition to establishing a portfolio of highly liquid investments
100
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.
Farmer Mac's Liquidity and Investment Regulations and internal policies 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.
Farmer Mac's Liquidity and Investment Regulations and internal policies also establish concentration
limits, which are intended to limit exposure to any single entity, issuer, or obligor. Farmer Mac's Liquidity
and Investment Regulations limit Farmer Mac's total credit exposure to any single entity, issuer, or obligor
of securities to 10% of Farmer Mac's regulatory capital ($102.4 million as of December 31, 2020).
However, Farmer Mac's current policy limits this total credit exposure to 5% of its regulatory capital
($51.2 million as of December 31, 2020). 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.
Although the Liquidity and Investments Regulations do not establish limits on the maximum amount,
expressed as a percentage of Farmer Mac's investment portfolio, that can be invested in each eligible asset
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 financial assets retained on its balance
sheet because of timing differences in the cash flows due to maturity, paydown, or repricing of the assets
and debt together with financial derivatives. This risk is primarily related to loans, loan participation
interests, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, USDA Securities, and certain investment securities due to
the contractual right of borrowers to prepay their loans before the scheduled maturities. Cash flow
mismatches due to changing interest rates can reduce the earnings of Farmer Mac if assets prepay 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. Alternatively, Farmer Mac could see a
drop in income if assets repay more slowly than expected in a rising interest rate environment and the
associated debt must be replaced by higher-cost debt.
Interest Rate Risk Management
The goal of interest rate risk management at Farmer Mac is to manage the balance sheet in a manner that
generates stable earnings and value across a variety of interest rate environments. Recognizing that
interest rate sensitivity may change with the passage of time and as interest rates change, Farmer Mac
regularly assesses this exposure and, if necessary, adjusts its portfolio of funded financial assets, liabilities,
and 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
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Committee ("ALCO") provides oversight and approves strategies to maintain interest rate risk within the
board-established limits.
Farmer Mac's primary strategy for managing interest rate risk is to fund asset purchases with debt that
together with financial derivatives have similar duration and convexity characteristics and help to mitigate
impacts from interest rates changes across the yield curve. As part of this debt issuance strategy, Farmer
Mac seeks to issue a blend of liabilities and enter into financial derivative transactions across a variety of
maturities to approximately align the liability cash flows with the forecasted asset cash flows.
Farmer Mac issues discount notes and both callable and non-callable medium-term notes across a
spectrum of maturities to execute its debt issuance strategy. Callable debt is issued to mitigate prepayment
risk associated with certain funded financial assets held on balance sheet. In general, as interest rates
decline, prepayments typically increase, and Farmer Mac is able to extinguish certain callable debt
issuances. Therefore, these callable liabilities are reduced around the same time and amount of the asset
prepayments. The interest rate sensitivities of the debt together with financial derivatives tend to increase
or decrease as interest rates change in a manner that fully or partially offset similar changes in the interest
rate sensitivities of the funded financial assets. In addition, Farmer Mac enters into financial derivatives,
primarily interest rate swaps, to better match the durations of Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities, thereby
reducing overall sensitivity to changing interest rates.
Taking into consideration the prepayment provisions and the default probabilities associated with its
portfolio of retained assets, Farmer Mac incorporates behavioral prepayment models when projecting and
valuing cash flows associated with these assets. Because 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.
Changes in interest rates may affect asset prepayment rates which may, in turn, impact durations and
values of the assets. Declining interest rates generally increase prepayment rates, which shortens the
duration of these assets, while rising interest rates tend to loan prepayments, thereby extending the
duration of the assets.
Farmer Mac is subject to interest rate risk on loans and securities that Farmer Mac has committed to
acquire but has not yet purchased (other than delinquent loans purchased through LTSPCs or loans
designated for securitization under a forward purchase agreement). When Farmer Mac commits to
purchase these 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 those loans. Farmer Mac manages the interest rate risk
related to these loans by using futures contracts involving U.S. Treasury securities and other financial
derivatives. Farmer Mac enters into U.S. Treasury futures contracts as a hedge against the level of interest
rates.
Farmer Mac's $1.0 billion of cash and cash equivalents mature within three months and are generally
funded with debt having similar maturities. As of December 31, 2020, $3.6 billion of the $3.9 billion of
investment securities (93%) were floating rate securities with rates that adjust within one year or fixed rate
securities with original maturities between three months and one year. The floating rate securities are
funded with effectively floating rate debt that closely matches the rate adjustment frequency 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.
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Interest Rate Risk Metrics
Farmer Mac regularly stress tests and runs simulations on its portfolio of financial assets and liabilities for
interest rate risk and examines a variety of metrics to quantify and manage its interest rate risk. These
metrics include sensitivity to interest rate movements of market value of equity ("MVE") and projected net
effective spread ("NES") as well as duration gap analysis. MVE represents management's estimate of the
present value of all future cash flows from 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 measures the degree to which the
market values of Farmer Mac's assets, liabilities, and financial derivatives are estimated to change for a
given change in interest rates. Because this analysis evaluates the effect 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 may be impacted by changes in
market interest rates resulting from timing differences between maturities and re-pricing characteristics of
assets and liabilities 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 simulation 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
sensitivity to interest rate shocks.
Duration is a measure of a financial instrument's fair value sensitivity to small changes in interest rates.
Duration gap is the net estimated durations of Farmer Mac's funded assets, debt, and financial derivatives.
Because duration is a measure of fair value sensitivity, duration gap quantifies the extent to which
estimated fair value sensitivities for assets and liabilities are matched. Duration gap provides a relatively
concise measure of the interest rate risk inherent in Farmer Mac's outstanding portfolio.
A positive duration gap denotes that the duration of Farmer Mac's funded assets is greater than the
duration of its debt and financial derivatives. A positive duration gap indicates that fair value changes of
Farmer Mac's funded assets is more sensitive to small interest rate movements than fair value changes of
its debt and financial derivatives. Conversely, a negative duration gap indicates that fair value changes of
Farmer Mac's funded assets are less sensitive to small interest rate movements than fair value changes of
its debt and financial derivatives. A duration gap of zero indicates that with small changes in interest rate
movements the fair value change of Farmer Mac's assets is effectively offset by the fair value change of its
debt and financial derivatives.
Each of the interest rate metrics is produced using asset/liability models and is derived based on
management's best estimates of factors such as forward interest rates across the yield curve, interest rate
volatility, and asset prepayment speeds. Accordingly, these metrics are estimates rather than 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.
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The following schedule summarizes the results of Farmer Mac's MVE and NES sensitivity analysis as of
December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 to an immediate and instantaneous uniform or "parallel" shift
in the yield curve:
Table 34
Interest Rate Scenario(1)
+100 basis points
-100 basis points
Interest Rate Scenario(2)
+100 basis points
-100 basis points
Percentage Change in MVE from Base Case
As of December 31, 2020(1) As of December 31, 2019
2.7 %
4.9 %
(0.2) %
(8.4) %
Percentage Change in NES from Base Case
As of December 31, 2020(1) As of December 31, 2019(2)
0.5 %
3.9 %
— %
1.0 %
(1)
(2)
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 4 basis points as of December
31, 2020.
The NES shock scenario of +100 and -100 basis points as of December 31, 2019 were updated (from 0.8% and 0.1%, respectively) to conform the
underlying NES components of the shock scenario with the reported NES.
As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac's effective duration gap was negative 1.6 months, compared to
negative 1.2 months as of December 31, 2019. In 2020, Farmer Mac updated its duration gap measure to
funded assets, debt, and financial derivatives; the previously reported duration gap as of December 31,
2019 was negative 2.5 months. Interest rates decreased significantly during 2020 with the 2-year and 10-
year US Treasury Note yield-to-maturity dropping by approximately 145 basis points and 100 basis
points, respectively, versus year-end 2019. This rate movement contributed to reducing the duration of
Farmer Mac's funded assets compared to its liabilities and financial derivatives, thereby widening Farmer
Mac's duration gap. Furthermore, as of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac implemented a replacement
behavioral prepayment model that also contributed to a widening 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 funded
assets, future cash flows, 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
"basis swaps," in which Farmer Mac pays variable rates of interest based on one index to, and
receives variable rates of interest based on another index from, counterparties.
As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had $15.4 billion combined notional amount of interest rate swaps,
with terms ranging from less than one year to thirty years, of which $6.3 billion were pay-fixed interest
rate swaps, $5.5 billion were receive-fixed interest rate swaps, and $3.6 billion were basis swaps.
Farmer Mac enters into interest rate swap contracts to more closely match the cash flow and duration
characteristics of its financial assets with those of its liabilities. For example, Farmer Mac transacts pay-
104
fixed interest rate swaps and issues floating rate debt to effectively create fixed rate funding that
approximately matches duration with the corresponding assets being funded. Farmer Mac evaluates the
overall cost of using the swap market in conjunction with debt issuance as a funding alternative to
duration-matched debt and enters into interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risks 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 and SOFR). Also, certain financial derivatives are designated as cash flow
hedges to mitigate the volatility of future interest rate payments on floating rate debt.
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 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 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.
All of Farmer Mac's financial derivatives transactions are conducted under standard collateralized
agreements that limit Farmer Mac's potential credit exposure to any counterparty. As of December 31,
2020 and December 31, 2019, Farmer Mac had no uncollateralized net exposures.
Re-funding and repricing risk
Farmer Mac is 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 when
Farmer Mac funds floating rate, or synthetic floating rate, assets with floating rate liabilities with shorter
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 interest income when debt matures and is reissued to
continue funding those assets.
In addition, many of Farmer Mac's floating rate assets may prepay before the contractual maturity date.
Farmer Mac is also 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 assets are then effectively synthetically floating
rate assets that require floating rate funding.
Farmer Mac can meet floating rate funding needs in several ways, including:
•
•
issuing short-term 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 assets
being funded;
105
•
•
issuing non-maturity matched, floating rate medium-term notes with reset frequencies that match
the assets being funded; or
issuing non-maturity matched, fixed 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 effectively
floating rate funding.
To meet floating rate funding needs, Farmer Mac frequently issues shorter-term floating-rate medium-
term notes or fixed rate medium-term notes paired with a received-fixed interest rate swap because these
alternatives generally provide a lower cost of 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 match in the context of Farmer
Mac's overall liability issuance and liquidity management strategies.
However, if the funding cost of Farmer Mac’s discount notes or medium-term notes were to increase
relative to the benchmark market index to which the assets are being funded during the time between
when these floating rate assets were first funded and when Farmer Mac refinanced the associated debt,
Farmer Mac would be exposed to a commensurate reduction in its net effective spread on the associated
assets. Conversely, if the funding cost on Farmer Mac’s discount notes or medium-term notes were to
decrease relative to LIBOR (or a different market index) during that time, Farmer Mac would benefit from
a commensurate increase in its net effective spread on those assets.
Farmer Mac's liability 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. ALCO regularly reviews Farmer Mac's liability issuance strategy to appropriately manage re-
funding and repricing risk.
As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac held $6.4 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. As of the same date, Farmer Mac also had $6.3 billion of interest rate swaps outstanding
where Farmer Mac pays a fixed rate of interest and receives a floating rate of interest.
Following a period of market volatility in the first half of 2020, Farmer Mac's funding relative to LIBOR
stabilized with spreads modestly higher compared to historical averages. Farmer Mac regularly adjusts its
funding strategies to mitigate the effects of spread variability and seeks to maintain an effective funding
cost in the context of its overall liability management and liquidity management strategies.
Discontinuation of LIBOR
As described in "Risk Factors—Market Risk", 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 currently evaluating the potential effect on our business of the
replacement of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate.
As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac held $5.1 billion of floating rate assets in its lines of business and
its investment portfolio, had issued $4.7 billion of floating rate debt, and had entered into $14.6 billion
notional amount of interest rate swaps, each of which reset based on LIBOR. In addition, our Non-
Cumulative Series C Preferred Stock currently pays a fixed rate of interest until July 17, 2024. It becomes
106
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 an alternative benchmark interest rate indices 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 rate indices. The transition
may also result in different financial performance for previously booked transactions, require different
hedging strategies, or require renegotiation of previously booked transactions. As of December 31, 2020,
we had $1.0 billion outstanding in medium-term notes based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate
(SOFR), a potential alternative benchmark interest rate.
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 securities. Farmer Mac regularly accesses the capital markets for funding, and Farmer Mac
has maintained access to the capital markets at favorable rates throughout 2020 and 2019. 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 public capital markets. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had outstanding discount notes of $1.8
billion, medium-term notes that mature within one year of $8.9 billion, and medium-term notes that
mature after one year of $11.0 billion.
Assuming continued access to the 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 contingency funding plan to manage unanticipated disruptions in its access to the 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 prescribed for Farmer Mac by FCA. In accordance with the methodology for calculating
available days of liquidity under those regulations, Farmer Mac maintained a monthly average of 196 days
of liquidity during 2020 and had 207 days of liquidity as of December 31, 2020. ALCO regularly reviews
Farmer Mac's liquidity position and ensures the required minimums are maintained.
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;
international and multilateral development bank obligations;
•
•
• municipal securities;
•
• money market instruments;
•
•
•
• mortgage-backed securities.
diversified investment funds;
asset-backed securities;
corporate debt securities; and
107
The following table presents these assets as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019:
Table 35
Cash and cash equivalents
Investment securities:
Guaranteed by U.S. Government and its agencies
Guaranteed by GSEs
Asset-backed securities
Total
As of December 31, 2020
As of December 31, 2019
$
$
(in thousands)
1,033,941 $
604,381
1,935,056
1,944,497
19,171
4,932,665 $
1,842,640
1,143,323
18,912
3,609,256
The increase in the investment portfolio since December 31, 2019 was to provide a greater level of
liquidity in response to market disruptions driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, to prepare for the
possibility of future volatility in the debt capital markets, and to support program asset growth as the
overall funding needs for the balance sheet increased.
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. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac was in compliance with its
statutory capital requirements and was classified as within "level 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, 2020
and December 31, 2019, Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ratio was 14.1% and 12.9%, respectively. The
increase in our Tier 1 capital ratio was due to the fact that capital growth, which reflects the issuance of
the Series E and Series F Preferred Stock, partially offset by the redemption of the Series A Preferred
Stock, outpaced the growth in risk-weighted assets during 2020. As of December 31, 2020, 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.
Discount and Medium-term Notes. The following table presents the amount and timing of Farmer Mac's
known, fixed, and determinable discount and medium-term note obligations by payment date as of
December 31, 2020. The payment amounts represent those amounts due to the investor (including return
of discount and interest on debt) and do not include unamortized premiums or discounts or other similar
carrying value adjustments.
108
Table 36
One Year
or Less
One to
Three Years
Three to
Five Years
Over Five
Years
Total
(in thousands)
Discount notes(1)
Medium-term notes(1)
Interest payments on fixed rate medium-term notes(2)
Interest payments on floating rate medium-term notes(3)
$ 1,797,659 $
— $
— $
— $ 1,797,659
8,949,870
5,816,659
2,271,750
2,972,372
20,010,651
163,320
11,455
226,095
10,679
134,352
255,575
7,423
6,015
779,342
35,572
(1)
(2)
(3)
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.
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.
Calculated using the effective interest rates as of December 31, 2020. 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, 2020 do not represent the amounts that may
ultimately be paid under the financial derivative contracts, those liabilities are not included in the table
presented above. More information about financial derivatives is included in Note 2(e) and Note 6 to the
consolidated financial statements.
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 37
LTSPCs
Mandatory commitments to purchase loans and USDA Securities
As of December 31,
2020
2019
(in thousands)
$
2,881,856 $
3,002,349
125,811
65,056
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, which 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 & Ranch and
Rural Utilities lines of business. For securitization trusts where Farmer Mac is the primary beneficiary,
109
the trust assets and liabilities are included on Farmer Mac's consolidated balance sheet. For 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.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, outstanding off-balance sheet LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed
Securities totaled $3.3 billion and $3.5 billion, respectively. The following table presents the balance of
outstanding LTSPCs and off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities as of December 31, 2020
and 2019:
Table 38
Outstanding Balance of LTSPCs and
Off-Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
Farm & Ranch obligations:
LTSPCs
Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities
Total Farm & Ranch obligations
USDA Guarantees obligations:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities
Rural Utilities obligations:
LTSPCs
Institutional Credit obligations:
AgVantage Securities
Total off-balance sheet
As of December 31,
2020
2019
(in thousands)
$
2,325,431 $
2,393,071
79,312
2,404,743
107,322
2,500,393
299,298
389,216
556,425
609,278
4,412
7,567
$
3,264,878 $
3,506,454
See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk
Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees" and Notes 2(b), 2(d), 5 and 12 to the consolidated
financial statements for more information about Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and Notes 2(l) and 12
to the consolidated financial statements for more information about LTSPCs.
Regulatory Matters
Section 4013 of the CARES Act that was signed into law on March 27, 2020 provides financial
institutions the option to temporarily suspend certain requirements under U.S. GAAP related to TDRs for
a limited period of time to account for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 10, 2020, Farmer
Mac’s prudential regulator, FCA (through OSMO) issued guidance to Farmer Mac to encourage Farmer
Mac to work with its lending and servicing partners in approving servicing actions for borrowers impacted
by COVID-19, including working with other Farm Credit System institutions on approvals for loans to
which statutory borrower rights are attached (primarily in LTSPCs), as well as guidance on reporting
TDRs for lines of business affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The FCA's guidance on TDRs was
consistent with the guidance provided by other financial regulatory agencies and the Financial Accounting
Standards Board that short-term modifications made on a good faith basis in response to the COVID-19
national emergency are not TDRs when the borrower was not past due on loan payments before the March
13, 2020 presidential proclamation declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency.
110
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic effects, Congress passed a series of
stimulus measures (including the CARES Act) that delivered more than $35 billion in emergency aid to
farmers and ranchers in 2020. In addition, through funding provided in the various COVID-19 stimulus
packages, the USDA oversaw the purchase and delivery of $4.5 billion in food to food banks, churches,
community organizations, schools, and tribal organizations through the Farmers to Families Food Box
Program during 2020. These purchases have helped support commodity prices and serve millions of
Americans in need. On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law a bill providing for, among
other measures, $13 billion in additional support for U.S. agriculture through direct payments and food
support funding that is scheduled to be disbursed in 2021.
With the start of a new Congress and President Biden's Administration, Farmer Mac continues to monitor
legislation and regulations that could affect Farmer Mac, farmers, ranchers, rural lenders, and rural
America in general.
Other Matters
The expected effects of recently issued accounting pronouncements on the consolidated financial
statements are presented in Note 2(p) to the consolidated financial statements.
Supplemental Information
The following tables present quarterly and annual information about new business volume, repayments,
and outstanding business volume:
Table 39
For the quarter ended:
New Business Volume
Farm & Ranch
USDA
Guarantees
Rural Utilities
Institutional
Credit
Loans
LTSPCs
USDA Securities
Loans
LTSPCs
AgVantage
Total
(in thousands)
December 31, 2020
$
731,434 $
141,332 $
180,520 $
189,729 $
— $
96,424 $ 1,339,439
September 30, 2020
June 30, 2020
March 31, 2020
December 31, 2019
September 30, 2019
June 30, 2019
March 31, 2019
December 31, 2018
For the year ended:
740,823
609,284
401,853
602,750
309,805
248,152
203,156
285,008
94,495
85,390
73,674
65,614
125,022
57,321
91,215
80,840
225,494
224,016
147,906
143,565
113,664
118,335
57,223
90,297
62,300
339,366
152,668
102,900
117,279
105,000
546,198
3,000
—
211,908
1,335,020
19,500
430,024
1,707,580
—
—
—
—
—
—
560,395
1,336,496
371,075
1,285,904
402,611
1,068,381
659,447
1,188,255
825,417
1,723,209
585,814
1,044,959
December 31, 2020
$ 2,483,394 $
394,891 $
777,936 $
744,063 $ 19,500 $
1,298,751 $ 5,718,535
December 31, 2019
1,363,863
339,172
432,787
871,377
—
2,258,550
5,265,749
111
Table 40
Repayments of Assets by Line of Business
Farm & Ranch
Loans
Guaranteed
Securities
LTSPCs
USDA
Guarantees
USDA
Securities
Rural Utilities
Institutional
Credit
Loans
LTSPCs
AgVantage
Total
(in thousands)
For the quarter ended:
Scheduled
Unscheduled
$ 175,613 $
4,213 $ 26,895 $
29,120 $ 37,062 $ 19,528 $
676,567 $
968,998
231,342
2,242
95,264
99,811
1,610
—
—
430,269
December 31, 2020
$ 406,955 $
6,455 $ 122,159 $ 128,931 $ 38,672 $ 19,528 $
676,567 $
1,399,267
Scheduled
Unscheduled
$ 174,986 $
2,524 $ 32,276 $
29,654 $ 54,513 $ 14,100 $
547,236 $
855,289
326,025
1,934
66,074
138,518
—
—
—
532,551
September 30, 2020
$ 501,011 $
4,458 $ 98,350 $ 168,172 $ 54,513 $ 14,100 $
547,236 $
1,387,840
Scheduled
Unscheduled
June 30, 2020
Scheduled
Unscheduled
$ 101,264 $
3,043 $ 39,010 $
37,879 $ 23,589 $ 25,132 $
471,295 $
701,212
248,890
4,034
92,177
154,536
3,935
—
—
503,572
$ 350,154 $
7,077 $ 131,187 $ 192,415 $ 27,524 $ 25,132 $
471,295 $
1,204,784
$ 128,768 $
6,132 $ 50,393 $
43,069 $ 34,235 $ 13,593 $
304,540 $
580,730
191,260
3,888
60,442
78,806
—
—
—
334,396
March 31, 2020
$ 320,028 $
10,020 $ 110,835 $ 121,875 $ 34,235 $ 13,593 $
304,540 $
915,126
Scheduled
Unscheduled
$ 57,488 $
4,737 $ 39,878 $
25,142 $ 10,317 $ 10,551 $
656,095 $
804,208
105,671
3,247
74,121
66,011
34,063
—
13,000
296,113
December 31, 2019
$ 163,159 $
7,984 $ 113,999 $
91,153 $ 44,380 $ 10,551 $
669,095 $
1,100,321
Scheduled
Unscheduled
$ 97,421 $
3,095 $ 22,713 $
27,853 $ 31,656 $ 8,692 $
441,575 $
633,005
129,676
2,663
76,883
39,442
—
—
1,088
249,752
September 30, 2019
$ 227,097 $
5,758 $ 99,596 $
67,295 $ 31,656 $ 8,692 $
442,663 $
882,757
Scheduled
Unscheduled
June 30, 2019
Scheduled
Unscheduled
$ 39,879 $
3,758 $ 58,779 $
38,676 $
6,951 $ 17,092 $
612,964 $
778,099
64,912
3,399
58,979
43,044
—
—
—
170,334
$ 104,791 $
7,157 $ 117,758 $
81,720 $
6,951 $ 17,092 $
612,964 $
948,433
$ 112,973 $
5,843 $ 74,054 $
41,266 $ 31,492 $ 7,660 $
470,812 $
744,100
67,608
1,798
50,482
46,798
24,448
—
5,587
196,721
March 31, 2019
$ 180,581 $
7,641 $ 124,536 $
88,064 $ 55,940 $ 7,660 $
476,399 $
940,821
Scheduled
Unscheduled
$ 36,006 $
8,331 $ 35,682 $
24,793 $
6,321 $ 16,062 $
568,277 $
695,472
56,299
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
For the year ended:
Scheduled
Unscheduled
$ 580,631 $
15,912 $ 148,574 $ 139,722 $ 149,399 $ 72,353 $
1,999,638 $
3,106,229
997,517
12,098
313,957
471,671
5,545
—
—
1,800,788
December 31, 2020
$ 1,578,148 $
28,010 $ 462,531 $ 611,393 $ 154,944 $ 72,353 $
1,999,638 $
4,907,017
Scheduled
Unscheduled
$ 307,761 $
17,433 $ 195,424 $ 132,937 $ 80,416 $ 43,995 $
2,181,446 $
2,959,412
367,867
11,107
260,465
195,295
58,511
—
19,675
912,920
December 31, 2019
$ 675,628 $
28,540 $ 455,889 $ 328,232 $ 138,927 $ 43,995 $
2,201,121 $
3,872,332
112
Table 41
As of:
Lines of Business - Outstanding Business Volume
Farm & Ranch
Guaranteed
Securities
Loans
LTSPCs
USDA
Guarantees
USDA
Securities
Rural Utilities
Institutional
Credit
Loans
LTSPCs
AgVantage
Total
(in thousands)
December 31, 2020
$ 6,176,438 $
79,312 $ 2,325,431 $ 2,786,718 $ 2,260,412 $ 556,425 $ 7,739,359 $ 21,924,095
September 30, 2020
5,857,324
85,767
2,306,258
2,735,129
2,109,355
575,953
8,319,502
21,989,288
June 30, 2020
5,617,512
90,225
2,310,113
2,677,807
2,101,568
590,053
8,654,830
22,042,108
March 31, 2020
5,358,382
97,302
2,355,910
2,646,206
1,789,726
595,685
8,696,101
21,539,312
December 31, 2019
5,276,557
107,322
2,393,071
2,620,175
1,671,293
609,278
8,440,246
21,117,942
September 30, 2019
4,836,966
115,306
2,441,456
2,567,763
1,612,773
619,829
8,738,266
20,932,359
June 30, 2019
4,754,258
121,064
2,416,030
2,521,394
1,527,150
628,521
8,778,318
20,746,735
March 31, 2019
4,610,897
128,221
2,476,467
2,484,779
1,429,101
645,613
8,731,835
20,506,913
December 31, 2018
4,588,322
135,862
2,509,787
2,515,620
938,843
653,273
8,382,817
19,724,524
Table 42
As of:
December 31, 2020
September 30, 2020
June 30, 2020
March 31, 2020
December 31, 2019
September 30, 2019
June 30, 2019
March 31, 2019
December 31, 2018
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)
$
11,330,414 $
2,816,840 $
4,511,964 $
18,659,218
10,879,372
10,793,629
10,296,598
10,045,712
9,642,802
9,446,117
9,206,082
8,325,347
2,811,547
2,845,266
2,818,869
2,863,199
2,850,000
2,825,151
2,720,639
2,717,505
5,013,640
5,076,445
4,996,478
4,702,577
4,549,689
4,601,917
4,643,506
4,705,169
18,704,559
18,715,340
18,111,945
17,611,488
17,042,491
16,873,185
16,570,227
15,748,021
113
The following table presents the quarterly net effective spread (a non-GAAP measure) by segment:
Table 43
For the quarter ended:
December 31, 2020(1)
Net Effective Spread by Line of Business
Farm & Ranch
USDA Guarantees
Rural Utilities
Institutional Credit
Corporate
Net Effective
Spread
Dollars
Yield
Dollars
Yield
Dollars
Yield
Dollars
Yield
Dollars
Yield
Dollars
Yield
(dollars in thousands)
$ 20,313
1.75 % $ 6,786
1.10 % $ 7,322
1.35 % $ 17,401
0.85 % $ 2,700
0.22 % $ 54,522
0.98 %
September 30, 2020
18,025
1.67 % 5,865
0.97 % 6,939
1.32 %
18,601
0.87 % 2,372
0.23 % 51,802
0.96 %
June 30, 2020
16,733
1.71 % 4,689
0.81 % 5,516
1.15 %
18,782
0.86 %
749
0.08 % 46,469
0.89 %
March 31, 2020
December 31, 2019(1)
14,938
1.64 % 4,625
0.81 % 4,920
1.14 %
17,702
0.84 % 1,978
0.21 % 44,163
0.89 %
16,374
1.90 % 4,363
0.78 % 4,871
1.17 %
18,008
0.85 % 2,375
0.27 % 45,991
0.95 %
September 30, 2019
13,181
1.66 % 4,314
0.79 % 4,502
1.16 %
17,807
0.84 % 2,657
0.30 % 42,461
0.90 %
June 30, 2019
13,335
1.72 % 4,097
0.76 % 3,996
1.10 %
17,371
0.82 % 2,556
0.34 % 41,355
0.91 %
March 31, 2019
12,737
1.70 % 3,964
0.74 % 3,233
1.12 %
16,373
0.79 % 2,494
0.35 % 38,801
0.89 %
December 31, 2018
13,288
1.79 % 4,630
0.85 % 2,833
1.19 %
15,751
0.80 % 2,353
0.36 % 38,855
0.93 %
(1)
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, 2020 and 2019.
114
The following table presents quarterly core earnings (a non-GAAP measure) reconciled to net income
attributable to common stockholders:
Table 44
Revenues:
Core Earnings by Quarter End
December
2020
September
2020
June
2020
March
2020
December
2019
September
2019
June
2019
March
2019
December
2018
(in thousands)
Net effective spread
$ 54,522 $ 51,802 $ 46,469 $ 44,163
$ 45,991 $ 42,461
$ 41,355 $ 38,801 $ 38,855
Guarantee and commitment fees
Other
Total revenues
Credit related expense/(income):
4,652
512
4,659
453
4,943
1,048
4,896
674
5,432
100
5,208
389
5,276
777
5,419
509
5,309
(129)
59,686
56,914
52,460
49,733
51,523
48,058
47,408
44,729
44,035
Provision for/(release of) losses
2,973
1,200
REO operating expenses
Losses/(gains) on sale of REO
Total credit related expense/
(income)
—
22
—
—
2,995
1,200
51
—
—
51
3,831
—
(485)
2,851
—
—
3,346
2,851
623
—
—
623
420
64
—
484
(393)
—
—
(393)
166
—
—
166
Operating expenses:
Compensation and employee
benefits
General and administrative
Regulatory fees
9,497
6,274
750
8,791
5,044
725
8,087
10,127
5,295
725
5,363
725
6,732
5,773
725
7,654
5,253
688
6,770
4,689
687
7,606
4,596
688
7,167
5,829
687
Total operating expenses
16,521
14,560
14,107
16,215
13,230
13,595
12,146
12,890
13,683
Net earnings
Income tax expense
Preferred stock dividends
40,170
8,470
5,269
41,154
8,297
38,302
8,016
30,172
6,598
5,166
3,939
3,431
35,442
7,526
3,432
33,840
7,018
3,427
34,778
7,351
3,785
32,232
6,715
3,296
30,186
6,431
3,296
Core earnings
$ 26,431 $ 27,691 $ 26,347 $ 20,143
$ 24,484 $ 23,395
$ 23,642 $ 22,221 $ 20,459
Reconciling items:
(Losses)/gains on undesignated
financial derivatives due to fair
value changes
Gains/(losses) on hedging
activities due to fair value changes
Unrealized gains/(losses) on
trading assets
Net effects of amortization of
premiums/discounts and deferred
gains on assets consolidated at fair
value
Net effects of terminations or net
settlements on financial
derivatives
Issuance costs on the retirement of
preferred stock
Income tax effect related to
reconciling items
Net income attributable to
common stockholders
(1,758)
(4,149)
8,700
(6,484)
4,469
(7,117)
10,485
2,240
(96)
3,827
(5,245)
(2,676)
(5,925)
(220)
(4,535)
(1,438)
(2,817)
(853)
223
(258)
(20)
106
172
49
61
44
57
(77)
97
35
3
40
(7)
(139)
(16)
67
1,583
233
720
(1,300)
1,339
232
(592)
110
(312)
—
(1,667)
—
—
—
—
(1,956)
(798)
1,957
(1,419)
2,856
(1,218)
2,389
(1,759)
—
92
—
238
$ 29,431 $ 18,659 $ 31,687 $ 9,399
$ 29,066 $ 14,406
$ 28,304 $ 21,874 $ 19,560
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
115
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
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, 2020. 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, 2020 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, 2020, as
stated in their report appearing below.
116
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders
of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage 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”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, 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, 2020, 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, 2020, 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, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its
operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020 in
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, 2020, 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’s Report on Internal Control
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
117
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
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 Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, or Rural Utilities 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, 2020 was $6.6
billion, and the fair value of the available-for-sale AgVantage securities of December 31, 2020 was $6.9
118
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, Virginia
February 25, 2021
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2010.
119
FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Investment securities:
Available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $3,843,666 and $2,961,430, respectively)
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost
Total Investment Securities
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $6,594,992 and $7,016,971, respectively)
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
USDA Securities:
Trading, at fair value
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost
Total USDA Securities
Loans:
Loans held for investment, at amortized cost
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost
Allowance for losses
Total loans, net of allowance
Financial derivatives, at fair value
Interest receivable (includes $16,401 and $20,568, respectively, related to consolidated trusts)
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable
Deferred tax asset, net
Prepaid expenses and other assets
Total Assets
Liabilities and Equity:
Liabilities:
Notes payable
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties
Financial derivatives, at fair value
Accrued interest payable (includes $14,370 and $18,018, respectively, related to consolidated trusts)
Guarantee and commitment obligation
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Reserve for losses
Total Liabilities
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)
Equity:
Preferred stock:
Series A, par value $25 per share, 2,400,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding as of
December 31, 2019 (redemption value $60,000,000)
Series C, par value $25 per share, 3,000,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding
Series D, par value $25 per share, 4,000,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding
Series E, par value $25 per share, 3,180,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding
Series F, par value $25 per share, 4,800,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding
Common stock:
Class A Voting, $1 par value, no maximum authorization, 1,030,780 shares outstanding
Class B Voting, $1 par value, no maximum authorization, 500,301 shares outstanding
Class C Non-Voting, $1 par value, no maximum authorization, 9,205,897 shares and 9,180,744
shares outstanding, respectively
Additional paid-in capital
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax
Retained earnings
Total Equity
Total Liabilities and Equity
As of
December 31, 2020
December 31, 2019
(in thousands)
$
1,033,941
$
604,381
3,853,692
45,032
3,898,724
6,947,701
1,175,792
8,123,493
6,695
2,473,626
2,480,321
7,261,933
1,287,045
(13,832)
8,535,146
17,468
186,429
37,113
18,321
24,545
24,355,501
21,848,917
1,323,786
29,892
92,738
35,535
28,879
3,277
23,363,024
—
73,382
96,659
77,003
116,160
1,031
500
9,206
$
$
2,959,843
45,032
3,004,875
7,143,025
1,447,451
8,590,476
8,913
2,232,160
2,241,073
5,390,977
1,600,917
(10,454)
6,981,440
10,519
199,195
38,442
16,510
22,463
21,709,374
19,098,648
1,616,504
27,042
106,959
36,700
22,081
2,164
20,910,098
58,333
73,382
96,659
—
—
1,031
500
9,181
122,899
(13,923)
509,560
992,477
24,355,501
$
119,304
(16,161)
457,047
799,276
21,709,374
$
$
$
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
120
FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Interest income:
Investments and cash equivalents
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities
Loans
Total interest income
Total interest expense
Net interest income
Provision for losses
Net interest income after provision for losses
Non-interest income/(expense):
Guarantee and commitment fees
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives
Gains on trading securities
Losses on sale of available-for-sale investment securities
Gains/(losses) on sale of real estate owned
(Provision)/release of reserve for losses
Other income
Non-interest income/(expense)
Operating expenses:
Compensation and employee benefits
General and administrative
Regulatory fees
Real estate owned operating costs, net
Operating expenses
Income before income taxes
Income tax expense
Net income
Preferred stock dividends
$
42,144 $
81,522 $
227,691
233,699
503,534
312,946
190,588
333,896
229,675
645,093
471,958
173,135
(7,805)
(3,504)
182,783
169,631
12,549
(246)
50
—
463
(250)
3,487
16,053
36,502
21,976
2,925
—
61,403
137,433
28,785
108,648
13,666
5,282
326
(236)
—
3
1,904
20,945
28,762
20,311
2,788
64
51,925
138,651
29,105
109,546
(17,805)
(1,667)
(13,940)
(1,956)
89,176 $
93,650 $
55,179
290,953
198,152
544,284
369,848
174,436
(238)
174,198
13,976
(3,687)
81
—
(7)
(97)
1,377
11,643
27,534
19,707
2,562
16
49,819
136,022
27,942
108,080
(13,182)
—
94,898
Loss on retirement of preferred stock
Net income attributable to common stockholders
Earnings per common share:
Basic earnings per common share
Diluted earnings per common share
$
$
$
8.31 $
8.27 $
8.76 $
8.69 $
8.91
8.83
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
121
FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
Net income
$
108,648 $
109,546 $
108,080
Other comprehensive income/(loss) before taxes:
Net unrealized gains/(losses) on available-for-sale securities
Net changes in held-to-maturity securities
Net unrealized (losses)/gains on cash flow hedges
Other comprehensive income/(loss) before tax
Income tax (expense)/benefit related to other comprehensive income/(loss)
Other comprehensive income/(loss) net of tax
Comprehensive income
37,291
(12,677)
(21,780)
2,834
(596)
2,238
(22,831)
(13,415)
(15,801)
(52,047)
10,930
(41,117)
$
110,886 $
68,429 $
(29,980)
(6,067)
2,938
(33,109)
6,953
(26,156)
81,924
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
122
FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY
Accumulated
Additional
Other
Preferred Stock
Common Stock
Paid-In
Comprehensive Retained
Total
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Capital
Income/(Loss)
Earnings
Equity
(in thousands)
Balance as of January 1, 2018
8,400 $ 204,759
10,619 $ 10,619 $ 118,979 $
51,112 $ 323,175 $ 708,644
Net Income
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax
Cash dividends:
Preferred stock
Common stock (cash dividend of $0.58 per share)
Issuance of Class C Common Stock
Stock-based compensation cost
Other stock-based award activity
Balance as of December 31, 2018
Net income
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax
Cash dividends:
Preferred stock
Common stock (cash dividend of $0.70 per share)
Issuance of Series D Preferred Stock
Redemption of Series B Preferred Stock
Loss on retirement of preferred stock
Issuance of Class C Common Stock
Stock-based compensation cost
Other stock-based award activity
Balance as of December 31, 2019
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
50
—
—
—
—
—
—
50
—
—
—
—
—
—
7
2,518
(2,682)
—
108,080
108,080
(26,156)
—
(26,156)
—
—
—
—
—
(13,182)
(13,182)
(24,722)
(24,722)
—
—
—
57
2,518
(2,682)
8,400 $ 204,759
10,669 $ 10,669 $ 118,822 $
24,956 $ 393,351 $ 752,557
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
4,000
96,659
(3,000)
(73,044)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
43
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
43
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
44
2,258
(1,820)
—
109,546
109,546
(41,117)
—
(41,117)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(13,940)
(13,940)
(29,954)
(29,954)
—
—
96,659
(73,044)
(1,956)
(1,956)
—
—
—
87
2,258
(1,820)
9,400 $ 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)
Balances as of January 1, 2020
9,400 $ 228,374
10,712 $ 10,712 $ 119,304 $
(16,161) $ 454,948 $ 797,177
Net Income
Other comprehensive income, net of tax
Cash dividends:
Preferred stock
Common stock (cash dividend of $0.80 per share)
Issuance of Series E preferred stock
Issuance of Series F preferred stock
Redemption of Series A preferred stock
Loss on retirement of preferred stock
Issuance of Class C Common Stock
Repurchase of Class C Common Stock
Stock-based compensation cost
Other stock-based award activity
Balance as of December 31, 2020
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
3,180
77,003
4,800
116,160
(2,400)
(58,333)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
29
(4)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
29
(4)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
56
—
4,128
(589)
—
108,648
108,648
2,238
—
2,238
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(17,805)
(17,805)
(34,333)
(34,333)
—
—
—
77,003
116,160
(58,333)
(1,667)
(1,667)
—
(231)
—
—
85
(235)
4,128
(589)
14,980 $ 363,204
10,737 $ 10,737 $ 122,899 $
(13,923) $ 509,560 $ 992,477
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
123
FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income
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
Amortization of debt premiums, discounts, and issuance costs
Net change in fair value of trading securities, hedged assets, and financial derivatives
Gain/(loss) on sale of real estate owned
Total provision for allowance for losses
Excess tax benefits related to stock-based awards
Deferred income taxes
Other
Stock-based compensation expense
Purchases of loans held for sale
Proceeds from the sale of loans held for sale
Proceeds from repayment of loans purchased as held for sale
Net change in:
Interest receivable
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable
Other assets
Accrued interest payable
Other liabilities
Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of available-for-sale investment securities
Purchases of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities
Purchases of loans held for investment
Purchases of defaulted loans
Proceeds from repayment of available-for-sale investment securities
Proceeds from repayment of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities
Proceeds from repayment of loans purchased as held for investment
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale investment securities
Proceeds from sale of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
Proceeds from sale of real estate owned
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of discount notes
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes
Payments to redeem discount notes
Payments to redeem medium-term notes
Payments to third parties on debt securities of consolidated trusts
Proceeds from common stock issuance
Retirement of preferred stock
Proceeds from preferred stock issuance, net of stock issuance costs
Tax payments related to share-based awards
Purchases of common stock
Dividends paid on common and preferred stock
Net cash provided by financing activities
Net change in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest
Income taxes
Non-cash activity:
Real estate owned acquired through loan liquidation
Loans acquired and securitized as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
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 parties
Reclassification of defaulted loans from loans held for investment in consolidated trusts to loans held for
investment
Reclassification of loans held for sale to loans held for investment
Capitalized interest
Charge-off from the allowance for losses
Purchases of securities - traded, not yet settled
124
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
$
108,648 $
109,546 $
108,080
8,343
(10,399)
21,319
(256,466)
(463)
8,055
(440)
(2,406)
—
4,128
(59,150)
15,000
59,370
11,054
164
(3,348)
(14,221)
5,866
(94,547)
(2,852,658)
(2,074,701)
(3,167,198)
(6,272)
1,961,895
2,517,957
1,715,663
—
165,054
4,169
(1,736,091)
50,052
(220,080)
—
3,501
449
789
236
2,258
—
—
54,195
(19,080)
(59)
(2,744)
10,216
1,421
(19,699)
(2,166,376)
(2,691,104)
(2,234,715)
(469)
1,425,402
2,190,702
758,192
12,367
321,414
—
(2,384,587)
(1,104)
30,207
(23,747)
7
335
946
2,625
—
2,517
(25,000)
25,000
92,060
(25,866)
(188)
(6,435)
21,341
(747)
200,031
(1,221,392)
(3,470,832)
(947,495)
(1,483)
1,242,310
2,813,041
611,344
—
382,929
116
(591,462)
68,548,733
13,509,754
(68,960,492)
(10,414,765)
(504,807)
56
(60,000)
193,163
(560)
(235)
(50,649)
2,260,198
429,560
604,381
1,033,941 $
64,642,545
10,195,775
(64,079,322)
(7,970,126)
(181,493)
44
(75,000)
96,659
(1,777)
—
(43,894)
2,583,411
179,125
425,256
604,381 $
41,726,788
7,692,845
(41,891,576)
(6,834,057)
(138,806)
7
—
—
(2,631)
—
(37,905)
514,665
123,234
302,022
425,256
$
283,335
30,000
365,526
23,100
—
—
165,054
321,414
268,728
30,882
128
382,929
165,054
263,561
255,080
47,036
44,150
1,348
5,759
—
5,479
7,748
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(1,400)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
125
FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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.
Farmer Mac's secondary market activities 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.
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 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 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
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Farmer Mac and its two 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
Guarantees line of business – primarily the acquisition of USDA Securities. The consolidated financial
statements also include the accounts of Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs") in which Farmer Mac
determined itself to be the primary beneficiary.
(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.
126
(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. 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.
(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 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) 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
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.
127
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.
(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 USDA securities into trusts that are used as vehicles for the
securitization of the transferred 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 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.
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 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. When Farmer Mac purchases a delinquent loan underlying a Farmer Mac
Guaranteed Security, Farmer Mac stops accruing the guarantee fee upon loan purchase.
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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(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 to
adjust the characteristics of its short-term debt to match more closely the cash flow and 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.
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.
Changes in the fair values of financial derivatives not designated as cash flow or fair value hedges were
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.
See Notes 6 and 13 for more information on financial derivatives.
(g) Notes 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.
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(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 Utilities 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 Utilities 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.
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:
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• An economic model for each portfolio, including Farm & Ranch, Rural Utilities, and Institutional
Credit;
• 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
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.
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COVID-19 Payment Deferments
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act") was signed into law on
March 27, 2020. Section 4013 of the CARES Act titled “Temporary Relief from Troubled Debt
Restructurings” provides financial institutions the option to temporarily suspend certain requirements
under U.S. GAAP related to troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”) for a limited period of time to account
for the effects of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19"). On April 10, 2020, Farmer Mac’s
prudential regulator, the Office of Secondary Market Oversight (OSMO) within the Farm Credit
Administration (FCA), issued guidance to Farmer Mac on loan servicing and reporting TDRs for lines of
business affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This guidance was consistent with the guidance provided
by other financial regulatory agencies and the Financial Accounting Standards Board that short-term
modifications made on a good faith basis in response to the COVID-19 national emergency are not TDRs
when the borrower was not past due on loan payments before the March 13, 2020 presidential
proclamation declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency.
During second quarter 2020, Farmer Mac implemented the guidance from FCA by granting up to 6-month
payment deferments to borrowers who have been economically impacted by COVID-19. Farmer Mac
deems loans under a COVID-19 payment deferment not to be past due and continues to accrue interest on
those loans. Furthermore, Farmer Mac does not consider a payment deferment on any such loan to be a
troubled debt restructuring. In estimating expected credit losses on Farm & Ranch loans held for
investment, Farmer Mac does consider payment deferments along with other available credit and
economic information that pertains to that portfolio.
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 by: commodity type, portfolio, and risk rating; was performed,
where appropriate, in analyzing the need for an allowance for losses.
General Allowance for Loss, for Probable Incurred Credit Losses
Prior to January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac's methodology to determine its allowance for losses incorporated
Farmer Mac's automated loan classification system. That system scored 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 captured the migration of loan scores across
concurrent and overlapping 3-year time horizons and calculated 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 were applied to the current classification distribution of
unimpaired loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio to estimate inherent losses, under the assumption that the
historical credit losses and trends used to calculate loss rates would continue in the future.
Management evaluated 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.
132
Prior to January 1, 2020, Management believed that its use of that methodology produced 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 evaluated the Rural Utilities loans it owned to determine
if there were any probable losses inherent in those assets.
Specific Allowance for Impaired Loans
Prior to January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac analyzed individual loans for impairment. Those individual loans
included loans 90 days or more past due, in foreclosure, restructured, in bankruptcy and certain
performing loans that had previously been delinquent or were secured by real estate that produced
agricultural commodities or products then under stress.
(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 stock
appreciation rights ("SARs") and unvested restricted stock awards. The following schedule reconciles
basic and diluted EPS for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018:
Table 2.1
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
Weighted-
Average
Shares
Net
Income
$ per
Share
Net
Income
2019
Weighted-
Average
Shares
$ per
Share
Net
Income
2018
Weighted-
Average
Shares
$ per
Share
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Basic EPS
Net income attributable to
common stockholders
Effect of dilutive securities(1)
SARs and restricted stock
$ 89,176
10,728 $ 8.31 $ 93,650
10,696 $ 8.76 $ 94,898
10,654 $ 8.91
—
58
(0.04)
—
82
(0.07)
—
92
(0.08)
Diluted EPS
$ 89,176
10,786 $ 8.27 $ 93,650
10,778 $ 8.69 $ 94,898
10,746 $ 8.83
(1)
For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, SARs and restricted stock of 74,336, 43,374, and 15,812, 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, 2020,
2019, and 2018, contingent shares of unvested restricted stock of 12,680, 10,349, and 13,138, 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
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. 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.
133
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
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.
(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 $4.1 million, $2.3 million, and $2.5 million of compensation expense related to
stock options, SARs, and non-vested restricted stock awards for 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.
(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.
134
The following table presents the changes in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI"), net of
tax, by component for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 2.2
Available-for-
Sale Securities
Held-to-Maturity
Securities
Cash Flow
Hedges
Total
(in thousands)
Balance as of January 1, 2018
$
(1,676) $
48,236 $
4,552 $
Other comprehensive (loss)/income before reclassifications
Amounts reclassified from AOCI
Net comprehensive (loss)/income
Balance as of December 31, 2018
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications
Amounts reclassified from AOCI
Net comprehensive loss
Balance as of December 31, 2019
Other comprehensive income/(loss) before reclassifications
Amounts reclassified from AOCI
Net comprehensive income/(loss)
Balance as of December 31, 2020
(19,151)
(4,533)
(23,684)
—
(4,793)
(4,793)
2,571
(250)
2,321
$
(25,360) $
43,443 $
6,873 $
(14,976)
(3,061)
(18,037)
—
(10,598)
(10,598)
(11,561)
(921)
(12,482)
$
(43,397) $
32,845 $
(5,609) $
32,739
(3,279)
29,460
—
(10,016)
(10,016)
(21,606)
4,400
(17,206)
51,112
(16,580)
(9,576)
(26,156)
24,956
(26,537)
(14,580)
(41,117)
(16,161)
11,133
(8,895)
2,238
$
(13,937) $
22,829 $
(22,815) $
(13,923)
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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,
2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 2.3
Other comprehensive income:
Available-for-sale-securities:
Unrealized holding gains/
(losses) on available-for-sale
securities
Less reclassification
adjustments included in:
Net interest income(1)
Gains on sale of available-
for-sale investment
securities(2)
Other income(2)
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
Before
Tax
Provision
(Benefit)
After Tax
Before
Tax
Provision
(Benefit)
After Tax
Before
Tax
Provision
(Benefit)
After Tax
(in thousands)
$ 41,442 $
8,703 $ 32,739 $ (18,958) $
(3,982) $ (14,976) $ (24,241) $
(5,090) $ (19,151)
(3,895)
(818)
(3,077)
(3,834)
(805)
(3,029)
(5,784)
(1,215)
(4,569)
—
(256)
—
(54)
—
(202)
236
(275)
50
(57)
186
(218)
—
45
—
9
—
36
Total
$ 37,291 $
7,831 $ 29,460 $ (22,831) $
(4,794) $ (18,037) $ (29,980) $
(6,296) $ (23,684)
Held-to-maturity securities:
Less reclassification
adjustments included in:
Net interest income(3)
Total
Cash flow hedges
Unrealized (losses)/gains on
cash flow hedges
Less reclassification
adjustments included in:
Net interest income(4)
(12,677)
(2,661)
(10,016)
(13,415)
(2,817)
(10,598)
(6,067)
(1,274)
(4,793)
$ (12,677) $
(2,661) $ (10,016) $ (13,415) $
(2,817) $ (10,598) $
(6,067) $
(1,274) $
(4,793)
$ (27,350) $
(5,744) $ (21,606) $ (14,635) $
(3,074) $ (11,561) $
3,254 $
683 $
2,571
5,570
1,170
4,400
(1,166)
(245)
(921)
(316)
(66)
(250)
Total
$ (21,780) $
(4,574) $ (17,206) $ (15,801) $
(3,319) $ (12,482) $
2,938 $
617 $
2,321
Other comprehensive
income/(loss)
$
2,834 $
596 $
2,238 $ (52,047) $ (10,930) $ (41,117) $ (33,109) $
(6,953) $ (26,156)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Relates to the amortization of unrealized gains on hedged items prior to the application of fair value hedge accounting.
Represents amortization of deferred gains related to certain available-for-sale USDA Securities and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities.
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.
Relates to the recognition of unrealized gains and losses on cash flow hedges recorded in AOCI.
(m) Guarantees
Farmer Mac accounts for its LTSPCs as guarantees. 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
136
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.
See Note 2(h) for Farmer Mac's policy for estimating probable losses for LTSPCs.
(n) Fair Value Measurement
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. 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 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 1
Level 2
Level 3
Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date
for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.
Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all
significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
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 a particular
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
137
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 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. 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.
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.
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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.
See Note 13 for more information regarding fair value measurement.
(o) Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities
Farmer Mac has interests 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 Utilities 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 & Ranch 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.
139
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
"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
Guarantees line of 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 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 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.
The following tables present, by line of business, details about the consolidation of VIEs:
Table 2.4
On-Balance Sheet:
Consolidated VIEs:
Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities
As of December 31, 2020
Farm &
Ranch
USDA
Guarantees
Corporate
Total
(in thousands)
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties (1)
$ 1,287,045 $
— $
— $ 1,287,045
1,323,786
—
—
1,323,786
Unconsolidated VIEs:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Carrying value (2)
Maximum exposure to loss (3)
Investment securities:
Carrying value (4)
Maximum exposure to loss (3) (4)
Off-Balance Sheet:
Unconsolidated VIEs:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Maximum exposure to loss (3) (5)
—
—
—
—
34,537
34,456
—
—
34,537
34,456
—
—
1,918,672
1,918,672
1,909,535
1,909,535
79,312
299,298
—
378,610
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Includes borrower remittances of $36.7 million. The borrower remittances had not been passed through to third party investors as of December 31, 2020.
Includes $0.1 million of unamortized premiums and discounts and fair value adjustments related to the USDA Guarantees line of business.
Farmer Mac uses unpaid principal balance and outstanding face amount of investment securities to represent maximum exposure to loss.
Includes auction-rate certificates, asset-backed securities, and government-sponsored enterprise ("GSE")-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities.
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.
140
Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities
As of December 31, 2019
Farm &
Ranch
USDA
Guarantees
Corporate
Total
(in thousands)
On-Balance Sheet:
Consolidated VIEs:
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties (1)
$ 1,600,917 $
— $
— $ 1,600,917
1,616,504
—
—
1,616,504
Unconsolidated VIEs:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Carrying value (2)
Maximum exposure to loss (3)
Investment securities:
Carrying value (4)
Maximum exposure to loss (3) (4)
Off-Balance Sheet:
Unconsolidated VIEs:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Maximum exposure to loss (3) (5)
—
—
—
—
32,041
31,887
—
—
32,041
31,887
—
—
1,117,203
1,117,203
1,120,765
1,120,765
107,322
389,216
—
496,538
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Includes borrower remittances of $15.6 million. The borrower remittances had not been passed through to third party investors as of December 31, 2019.
Includes $0.2 million of unamortized premiums and discounts and fair value adjustments related to the USDA Guarantees line of business.
Farmer Mac uses unpaid principal balance and outstanding face amount of investment securities to represent maximum exposure to loss.
Includes auction-rate certificates, asset-backed securities, and government-sponsored enterprise ("GSE")-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities.
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.
141
(p) New Accounting Standards
Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance
Standard
ASU 2016-13, Financial
Instruments - Credit
Losses (Topic 326):
Measurement of Credit
Losses on Financial
Instruments
Description
This Update required entities to measure all
expected credit losses for financial assets held
at amortized cost at the reporting date based on
historical experience, current conditions, and
reasonable and supportable forecasts, as well as
requiring entities to use forward-looking
information to form their credit loss estimates.
Date of Adoption
January 1, 2020
Effect on Consolidated Financial
Statements
In 2020 Farmer Mac adopted the new
guidance. The cumulative-effect adjustment
to retained earnings as of January 1, 2020
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. For more
information on the transition adjustment see
Table 2.5 below.
ASU 2017-08,
Receivables -
Nonrefundable Fees and
Other Costs (Subtopic
310-20): Premium
Amortization on
Purchased Callable Debt
Securities
The amendments in this Update shorten the
amortization period for certain callable debt
securities held at a premium by requiring the
premium to be amortized to the earliest call
date. There is no required accounting change
for securities held at a discount in this Update.
ASU 2018-13, Fair
Value Measurement
(Topic 820): Disclosure
Framework - Changes to
the Disclosure
Requirements for Fair
Value Measurement
The amendments in this Update modify the
disclosure requirements on fair value
measurements in Topic 820, Fair Value
Measurements, including the consideration of
costs and benefits. Certain disclosure
requirements were either removed, modified,
or added.
January 1, 2020 The adoption of this Update did not have a
material effect on Farmer Mac's financial
position, results of operations, or cash flows.
January 1, 2020 The adoption of this Update did not have a
material effect on Farmer Mac's financial
position, results of operations, or cash flows.
ASU 2020-04 and
2021-01, Reference Rate
Reform (Topic 848):
Facilitation of the
Effects of Reference
Rate Reform on
Financial Reporting
The amendments in this Update provide
optional guidance for a limited period of time
to ease the potential burden in accounting for
reference rate reform on financial reporting.
They provide optional expedients and
exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts,
hedging relationships, and other transactions
affected by reference rate reform if certain
criteria are met.
January 1, 2020 Farmer Mac adopted optional expedients
specific to discounting transition on a
retrospective basis, and as a result of this
election, the discounting transition did not
have a material effect on Farmer Mac's
financial position, results of operations, or
cash flows.
142
The following table presents the impact of adopting CECL on January 1, 2020 on our allowance and
retained earnings:
Long-term standby purchase commitments and
guarantees
2,164
(148)
$
10,454 $
(3,909) $
Table 2.5
Allowance:
Farm & Ranch:
Loans
Rural Utilities:
Loans
Long-term standby purchase commitments
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
AgVantage
Investment Securities
Total Allowance
Retained Earnings
(q) Reclassifications
$
$
December 31, 2019
Transition Adjustment
January 1, 2020
(in thousands)
6,545
2,016
5,378
1,011
315
9
15,274
—
—
—
—
5,378
1,011
315
9
12,618 $
2,656 $
457,047 $
(2,099) $
454,948
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 5 members of
Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors and that Class B stockholders elect 5 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 & Ranch 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.
143
Zions Bancorporation, National Association:
Farmer Mac considers Zions Bancorporation, National Association and its affiliates ("Zions") a related
party because Zions owns approximately 31.2% of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock. The
following transactions occurred between Farmer Mac and Zions during 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 3.1
Unpaid Principal Balance:
Purchases:
Loans
USDA Securities
Sales of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
$ 177,143 $ 129,040 $ 114,719
10,764
41,247
8,875
163,134
19,120
68,721
The purchases of loans from Zions under the Farm & Ranch line of business represented approximately
7.1%, 9.5%, and 11.9% of Farm & Ranch loan purchases for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019,
and 2018, respectively, and 6.2%, 7.6% and 8.2%, respectively, of total new Farm & Ranch business
volume. The purchases of USDA Securities from Zions under the USDA Guarantees line of business
represented approximately 1.4%, 2.1%, and 4.2% of purchases in that line of business for the years ended
December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Outstanding Farm & Ranch loans, USDA Securities,
and AgVantage securities purchased from Zions represented 4.1% and 4.5%, respectively, of Farmer
Mac's outstanding business volume as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Zions retained servicing fees of $11.8 million, $12.2 million, and $11.6 million in 2020, 2019, and 2018,
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 CFC owns approximately 7.9% of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common 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 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 3.2
Farmer Mac Loan Purchases and Guarantees
Unpaid Principal Balance:
Loans
Off-balance sheet revolving line of credit
On-balance sheet AgVantage Securities
Off-balance sheet revolving floating rate AgVantage facility
Total purchases and guarantees
144
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
$
272,943 $
85,000 $
11,645
19,500
250,000
—
—
575,000
—
—
675,000
300,000
$
542,443 $ 660,000 $
986,645
The transactions with CFC represented 36.7% of Farmer Mac's loan purchase volume under the Rural
Utilities line of business for 2020, compared to 9.8% of Farmer Mac's loan purchase volume for 2019 and
100% for 2018. These transactions represented 19.2%, 25.5%, and 29.5% of AgVantage securities
volume under the Institutional Credit line of business for 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively, and
represented 9.5%, 12.5%, and 19.1% of total purchases, guarantees, and LTSPCs for 2020, 2019, and
2018, respectively. Of Farmer Mac's total outstanding business volume as of December 31, 2020 and
2019, Rural Utilities loans, loans under LTSPCs, and AgVantage securities issued by CFC represented
19.2% and 21.2%, respectively.
Farmer Mac had interest receivable of $5.3 million and $9.2 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019,
respectively, and earned interest income of $63.1 million, $97.3 million, and $76.8 million during 2020,
2019, and 2018, respectively, related to its AgVantage transactions with CFC.
As of both December 31, 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac had $0.1 million of commitment fees receivable
from CFC and earned commitment fees of $1.3 million, $1.7 million, and $1.9 million, respectively for
2020, 2019, and 2018.
CFC retained servicing fees of $3.3 million, $3.2 million and $3.6 million in 2020, 2019, and 2018,
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 $416.8 million and $776.4 million of loans and participations from CoBank, under
the Rural Utilities line of business in 2020 and 2019, respectively. The transactions with CoBank
represented 56.0% and 89.1% of Farmer Mac's loan purchase transactions under the Rural Utilities line of
business for 2020 and 2019, respectively. During 2018, Farmer Mac did not do any business with
CoBank through any of its lines of business.
CoBank retained servicing fees of $2.3 million and $1.2 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively, for its
work as a Farmer Mac central servicer. During 2018, CoBank was not a Farmer Mac central servicer.
AgFirst Farm Credit Bank:
Farmer Mac considers AgFirst Farm Credit Bank ("AgFirst") a related party because AgFirst owns
approximately 16.8% of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock.
AgFirst entered into $32.5 million, $26.7 million, and $26.6 million of LTSPC transactions in 2020, 2019,
and 2018, respectively, and the aggregate balance of LTSPCs outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and
2019 was $331.2 million and $332.4 million, respectively. In each of 2020, 2019, and 2018, Farmer Mac
received $1.2 million in commitment fees from AgFirst, and had $0.1 million of commitment fees
receivable as of both December 31, 2020 and 2019.
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
145
backing those securities. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the outstanding balance of those securities
owned by AgFirst was $5.5 million and $7.0 million, respectively. Farmer Mac received guarantee fees of
$25,000, $29,000, and $33,000 in 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively, on those securities.
Farm Credit Bank of Texas:
Farmer Mac considers Farm Credit Bank of Texas a related party because the bank owns approximately
7.7% of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock. Farmer Mac received from Farm Credit Bank of
Texas commitment fees of $1.2 million, $1.1 million, and $1.0 million in 2020, 2019, and 2018,
respectively. The aggregate amount of LTSPCs outstanding with Farm Credit Bank of Texas as of
December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $304.9 million and $270.3 million, respectively. In 2020, 2019, and
2018, Farm Credit Bank of Texas retained $0.1 million, $0.1 million, and $0.2 million, respectively, in
servicing fees for its work as a Farmer Mac central servicer.
Other Related Party Transactions:
Farmer Mac considers Bath State Bank and Farm Credit of Florida related parties because a member of
Farmer Mac's board of directors is affiliated with those entities. Farmer Mac purchased $9.2 million, $4.0
million, and $2.0 million in USDA Securities from Bath State Bank in 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.
Farmer Mac purchased $0.2 million of Farm & Ranch loans from Farm Credit of Florida in 2020. Farmer
Mac did not purchase any loans from Farm Credit of Florida in 2019 or 2018.
4.
INVESTMENT SECURITIES
The following tables set forth information about Farmer Mac's investment securities as of December 31,
2020 and December 31, 2019:
Table 4.1
Available-for-sale:
Floating rate auction-rate certificates
backed by Government guaranteed student
loans
Amount
Outstanding
Unamortized
Premium/
(Discount)
Amortized
Cost(1)
Allowance
for losses(2)
Unrealized
Gains
Unrealized
Losses
Fair Value
As of December 31, 2020
(in thousands)
$
19,700 $
— $
19,700 $
(36) $
— $
(493) $
19,171
Floating rate asset-backed securities
6,232
—
6,232
2,350,963
(44)
2,350,919
279
1,449,408
3,826,582
—
279
17,128
1,466,536
17,084
3,843,666
(36)
—
—
—
—
—
(1)
6,231
12,150
(3,043)
2,360,026
34
1,458
13,642
—
(43)
313
1,467,951
(3,580)
3,853,692
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed
mortgage-backed securities
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-
backed securities
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries
Total available-for-sale
Held-to-maturity:
Floating rate Government/GSE
guaranteed mortgage-backed securities(3)
45,032
—
45,032
—
1,201
—
46,233
Total investment securities
$ 3,871,614 $
17,084 $ 3,888,698 $
(36) $
14,843 $
(3,580) $ 3,899,925
(1)
(2)
(3)
Amounts presented exclude $9.0 million of accrued interest receivable on investment securities as of December 31, 2020.
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.
The held-to-maturity investment securities had a weighted average yield of 1.5% as of December 31, 2020.
146
As of December 31, 2019
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 $
— $
(788) $
Floating rate asset-backed securities
11,092
—
11,092
—
(7)
18,912
11,085
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-
backed securities
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries
Total available-for-sale
Held-to-maturity:
1,633,731
1,174
1,634,905
315
1,295,210
2,960,048
—
315
208
1,295,418
1,382
2,961,430
2,414
25
1,520
3,959
(4,736)
1,632,583
—
(15)
340
1,296,923
(5,546)
2,959,843
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-
backed securities(1)
45,032
—
45,032
953
—
45,985
Total investment securities
$ 3,005,080 $
1,382 $ 3,006,462 $
4,912 $
(5,546) $ 3,005,828
(1)
The held-to-maturity investment securities had a weighted average yield of 3.3% as of December 31, 2019.
Farmer Mac did not sell any securities from its available-for-sale investment portfolio during the years
ended December 31, 2020 or 2018. During the year ended December 31, 2019, Farmer Mac received
proceeds of $12.4 million from the sale of securities from its available-for-sale investment portfolio,
resulting in gross realized losses of $0.2 million.
As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, unrealized losses on available-for-sale investment
securities were as follows:
Table 4.2
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 Value
Unrealized
Loss
Fair Value
Unrealized
Loss
(dollars in thousands)
— $
—
172,842
364,320
— $
19,171 $
—
(593)
(43)
6,231
324,423
—
(493)
(1)
(2,450)
—
$
537,162 $
(636) $
349,825 $
(2,944)
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government
guaranteed student loans
$
Floating rate asset-backed securities
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries
Total
Number of securities in loss position
27
62
147
As of December 31, 2019
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
Floating rate asset-backed securities
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries
Total
$
— $
— $
18,912 $
2,583
841,993
35,107
(1)
(2,244)
(15)
8,502
436,621
—
(788)
(6)
(2,492)
—
$
879,683 $
(2,260) $
464,035 $
(3,286)
Number of securities in loss position
57
62
The unrealized losses presented above are principally due to a general widening of market spreads and
changes in the levels of interest rates from the dates of acquisition to December 31, 2020 and
December 31, 2019, 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, 2020 and
December 31, 2019, 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, 2020
that is, on average, approximately 99.2% of their amortized cost basis. Farmer Mac believes that all of
these unrealized losses are recoverable within a reasonable period of time by way of maturity or changes
in credit spreads.
The amortized cost, fair value, and weighted-average yield of available-for-sale investment securities by
remaining contractual maturity as of December 31, 2020 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
Due within one year
Due after one year through five years
Due after five years through ten years
Due after ten years
Total
As of December 31, 2020
Available-for-Sale Securities
Amortized
Cost
Fair Value
(dollars in thousands)
$
1,192,119 $
1,193,525
622,016
1,157,692
871,839
622,930
1,165,188
872,049
$
3,843,666 $
3,853,692
Weighted-
Average
Yield
1.97%
1.30%
0.64%
0.68%
1.17%
148
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, 2020 and December 31, 2019:
Table 5.1
Unpaid
Principal
Balance
Unamortized
Premium/
(Discount)
Amortized
Cost(1)
Allowance
for losses(2)
Unrealized
Gains
Unrealized
Losses
Fair Value
As of December 31, 2020
(in thousands)
Held-to-maturity:
AgVantage
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA
Securities
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed
Securities
USDA Securities
$ 1,141,430 $
(55) $ 1,141,375 $
(120) $
23,986 $
(61) $ 1,165,180
34,456
81
34,537
—
1,273
—
35,810
1,175,886
2,446,550
26
1,175,912
(120)
25,259
(61)
1,200,990
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
Trading:
USDA Securities(3)
$ 6,593,518 $
1,474 $ 6,594,992 $
(310) $ 368,257 $
(15,238) $ 6,947,701
$
6,413 $
198 $
6,611 $
— $
84 $
— $
6,695
(1)
(2)
(3)
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.
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.
The trading USDA securities had a weighted average yield of 5.05% as of December 31, 2020.
Held-to-maturity:
AgVantage
As of December 31, 2019
Unpaid
Principal
Balance
Unamortized
Premium/
(Discount)
Amortized
Cost
Unrealized
Gains
Unrealized
Losses
Fair Value
(in thousands)
$ 1,415,584 $
(174) $ 1,415,410 $
15,300 $
(164) $ 1,430,546
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities
31,887
154
32,041
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
USDA Securities
Total held-to-maturity
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage
Trading:
USDA Securities(1)
1,447,471
2,190,671
(20)
1,447,451
41,489
2,232,160
839
16,139
54,356
—
32,880
(164)
1,463,426
(758)
2,285,758
$ 3,638,142 $
41,469 $ 3,679,611 $
70,495 $
(922) $ 3,749,184
$ 7,017,095 $
(124) $ 7,016,971 $ 161,316 $
(35,262) $ 7,143,025
$
8,400 $
479 $
8,879 $
61 $
(27) $
8,913
(1)
The trading USDA securities had a weighted average yield of 5.20% as of December 31, 2019.
149
As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, 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, 2020
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)
49,939 $
(61) $
—
—
—
—
— $
—
21,061
49,939 $
(61) $
21,061 $
—
—
(560)
(560)
133,703 $
(231) $
981,757 $
(15,007)
As of December 31, 2019
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)
— $
—
— $
— $
301,836 $
—
27,089
— $
328,925 $
(164)
(758)
(922)
225,239 $
(2,203) $
1,394,802 $
(33,059)
$
$
$
$
$
$
Held-to-maturity:
AgVantage
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities
USDA Securities
Total held-to-maturity
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage
Held-to-maturity:
AgVantage
USDA Securities
Total held-to-maturity
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage
The unrealized losses presented above are principally due to changes in interest rates from the date of
acquisition to December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, as applicable. The unrealized losses on the
held-to-maturity USDA Securities as of both December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 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 Guarantees line of business is covered by the full faith
and credit guarantee of the United States of America. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had executed
COVID-19 payment deferments on loans with unpaid principal balances of $92.9 million underlying
USDA Securities.
The unrealized losses from AgVantage securities were on 11 and 17 available-for-sale securities as of
December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. There were 2 and 4 held-to-maturity
AgVantage securities with an unrealized loss as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019,
150
respectively. As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, 7 and 13 available-for-sale AgVantage
securities, respectively, had been in a loss position for more than 12 months.
During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, Farmer Mac had no sales of Farmer Mac
Guaranteed Securities or USDA Securities and, therefore, Farmer Mac realized no gains or losses.
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, 2020 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, 2020
Available-for-Sale Securities
Amortized
Cost(1)
Fair Value
(dollars in thousands)
$
1,212,051 $
2,861,186
1,016,527
1,505,228
$
6,594,992 $
1,216,431
2,971,603
1,092,170
1,667,497
6,947,701
As of December 31, 2020
Held-to-Maturity Securities
Amortized
Cost(1)
Fair Value
(dollars in thousands)
$
526,374 $
683,135
255,180
2,184,849
$
3,649,538 $
529,401
706,287
269,945
2,326,171
3,831,804
Weighted-
Average
Yield
1.52 %
2.41 %
2.36 %
2.55 %
2.27 %
Weighted-
Average
Yield
2.79 %
3.12 %
2.89 %
3.19 %
3.07 %
Due within one year
Due after one year through five years
Due after five years through ten years
Due after ten years
Total
(1)
Amounts presented exclude $32.3 million of accrued interest receivable.
Due within one year
Due after one year through five years
Due after five years through ten years
Due after ten years
Total
(1)
Amounts presented exclude $44.7 million of accrued interest receivable.
6.
FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES
Farmer Mac enters into financial derivative transactions 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, 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). Certain 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.
151
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. Farmer 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.
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, 2020 and December 31,
2019:
Table 6.1
Fair value hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
As of December 31, 2020
Fair Value
Notional
Amount
Asset
(Liability)
Weighted-
Average
Pay Rate
Weighted-
Average
Receive
Rate
Weighted-
Average
Forward
Price
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Term
(in years)
(dollars in thousands)
Pay fixed non-callable
$ 5,463,303 $ 10,157 $
(2,585)
2.26%
Receive fixed non-callable
2,611,029
2
(8,755)
Receive fixed callable
343,500
3,108
(4)
0.32%
0.16%
0.21%
1.61%
1.78%
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable
472,000
2,584
(8,771)
2.04%
0.57%
No hedge designation:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable
Receive fixed non-callable
Receive fixed callable
Basis swaps
Treasury futures
Credit valuation adjustment
339,090
2,359,220
200,000
—
—
1
3,628,911
1,617
30,500
—
(1)
(9,675)
—
(12)
(43)
(82)
35
2.38%
0.16%
0.13%
0.18%
0.19%
0.87%
0.15%
0.23%
137.81
11.95
2.10
3.16
6.04
4.23
1.07
0.72
2.03
Total financial derivatives
$ 15,447,553 $ 17,468 $ (29,892)
Collateral (held)/pledged
Net amount
(1,345)
212,263
$ 16,123 $ 182,371
152
As of December 31, 2019
Fair Value
Notional
Amount
Asset
(Liability)
Weighted-
Average
Pay Rate
Weighted-
Average
Receive
Rate
Weighted-
Average
Forward
Price
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Term
(in years)
(dollars in thousands)
Fair value hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable
$ 4,955,686 $
7,163 $
(3,281)
Receive fixed non-callable
Receive fixed callable
1,413,200
524,000
76
476
(5,329)
(772)
2.47%
1.88%
1.52%
1.93%
2.13%
1.91%
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable
428,000
1,882
(1,514)
2.36%
2.12%
No hedge designation:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable
Receive fixed non-callable
Receive fixed callable
Basis swaps
Treasury futures
Credit valuation adjustment
342,745
3,124,148
525,000
2,670,000
39,400
3.55%
1.88%
1.64%
1.86%
2.00%
2.06%
1.68%
1.76%
7
49
79
787
—
—
(14,046)
(1,637)
(80)
(395)
(51)
63
128.29
Total financial derivatives
$ 14,022,179 $ 10,519 $ (27,042)
Collateral (held)/pledged
Net amount
(2,685)
132,129
$
7,834 $ 105,087
11.26
1.25
2.83
5.43
5.51
1.66
0.83
0.90
As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac expects to reclassify $5.3 million after tax from accumulated other
comprehensive income to earnings over the next twelve months. 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, 2020. During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, there were no
gains or losses from interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges reclassified to earnings because it
was probable that the originally forecasted transactions would occur.
153
The following table summarizes the net income/(expense) recognized in the consolidated statements of
operations related to derivatives for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 6.2
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on
Derivatives
Net Interest Income
Non-Interest
Income
Interest Income
Farmer Mac
Guaranteed
Securities and
USDA Securities
Interest
Income
Loans
Total
Interest
Expense
Losses on
financial
derivatives
Total
(in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of
operations
$
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair
value hedging relationships:
227,691 $ 233,699 $ (312,946) $
(246) $ 148,198
Recognized on derivatives
Recognized on hedged items
(60,056)
(19,135)
26,386
126,170
40,793
(51,230)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
—
—
(745)
—
—
—
(52,805)
115,733
(745)
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on
fair value hedging relationships
(Losses)/gains on fair value hedging relationships:
Recognized on derivatives
Recognized on hedged items
(Losses)/gains on fair value hedging relationships
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow
hedging relationships:
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net
income on derivatives
Recognized on hedged items
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives not designated
in hedging relationships:
Losses on interest rate swaps
Interest expense on interest rate swaps
Treasury futures
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives not
designated in hedge relationships
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
66,114 $
21,658 $
(25,589) $
— $
62,183
(206,281) $
(76,565) $
43,332 $
202,624
73,426
(45,720)
(3,657) $
(3,139) $
(2,388) $
— $ (239,514)
—
230,330
— $
(9,184)
— $
— $
(5,570) $
— $
(5,570)
—
—
—
—
(4,553)
(13)
—
—
(4,553)
(13)
— $
— $
(10,136) $
— $
(10,136)
— $
— $
— $
(4,204) $
(4,204)
—
—
—
—
—
—
5,808
5,808
(1,850)
(1,850)
— $
— $
— $
(246) $
(246)
154
For The Year Ended December 31, 2019
Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on
Derivatives
Net Interest Income
Non-Interest
Income
Interest Income
Farmer Mac
Guaranteed
Securities and
USDA Securities
Interest
Income
Loans
Total
Interest
Expense
Gains/(losses)
on financial
derivatives
Total
(in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of
operations:
$
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair
value hedging relationships:
333,896 $ 229,675 $ (471,958) $
5,282 $
96,895
Recognized on derivatives
Recognized on hedged items
(2,177)
(2,053)
(6,227)
118,609
26,352
(45,309)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
—
—
(631)
—
—
—
(10,457)
99,652
(631)
116,432 $
24,299 $
(52,167) $
— $
88,564
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on
fair value hedging relationships
(Losses)/gains on fair value hedging relationships:
Recognized on derivatives
Recognized on hedged items
$
$
(Losses)/gains on fair value hedging relationships
$
(3,334) $
(6,947) $
2,374 $
(184,478) $
(50,141) $
18,401 $
181,144
43,194
(16,027)
— $ (216,218)
—
208,311
— $
(7,907)
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow
hedging relationships:
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net
income on derivatives
Recognized on hedged items
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges
Gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedge
relationships:
Gains on interest rate swaps
Interest expense on interest rate swaps
Treasury futures
Gains on financial derivatives not designated in
hedge relationships
$
$
$
$
— $
— $
1,166 $
— $
1,166
—
—
—
—
(10,569)
(4)
—
—
(10,569)
(4)
— $
— $
(9,407) $
— $
(9,407)
— $
— $
— $
10,321 $
10,321
—
—
—
—
—
—
(4,213)
(4,213)
(826)
(826)
— $
— $
— $
5,282 $
5,282
155
For The Year Ended December, 2018
Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on
Derivatives
Net Interest Income
Non-Interest
Income
Interest Income
Farmer Mac
Guaranteed
Securities and
USDA Securities
Interest
Income
Loans
Total
Interest
Expense
(Losses)/gains
on financial
derivatives
Total
(in thousands)
290,953 $ 198,152 $ (369,848) $
(3,687) $ 115,570
1,861
65,238
—
(630)
6,284
—
(7,995)
(36,837)
(668)
—
—
—
(6,764)
34,685
(668)
67,099 $
5,654 $
(45,500) $
— $
27,253
(20,279) $
5,031 $
835 $
— $
(14,413)
21,460
(5,243)
3,137
—
19,354
— $
4,941
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of
operations:
$
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair
value hedging relationships:
Recognized on derivatives
Recognized on hedged items
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on
fair value hedging relationships
Gains/(losses) on fair value hedging relationships:
Recognized on derivatives
Recognized on hedged items
$
$
Gains/(losses) on fair value hedging relationships
$
1,181 $
(212) $
3,972 $
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow
hedging relationships:
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net
income on derivatives
Recognized on hedged items
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedge
relationships:
Gains on interest rate swaps
Interest expense on interest rate swaps
Treasury futures
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in
hedge relationships
$
$
$
$
— $
— $
316 $
— $
316
—
—
—
—
(9,182)
(6)
—
—
(9,182)
(6)
— $
— $
(8,872) $
— $
(8,872)
— $
— $
— $
7,206 $
7,206
—
—
—
—
—
—
(10,920)
(10,920)
27
27
— $
— $
— $
(3,687) $
(3,687)
156
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, 2020 and December 31, 2019:
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, 2020 December 31, 2019
December 31, 2020
December 31, 2019
(in thousands)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, Available-
for-Sale, at fair value(1)
Loans held for investment, at amortized cost(2)
Notes Payable(3)
$
4,244,027 $
4,092,611 $
382,825 $
1,692,609
(3,006,140)
1,050,335
(2,761,052)
111,333
(53,240)
180,215
37,907
(7,433)
(1)
(2)
(3)
Includes $1.6 million of hedging adjustments on discontinued hedging relationships as of December 31, 2020.
Includes $1.4 million of hedging adjustments on a discontinued hedging relationship as of December 31, 2020.
Carrying amount represents amortized cost.
The following table shows Farmer Mac's credit exposure to interest rate swap counterparties as of
December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019:
Table 6.4
Assets:
Derivatives
Interest rate swap
Liabilities:
Derivatives
Interest rate swap
December 31, 2020
Gross Amount
Recognized(1)
Counterparty
Netting
Net Amount Presented in the
Consolidated Balance Sheet
(in thousands)
$
$
112,287 $
111,761 $
526
620,236 $
595,867 $
24,369
(1)
Gross amount excludes netting arrangements and any adjustment for nonperformance risk, but includes accrued interest.
Assets:
Derivatives
Interest rate swaps
Liabilities:
Derivatives
Interest rate swaps
December 31, 2019
Gross Amount
Recognized(1)
Counterparty
Netting
Net Amount Presented in the
Consolidated Balance Sheet
(in thousands)
$
$
56,139 $
53,771 $
2,368
305,584 $
291,326 $
14,258
(1)
Gross amount excludes netting arrangements and any adjustment for nonperformance risk, but includes accrued interest.
157
As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac held $1.3 million of cash and no investment securities as collateral
for its derivatives in net asset positions, compared to $2.7 million of cash and no investment securities as
collateral for its derivatives in net asset positions as of December 31, 2019.
Farmer Mac posted $11.2 million cash and $201.1 million of investment securities as of December 31,
2020 and posted $0.5 million cash and $131.7 million investment securities as of December 31,
2019. 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,
2020 and December 31, 2019, it could have been required to settle its obligations under the agreements,
but would not have been required to post additional collateral. As of December 31, 2020 and December
31, 2019, 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.
Of Farmer Mac's $15.4 billion notional amount of interest rate swaps outstanding as of December 31,
2020, $12.8 billion were cleared through the swap clearinghouse, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange
("CME"). Of Farmer Mac's $14.0 billion notional amount of interest rate swaps outstanding as of
December 31, 2019, $11.0 billion were cleared through the CME. During 2020 and throughout 2019,
Farmer Mac increased its use of non-cleared basis swaps as it began to prepare for the transition away
from the use of LIBOR as a reference rate.
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 15.0 years.
158
The following tables set forth information related to Farmer Mac's borrowings as of December 31, 2020
and December 31, 2019:
Table 7.1
Due within one year:
Discount notes
Medium-term notes
Current portion of medium-term notes
Total due within one year
Due after one year:
Medium-term notes due in:
Two years
Three years
Four years
Five years
Thereafter
Total due after one year
Total principal net of discounts
Hedging adjustments
Total
December 31, 2020
Outstanding as of December 31
Average Outstanding During the Year
Amount
Weighted-
Average Rate
Amount
Weighted-
Average Rate
(dollars in thousands)
0.63 %
0.60 %
$
1,797,175
0.11 % $
2,343,702
2,645,146
6,304,061
$
10,746,382
$
3,004,203
2,809,551
927,119
1,342,250
2,966,172
11,049,295
21,795,677
53,240
21,848,917
$
$
$
0.19 %
1,593,253
0.90 %
0.59 %
1.00 %
1.24 %
1.67 %
1.03 %
1.92 %
1.37 %
0.98 %
159
Due within one year:
Discount notes
Medium-term notes
Current portion of medium-term notes
Total due within one year
Due after one year:
Medium-term notes due in:
Two years
Three years
Four years
Five years
Thereafter
Total due after one year
Total principal net of discounts
Hedging adjustments
Total
December 31, 2019
Outstanding as of December 31
Average Outstanding During the Year
Amount
Weighted-
Average Rate
Amount
Weighted-
Average Rate
(dollars in thousands)
2.25 %
2.33 %
$
2,194,177
1.72 % $
1,977,214
1,152,770
6,672,135
$
10,019,082
$
3,696,699
1,592,315
1,202,817
762,003
1,818,299
9,072,133
19,091,215
7,433
19,098,648
$
$
$
1.98 %
1,780,517
1.85 %
1.84 %
2.04 %
2.15 %
2.27 %
2.25 %
2.89 %
2.28 %
2.05 %
The maximum amount of Farmer Mac's discount notes outstanding at any month end during each of the
years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $2.6 billion and $2.3 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 2021 as of December 31, 2020:
Table 7.2
Maturity:
2022
2023
2024
2025
Thereafter
Total
Debt Callable in 2021 as of December 31, 2020, by Maturity
Amount
Weighted-Average Rate
(dollars in thousands)
$
243,410
592,529
119,898
306,683
670,657
$
1,933,177
0.42 %
0.97 %
1.56 %
1.08 %
1.51 %
1.15 %
The following schedule summarizes the earliest interest rate reset date, or debt maturities, of total
borrowings outstanding as of December 31, 2020, including callable and non-callable medium-term notes,
assuming callable notes are redeemed at the initial call date:
160
Table 7.3
Debt with interest rate resets, or debt maturities in:
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Thereafter
Total principal net of discounts
Earliest Interest Rate Reset Date, or Debt Maturities,
of Borrowings Outstanding
Amount
Weighted-Average Rate
(dollars in thousands)
$
$
12,805,994
2,123,372
2,390,730
884,138
1,126,871
2,464,572
21,795,677
0.55 %
1.34 %
1.39 %
1.74 %
1.15 %
2.19 %
0.98 %
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac called $3.1 billion and $1.5 billion of
callable medium-term notes, respectively. The decrease in market interest rates throughout 2020 led to an
increase in called medium-term notes compared to the prior year.
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 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. 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, 2020, Farmer Mac had not used
this borrowing authority.
Gains on Repurchase of Outstanding Debt
No outstanding debt repurchases were made in the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, or 2018.
8.
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. During the year ended December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac acquired $59.2 million in loans held for
sale, of which it sold $15.0 million during the year, and reclassified $44.2 million as loans held for
investment. As of both December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, Farmer Mac had no loans held for
sale.
The following table includes loans held for investment and displays the composition of the loan balances
as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019:
161
Table 8.1
As of December 31, 2020(1)
In
Consolidated
Trusts
Unsecuritized
Total
As of December 31, 2019(2)
In
Consolidated
Trusts
Unsecuritized
Total
(in thousands)
Farm & Ranch
Rural Utilities
$ 4,889,393 $ 1,287,045 $ 6,176,438 $ 3,675,640 $ 1,600,917 $ 5,276,557
2,260,412
—
2,260,412
1,671,293
—
1,671,293
Total unpaid principal balance(3)
7,149,805
1,287,045
8,436,850
5,346,933
1,600,917
6,947,850
Unamortized premiums, discounts, fair
value hedge basis adjustment, and other
cost basis adjustments
Total loans
Allowance for losses
112,128
—
112,128
44,044
—
44,044
7,261,933
1,287,045
8,548,978
5,390,977
1,600,917
6,991,894
(12,943)
(889)
(13,832)
(8,853)
(1,601)
(10,454)
Total loans, net of allowance
$ 7,248,990 $ 1,286,156 $ 8,535,146 $ 5,382,124 $ 1,599,316 $ 6,981,440
(1)
(2)
(3)
Allowance for losses reflects the adoption of ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," effective January 1, 2020.
Prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," effective January 1, 2020, Farmer Mac maintained an allowance for
losses to cover estimated probable incurred losses on loans held.
Unpaid principal balance is the basis of presentation in disclosures of outstanding balances for Farmer Mac's lines of business.
Allowance for Losses
The following table is a summary, by asset type, of the allowance for losses as of December 31, 2020 and
December 31, 2019:
Table 8.2
Loans:
Farm & Ranch
Rural Utilities
Total
(1)
(2)
December 31, 2020(1) December 31, 2019(2)
Allowance for Losses Allowance for Losses
(in thousands)
3,745 $
10,087
13,832 $
10,454
—
10,454
$
$
Allowance for losses reflects the adoption of ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," effective January 1, 2020.
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.
162
The following is a summary of the changes in the allowance for losses for each year in the three-year
period ended December 31, 2020:
Table 8.3
Balance as of December 31, 2017(1)
Provision for losses
Charge-offs
Balance as of December 31, 2018(1)
Provision for losses
Charge-offs
Balance as of December 31, 2019(1)
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of current expected credit loss standard
Adjusted Beginning Balance
(Release of)/provision for losses
Charge-offs
Balance as of December 31, 2020(2)(3)(4)
Farm & Ranch
Rural Utilities
Allowance for Losses Allowance for Losses
$
$
$
$
(in thousands)
6,796 $
238
(17)
7,017 $
3,504
(67)
10,454 $
(3,909)
6,545
2,959
(5,759)
3,745 $
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
5,378
5,378
4,709
—
10,087
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
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 losses reflects the adoption of ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," effective January 1, 2020.
Allowance for losses for Farm & Ranch includes no allowance for collateral dependent assets secured by agricultural real estate.
Allowance for losses for Rural Utilities includes no allowance for collateral dependent assets.
The cumulative transition adjustment decrease of $3.9 million in the Farm & Ranch portfolio was
primarily attributable to differences in the way that the two loss models measure the impact of low loan-
to-value ratios in that portfolio. Under the previous accounting standard, Farmer Mac's estimated incurred
loss model was based on historical weighted-average loss rates from realized losses within commodities
and risk ratings. The historical weighted average loss rates were then applied to sub-portfolios, as
disaggregated by commodity and risk rating, to calculate the general allowance. Under the CECL
accounting standard, Farmer Mac's current expected credit losses are calculated individually based on the
expected probability of default and the expected loss-given-default for each loan. The low loan-to-value
ratios in the Farm & Ranch portfolio result in low individual losses-given-default. Thus, our expected
credit losses as of January 1, 2020 were less than our estimate of incurred losses as of December 31, 2019.
The cumulative transition adjustment increase of $5.4 million in the Rural Utilities portfolio was primarily
attributable to the change from measuring incurred probable credit losses to measuring expected credit
losses over the expected lives of these loans. Farmer Mac has never realized a credit loss in its Rural
Utilities portfolio. Additionally, these loans have strong credit ratings and performance, which supported
Farmer Mac's estimate of no incurred credit losses under the previous accounting standard. Upon the
adoption of CECL, Farmer Mac is now required to measure its expected credit losses for the entire
expected life of all financial instruments, including its Rural Utilities loans. To estimate expected credit
losses on these loans, Farmer Mac relies upon industry data from ratings agencies and publicly available
information as disclosed in the securities filings of other major lenders who serve the utilities industry.
Under CECL, Farmer Mac's loss allowance model for these loans is primarily impacted by the long-term
maturities of the loans and their low probability of prepayment. In addition, the highly-specialized nature
of power generation and transmission and other rural infrastructure facilities results in significant expected
163
losses given default even though the probability of default is low. Thus, the long-term expected lives of
these loans combined with high losses given default result in an estimate of expected losses although we
have never realized a credit loss in this portfolio.
The provision to the allowance for Rural Utilities 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 in the Rural
Utilities portfolio and the impact of economic factor forecasts on the Rural Utilities portfolio, especially
continued expected higher unemployment, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting
economic volatility. The provision to the allowance for Farm & Ranch loan losses of $3.0 million
recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily related to the Farm & Ranch
agricultural storage & processing loan secured by a specialized poultry facility that Farmer Mac has
deemed to be a CDA. The provision 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 & Ranch portfolio, as a percentage of outstanding loan
volume, increased slightly from the previous year. The total provision for losses increased by
$3.2 million, during 2019 as compared to 2018, primarily due to the specific reserve on the single
specialized poultry loan mentioned above and a decrease in overall credit quality combined with net
portfolio growth.
During 2018, the total allowance for losses increased because of increased loan volume within Farmer
Mac's Farm & Ranch portfolio. The total allowance for losses in the Farm & Ranch portfolio, as a
percentage of outstanding loan volume, remained consistent with recent years. The total provision for
losses decreased by $1.4 million during 2018 as compared to 2017 primarily due to decreased loan growth
year-over-year and modestly improved credit quality in the Farm & Ranch portfolio.
The following table presents the unpaid principal balances by delinquency status of Farmer Mac's loans
and non-performing assets as of December 31, 2020:
Table 8.4
Loans(1):
Farm & Ranch
Rural Utilities
Total
As of December 31, 2020
Accruing
Current(5)
30-59 Days
60-89 Days
90 Days and
Greater(2)
(in thousands)
Total Past
Due
Nonaccrual
loans(3)(4)
Total Loans
$ 6,055,154 $
4,582 $
632 $
1,072 $
6,286 $
114,998 $ 6,176,438
2,260,412
—
—
—
—
—
2,260,412
$ 8,315,566 $
4,582 $
632 $
1,072 $
6,286 $
114,998 $ 8,436,850
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
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.
Includes loans in consolidated trusts with beneficial interests owned by third parties that are 90 days or more past due.
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.
Includes $44.2 million of nonaccrual loans for which there was no associated allowance. During the year ended December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac received
$4.4 million in interest on nonaccrual loans.
Includes $145.5 million of unpaid principal balance related to Farm & Ranch loans that Farmer Mac has executed a COVID-19 payment deferment.
164
The following table presents the unpaid principal balances of loans held and the related total allowance for
losses by impairment method and commodity type as of December 31, 2019:
Table 8.5
Ending Balance:
Collectively evaluated for
impairment
Individually evaluated for
impairment
As of December 31, 2019
Crops
Permanent
Plantings
Livestock
Ag.
Storage and
Processing
Part-time
Farm
(in thousands)
Other
Total
$ 2,664,362 $ 1,161,900 $ 871,341 $ 356,920 $
10,360 $
4,597 $ 5,069,480
108,815
51,256
39,962
7,044
—
—
207,077
Total Farm & Ranch loans
$ 2,773,177 $ 1,213,156 $ 911,303 $ 363,964 $
10,360 $
4,597 $ 5,276,557
Allowance for Losses:
Collectively evaluated for
impairment
Individually evaluated for
impairment
$
1,880 $
1,362 $
714 $
249 $
47 $
4 $
4,256
2,628
1,008
2,447
115
—
—
6,198
Total Farm & Ranch loans
$
4,508 $
2,370 $
3,161 $
364 $
47 $
4 $
10,454
165
The following table presents by commodity type the unpaid principal balances, recorded investment, and
specific allowance for losses related to impaired loans and the recorded investment in loans on nonaccrual
status as of December 31, 2019:
Table 8.6
Impaired Loans:
With no specific allowance:
Crops
Permanent
Plantings
Livestock
Part-time
Farm
Ag. Storage and
Processing
Other
Total
As of December 31, 2019
(in thousands)
Recorded investment
$
30,846 $
16,696 $
3,195 $
1,398 $
— $
56 $ 52,191
Unpaid principal balance
30,741
16,638
3,185
1,394
With a specific allowance:
Recorded investment(1)
Unpaid principal balance
Associated allowance
Total:
Recorded investment
Unpaid principal balance
Associated allowance
84,044
83,772
2,725
114,890
114,513
2,725
36,852
36,732
1,051
53,548
53,370
1,051
47,113
46,984
2,636
50,308
50,169
2,636
6,376
6,356
129
7,774
7,750
129
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
56
52,014
—
174,385
—
173,844
—
6,541
56
56
226,576
225,858
—
6,541
Recorded investment of loans on
nonaccrual status(2)
(1)
(2)
— $ — $ 87,781
Impairment analysis was performed in the aggregate in consideration of similar risk characteristics of the assets and historical statistics on $159.1 million
(70%) of impaired loans as of December 31, 2019, which resulted in a specific allowance of $3.0 million.
Includes $30.1 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.
34,037 $
22,849 $
28,441 $
2,454 $
$
The following table presents by commodity type the average recorded investment and interest income
recognized on impaired loans for the year ended December 31, 2019:
Table 8.7
For the Year Ended:
Crops
Permanent
Plantings
Livestock
Part-time
Farm
Ag. Storage and
Processing
Other
Total
December 31, 2019
(in thousands)
Average recorded investment in impaired loans $ 101,053 $ 44,986 $ 36,054 $ 7,953 $
— $
60 $ 190,106
Income recognized on impaired loans
1,157
625
687
284
—
—
2,753
Net credit losses and 90-day delinquencies as of and for the periods indicated for loans held are presented
in the table below. As of December 31, 2019, 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.
166
Table 8.8
90-Day Delinquencies(1)
As of
Net Credit Losses
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2019
December 31,
2019
December 31,
2018
(in thousands)
Farm & Ranch loans
$
57,719 $
131 $
40
(1)
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.
Rural Utilities
As of December 31, 2019, no allowance for losses had 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,
2019, there were no delinquencies or probable losses inherent in Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities loans held
or underlying LTSPCs.
Credit Quality Indicators
The following tables present credit quality indicators related to Farm & Ranch loans and Rural Utilities
loans held as of December 31, 2020, by year of origination:
Table 8.9
Farm & Ranch(1):
Internally Assigned Risk
Rating:
Acceptable
Special mention(2)
Substandard(3)
As of December 31, 2020
Year of Origination:
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Prior
(in thousands)
Revolving
Loans -
Amortized
Cost Basis
Total
$ 1,947,618 $ 774,315 $ 484,345 $ 500,768 $ 465,277 $ 1,068,693 $ 535,742 $ 5,776,758
70,171
79,744
3,400
5,821
18,317
21,879
8,530
52,709
13,111
37,173
21,328
50,582
7,656
218,857
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 Farm & Ranch
net charge-offs
$
— $
— $
— $
5,365 $
— $
394 $
— $
5,759
(1)
(2)
(3)
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.
Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately
secured.
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.
167
As of December 31, 2020
Year of Origination:
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Prior
(in thousands)
Revolving
Loans -
Amortized
Cost Basis
Total
$ 667,489 $ 809,921 $
8,260 $
89,842 $
31,275 $ 641,145 $
12,480 $ 2,260,412
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
$ 667,489 $ 809,921 $
8,260 $
89,842 $
31,275 $ 641,145 $
12,480 $ 2,260,412
Rural Utilities(1):
Internally Assigned Risk
Rating:
Acceptable
Special mention(2)
Substandard(3)
Total
For the Year Ended:
Current period charge-offs
Current period recoveries
Current period Rural
Utilities net charge-offs
$
$
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
—
—
—
—
—
—
— $
—
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
—
—
—
(1)
(2)
(3)
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.
Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately
secured.
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.
The following table presents credit quality indicators related to Farm & Ranch loans held as of
December 31, 2019:
Table 8.10
Crops
Permanent
Plantings
Livestock
Part-time
Farm
Ag. Storage and
Processing
Other
Total
As of December 31, 2019
(in thousands)
Internally Assigned Risk Rating(1)
Acceptable
Special mention(2)
Substandard(3)
$ 2,556,956 $ 1,050,160 $ 825,234 $ 343,329 $
10,360 $ 4,597 $ 4,790,636
107,406
108,815
111,739
51,257
46,107
39,962
13,591
7,044
—
—
—
—
278,843
207,078
Total
$ 2,773,177 $ 1,213,156 $ 911,303 $ 363,964 $
10,360 $ 4,597 $ 5,276,557
Commodity analysis of past due
loans(1)
$
21,167 $
15,828 $
19,354 $
1,370 $
— $
— $
57,719
(1)
(2)
(3)
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.
Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately
secured.
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.
168
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 2020, 2019, and 2018, Farmer Mac paid a quarterly dividend of $0.80, $0.70, and $0.58 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. The share repurchase program, last modified on March 14, 2019, authorized Farmer Mac to
repurchase up to $10.0 million of Farmer Mac's outstanding Class C non-voting common stock. During
first quarter 2020, Farmer Mac repurchased approximately 4,000 shares of Class C non-voting common
stock at a cost of approximately $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. As of December 31, 2020, Farmer
Mac had repurchased approximately 673,000 shares of Class C non-voting common stock at a cost of
approximately $19.8 million under the share repurchase program since 2015. The program expires at the
end of March 2021.
Preferred Stock
On August 20, 2020, Farmer Mac issued 4.8 million shares of 5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock,
Series F ("Series F Preferred Stock"), which has a par value and liquidation preference of $25.00 per
share, or $120.0 million aggregate outstanding. Farmer Mac incurred direct costs of $3.8 million related
to the issuance of the Series F Preferred Stock. The dividend rate on the Series F Preferred Stock will
remain at a non-cumulative, fixed rate of 5.250% per year, when, as, and if a dividend is declared by the
Board of Directors of Farmer Mac, for so long as the Series F Preferred Stock remains outstanding. The
Series F Preferred Stock has no maturity date, but Farmer Mac has the option to redeem the Series F
Preferred Stock at any time on any dividend payment date on and after October 17, 2025.
On September 19, 2020, Farmer Mac used part of the net proceeds from the sale of the Series F Preferred
Stock to redeem and repurchase all $60.0 million aggregate outstanding of Farmer Mac's 5.875% Non-
Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A ("Series A Preferred Stock"), plus any declared and unpaid
dividends through and including the redemption date. As a result of the retirement of the Series A
169
Preferred Stock, Farmer Mac recognized $1.7 million of deferred issuance costs, which is presented as
"Loss on retirement of preferred stock" on the consolidated statements of operations.
In May 2020, Farmer Mac issued 3.18 million shares of 5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock,
Series E ("Series E Preferred Stock"), which has a par value and liquidation preference of $25.00 per
share, or $79.5 million aggregate outstanding. Farmer Mac incurred direct costs of $2.5 million related to
the issuance of the Series E Preferred Stock. The dividend rate on the Series E Preferred Stock will
remain at a non-cumulative, fixed rate of 5.750% per year, when, as, and if a dividend is declared by the
Board of Directors of Farmer Mac, for so long as the Series E Preferred Stock remains outstanding. The
Series E 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, 2025.
The following table presents the Series C Preferred Stock, the Series D Preferred Stock, the Series E
Preferred Stock, and the Series F Preferred Stock (collectively referred to as the "Outstanding Preferred
Stock") as of December 31, 2020:
Table 9.1
Name
Issuance Date
Issuance Cost
Shares Issued
Annual Dividend
Rate(3)
Liquidation Value
Redemption
Date(4)
Series C(1)
Series D(2)
Series E
Series F
June 20, 2014
May 13, 2019
May 20, 2020
August 20, 2020
$
$
$
$
1,618,583
3,000,000
3,340,456
4,000,000
2,496,750
3,180,000
3,839,902
4,800,000
6.000 % $
5.700 % $
5.750 % $
5.250 % $
25.00
July 18, 2024
25.00
July 17, 2024
25.00
July 17, 2025
25.00 October 17, 2025
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
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 occurring on
July 17, 2024, and thereafter, at a floating rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus 3.26%.
Farmer Mac has the option to redeem the preferred stock on any quarterly dividend payment date on and after July 17, 2024.
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.
Farmer Mac has the right but not the obligation to redeem.
The following tables present the quarterly dividends paid by Farmer Mac on its outstanding preferred
during 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 9.2
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter(1)
3rd Quarter(2)(3)
4th Quarter
2020
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 C
5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D
5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E
5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F
0.3750
0.3563
—
—
0.3750
0.3563
0.2276
—
0.3750
0.3563
0.3594
0.2078
0.3750
0.3563
0.3594
0.3281
(1)
(2)
(3)
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 the July 17, 2020.
For third quarter 2020 dividend payment includes $0.2530 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock for the period from but not including July 17, 2020 to
and including the September 19, 2020 redemption date.
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 the October 17, 2020.
170
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter(1)(2)
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
2019
5.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A
$
0.3672 $
0.3672 $
0.3672 $
0.3672
6.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series B
0.4297
0.2626
—
—
6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock,
Series C
5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D
0.3750
—
0.3750
0.2533
0.3750
0.3563
0.3750
0.3563
(1)
(2)
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 including the June 12, 2019 redemption date.
For second quarter 2019, dividend payment includes $0.2533 per share on the Series D Preferred Stock for the period from but not including May 13,
2019 (issuance date) to and including July 17, 2019.
5.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A
$
0.3672 $
0.3672 $
0.3672 $
6.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series B
0.4297
0.4297
0.4297
0.3672
0.4297
6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock,
Series C
0.3750
0.3750
0.3750
0.3750
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
2018
Equity-Based Incentive Compensation Plans
Farmer Mac's Amended and Restated 2008 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan authorizes the grant of
restricted stock 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 2020 have an exercise price
ranging from $72.26 to $75.16 per share, SARs granted during 2019 have an exercise price of $82.76 per
share, and SARs granted during 2018 have an exercise price of $86.15 per share. During 2020, 2019, and
2018, restricted stock awards were granted to employees, officers, and directors with vesting periods of
one to three years.
171
The following tables summarize SARs and non-vested restricted stock activity for the years ended
December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 9.3
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
SARs
Outstanding, beginning of year
98,836 $
Granted
Exercised
Canceled
Outstanding, end of year
Exercisable at end of year
34,881
(15,912)
(1,388)
116,417
66,602
46.47
74.80
26.93
86.15
57.16
42.08
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
38.38
82.76
35.61
79.45
46.47
34.07
SARs
124,960 $
24,582
(40,851)
(9,855)
98,836
72,696
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
32.95
86.15
30.06
—
38.38
31.41
SARs
163,272 $
10,122
(48,434)
—
124,960
95,675
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
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 year
62,597 $
Granted
Canceled
Vested and issued
Outstanding, end of year
53,471
(4,042)
(28,070)
83,956
75.81
66.02
69.66
70.13
71.76
80,153 $
41,735
(17,054)
(42,237)
62,597
60.98
80.51
74.97
52.65
75.81
95,015 $
32,070
(1,098)
(45,834)
80,153
44.39
84.03
86.15
42.12
60.98
The cancellations of SARs and non-vested restricted stock during 2020, 2019, and 2018 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.
Cash is not received from exercises of SARs or the vesting and issuance of restricted stock. During 2020,
2019, and 2018, the reduction of income taxes payable as a result of the deduction for the exercise of
SARs and the vesting or accelerated tax elections of restricted stock was $0.5 million, $1.0 million, and
$1.5 million, respectively. During 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac recognized $8,900 and $0.4 million,
respectively, of tax benefits recognized in income tax expense associated with stock compensation
activity.
During 2020, 2019, and 2018, Farmer Mac recorded a net decrease to additional paid-in capital of $0.6
million, $1.8 million, and $2.7 million, respectively, related to stock-based compensation awards.
172
As of December 31, 2020, Farmer Mac had no stock options outstanding. The following tables
summarize information regarding SARs and non-vested restricted stock outstanding as of December 31,
2020:
Table 9.4
SARs:
Range of
Exercise Prices
$10.00 - $24.99
25.00 - 39.99
40.00 - 54.99
55.00 - 69.99
70.00 - 84.99
85.00 - 99.99
Outstanding
Exercisable
Vested or Expected to Vest
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
1.1 years
3.7 years
0.0 years
6.3 years
8.9 years
7.3 years
SARs
9,000
40,537
—
6,619
54,303
5,958
116,417
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
1.1 years
3.7 years
0.0 years
6.3 years
8.3 years
7.3 years
SARs
9,000
40,537
—
6,619
6,474
3,972
66,602
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
1.1 years
3.7 years
0.0 years
6.3 years
8.9 years
7.3 years
SARs
9,000
40,537
—
6,619
54,303
5,958
116,417
Non-vested Restricted Stock:
Weighted-
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
$35.00 - $49.99
50.00 - 64.99
65.00 - 79.99
80.00 - 94.99
Outstanding
Expected to Vest
Non-vested
Restricted
Stock
Weighted-Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
Non-vested
Restricted
Stock
Weighted-Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
—
19,622
43,804
20,530
83,956
0.0 years
2.2 years
1.4 years
0.8 years
—
19,622
43,804
20,530
83,956
0.0 years
2.2 years
1.4 years
0.8 years
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the intrinsic value of SARs, and non-vested restricted stock
outstanding, exercisable, and vested or expected to vest was $8.5 million and $8.9 million,
respectively. During 2020, 2019, and 2018, the total intrinsic value of SARs exercised was $0.7 million,
$1.9 million, and $3.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, there was $2.4 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 1.8 years.
The weighted-average grant date fair values of SARs and restricted stock awards granted in 2020, 2019,
and 2018 were $45.91, $58.27, and $69.38 per share, respectively. Under the fair value-based method of
accounting for stock-based compensation cost, Farmer Mac recognized compensation expense of $4.1
million, $2.3 million, and $2.5 million during 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.
173
The fair value of SARs was estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on the
following assumptions:
Table 9.5
Risk-free interest rate
Expected years until exercise
Expected stock volatility
Dividend yield
For the Year Ended December 31,
2020
0.9%
6 years
34.3%
4.2%
2019
2.5%
6 years
33.8%
3.4%
2018
2.7%
6 years
33.0%
2.7%
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 2020, 2019, and 2018 was $66.02, $80.51, and $84.03 per share, respectively, which is based
on the closing price of the stock on the date granted.
Capital Requirements
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, 2020 and December 31, 2019, 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, 2020, Farmer Mac's minimum capital requirement was $680.9 million and its core
capital level was $1.0 billion, which was $325.5 million above the minimum capital requirement as of that
date. As of December 31, 2019, Farmer Mac's minimum capital requirement was $618.8 million and its
core capital level was $815.4 million, which was $196.6 million above the minimum capital requirement
as of that date.
In accordance with the 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.
174
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, 2020, 2019, and 2018 were as follows:
Table 10.1
Current income tax expense
Deferred income tax expense
Income tax expense
For the Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
$
$
30,634 $
28,316 $
(1,849)
789
28,785 $
29,105 $
25,317
2,625
27,942
A reconciliation of income tax at the statutory federal corporate income tax rate to the income tax expense
for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 is as follows:
Table 10.2
Tax expense at statutory rate
Excess tax benefits related to stock-based awards
Valuation allowance
Other
Income tax expense
Statutory tax rate
For the Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(dollars in thousands)
$
28,861
$
29,117
$
28,564
(9)
—
(67)
(449)
49
388
(946)
—
324
$
28,785
$
29,105
$
27,942
21.0 %
21.0 %
21.0 %
175
The components of the deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 were as
follows:
Table 10.3
Deferred tax assets:
As of December 31,
2020
2019
(in thousands)
Basis differences related to financial derivatives
$
100,099 $
51,177
Unrealized losses on securities
Allowance for losses
Unrealized losses on cash flow hedges
Compensation and benefits
Stock-based compensation
Capital loss carryforwards and other-than-temporary impairment
Valuation allowance
Other
Total deferred tax assets
Deferred tax liability:
Basis differences related to hedged items
Unrealized gains on securities
Other
Total deferred tax liability
Net deferred tax asset
—
3,690
6,065
1,020
1,027
86
(86)
341
2,805
2,650
1,491
819
571
86
(86)
88
112,242
59,601
91,460
2,364
97
93,921
$
18,321 $
42,940
—
151
43,091
16,510
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 $86,000 as of both
December 31, 2020 and 2019, 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. As of
December 31, 2020, no capital loss carryforwards expired. As of December 31, 2020, the amount of
capital loss carryforwards was $0.4 million. These capital loss carryforwards will expire beginning in
2021.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, Farmer Mac did not identify any uncertain tax positions.
Farmer Mac did not have any unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and
2018.
Tax years 2017 through 2020 remain subject to examination.
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") ($285,000 for 2020, $280,000 for 2019, and $275,000 for 2018), plus 5.7% of the difference
between: (1) the lesser of the gross salary and the amount established under EGTRRA and (2) the Social
176
Security Taxable Wage Base. Employees are fully vested after having been employed for approximately 3
years. Expenses for this plan for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 were $2.2 million,
$1.9 million, and $1.8 million, respectively.
Farmer Mac established a Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan ("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, $0.1 million, and $0.1 million for the years ended
December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.
12.
GUARANTEES
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, which 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 & Ranch or the Rural Utilities lines of business.
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 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 $3.3 billion and $3.5 billion
as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Farmer Mac's maximum potential exposure for
guarantees issued before January 1, 2003, which are not recorded on the consolidated balance sheets, was
$10.8 million and $15.5 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, 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(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, 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 12.1
Beginning balance, January 1
Additions to the guarantee and commitment obligation(1)
Amortization of the guarantee and commitment obligation
Ending balance, December 31
For the Years Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
(in thousands)
36,700 $
38,683 $
5,210
(6,375)
4,398
(6,381)
35,535 $
36,700 $
$
$
38,400
6,202
(5,919)
38,683
177
(1)
Represents the fair value of the guarantee and commitment obligation at inception.
Off-Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
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
as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, 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
Farm & Ranch:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
USDA Guarantees:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities
Institutional Credit:
AgVantage Securities
Total off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
As of December 31, 2020
As of December 31, 2019
(in thousands)
$
$
79,312 $
107,322
299,298
4,412
383,022 $
389,216
7,567
504,105
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,
2020
2019
(in thousands)
2018
Proceeds from new securitizations
$
Guarantee fees received
165,054 $
1,365
321,414 $
1,413
382,929
1,920
Farmer Mac presents a liability for its obligation to stand ready under its guarantee in "Guarantee and
commitment obligation" on the consolidated balance sheets. The following table presents the liability and
the weighted-average remaining maturity of all loans underlying off-balance sheet Farmer Mac
Guaranteed Securities:
Table 12.4
Guarantee and commitment obligation
Weighted average remaining maturity:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
AgVantage Securities
As of December 31, 2020
As of December 31, 2019
(dollars in thousands)
$
1,625
$
2,230
9.5 years
4.0 years
9.8 years
5.0 years
178
Long-Term Standby Purchase Commitments
Farmer Mac has recorded a liability for its obligation to stand ready under the guarantee in the guarantee
and commitment obligation on the consolidated balance sheets. The following table presents the liability,
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, as well as the weighted-average
remaining maturity of all loans underlying LTSPCs:
Table 12.5
Guarantee and commitment obligation(1)
Maximum principal amount
Weighted-average remaining maturity
(1) Relates to LTSPCs issued or modified on or after January 1, 2003.
Commitments
As of December 31, 2020 As of December 31, 2019
(dollars in thousands)
$
33,909 $
2,881,856
15.3 years
34,470
3,002,349
15.2 years
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, 2020 and 2019, commitments to
purchase Farm & Ranch loans and USDA Guarantees totaled $125.8 million and $65.1 million,
respectively, all of which were mandatory commitments. As of December 31, 2020, there were no
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.
179
Reserve for Losses
The following table is a summary, by asset type, of the reserve for losses as of December 31, 2020 and
December 31, 2019:
Table 12.6
Farm & Ranch:
LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
Rural Utilities
LTSPCs
Total
(1)
(2)
December 31, 2020(1)
Reserve for Losses
December 31, 2019(2)
Reserve for Losses
(in thousands)
2,097 $
1,180
3,277 $
2,164
—
2,164
$
$
Reserve for losses reflects the adoption of ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," in first quarter 2020.
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 Farm & Ranch Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.
The following is a summary of the changes in the reserve for losses for each year in the three-year period
ended December 31, 2020:
Table 12.7
Balance as of December 31, 2017(1)
Provision for losses
Balance as of December 31, 2018(1)
(Release of)/provision for losses
Balance as of December 31, 2019(1)
$
$
$
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of current expected credit loss standard
Adjusted Beginning Balance
Provision for losses
Balance as of December 31, 2020(2)
$
Farm & Ranch
Rural Utilities
Reserve for Losses
Reserve for Losses
(in thousands)
2,070 $
97
2,167 $
(3)
2,164 $
(148)
2,016
81
2,097 $
—
—
—
—
—
1,011
1,011
169
1,180
(1)
(2)
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 Farm & Ranch Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.
Reserve for losses reflects the adoption of ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," in first quarter 2020.
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.
180
The following table presents the unpaid principal balances by delinquency status of Farm & Ranch loans
underlying LTSPCs. Farm & Ranch Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, Rural Utilities loans underlying
LTSPCs, and non-performing assets as of December 31, 2020:
Table 12.8
Farm and Ranch:
As of December 31, 2020
Current(2)
30-59 Days
60-89 Days
90 Days and
Greater(1)
Total Past
Due
Total Loans
(in thousands)
LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities $ 2,389,777 $
2,189 $
1,344 $
11,433 $
14,966 $ 2,404,743
Rural Utilities:
LTSPCs
$
556,425 $
— $
— $
— $
— $
556,425
(1)
(2)
Includes loans underlying off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs 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.
Includes $193.7 million of unpaid principal balance related to Farm & Ranch LTSPCs for which the lender has notified Farmer Mac of an executed
COVID-19 payment deferment.
The following table presents the unpaid principal balances of Farm & Ranch loans underlying LTSPCs
and off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities (excluding AgVantage securities) and the related
reserve for losses by impairment method and commodity type as of December 31, 2019:
Table 12.9
Ending Balance:
Collectively evaluated for
impairment:
Individually evaluated for
impairment:
Total Farm & Ranch
Allowance for Losses:
Collectively evaluated for
impairment:
Individually evaluated for
impairment:
Total Farm & Ranch
As of December 31, 2019
Crops
Permanent
Plantings
Livestock
Ag.
Storage and
Processing
Part-time
Farm
(in thousands)
Other
Total
$ 1,151,983 $ 511,991 $ 581,377 $ 167,395 $
66,106 $
2,760 $ 2,481,612
5,698
2,114
10,207
706
—
56
18,781
$ 1,157,681 $ 514,105 $ 591,584 $ 168,101 $
66,106 $
2,816 $ 2,500,393
$
$
599 $
96 $
308 $
50 $
767 $
1 $
1,821
97
43
189
14
—
—
343
696 $
139 $
497 $
64 $
767 $
1 $
2,164
181
Net credit losses and 90-day delinquencies as of and for the periods indicated for loans underlying off-
balance sheet securities representing interests in pools of eligible Farm & Ranch LTSPCs are presented in
the table below. As of December 31, 2019, there were no delinquencies and no probable losses inherent in
Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities LTSPCs portfolio and Farmer Mac had not experienced credit losses on any
Rural Utilities LTSPCs.
Table 12.10
90-Day Delinquencies(1)
As of
Net Credit Losses/(Recoveries)
For the Years Ended
December 31, 2019
December 31, 2019
December 31, 2018
(in thousands)
Farm & Ranch LTSPCs and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
$
3,235 $
— $
—
(1)
Includes 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.
Credit Quality Indicators
The following tables present credit quality indicators related to Farm & Ranch loans underlying LTSPCs,
Farm & Ranch Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and Rural Utilities loans underlying LTSPCs as of
December 31, 2020, by year of origination:
Table 12.11
Farm & Ranch LTSPCs and
Farmer Mac Guaranteed
Securities:
Internally Assigned Risk
Rating:
Acceptable
Special mention(1)
Substandard(2)
As of December 31, 2020
Year of Origination:
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Prior
(in thousands)
Revolving
Loans -
Amortized
Cost Basis
Total
$ 178,213 $ 213,620 $ 183,948 $ 237,042 $ 207,296 $ 969,860 $ 211,620 $ 2,201,599
3,920
264
1,742
10,250
1,502
12,611
5,603
14,578
19,644
7,841
50,004
60,602
10,058
92,473
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 Farm &
Ranch net charge-offs
$
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
—
—
—
(1)
(2)
Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately
secured.
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.
182
As of December 31, 2020
Year of Origination:
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Prior
(in thousands)
Revolving
Loans -
Amortized
Cost Basis
Total
Rural Utilities LTSPCs:
Internally Assigned Risk Rating:
Acceptable
Special mention(1)
Substandard(2)
Total
$
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $ 549,405 $
7,020 $ 556,425
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
$
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $ 549,405 $
7,020 $ 556,425
For the Year Ended:
Current period charge-offs
Current period recoveries
Current period Rural Utilities
net charge-offs
$
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
—
—
—
—
—
—
— $
—
$
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
—
—
—
(1)
(2)
Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately
secured.
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.
The following table presents credit quality indicators related to Farm & Ranch loans underlying LTSPCs
and off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities as of December 31, 2019:
Table 12.12
Crops
Permanent
Plantings
Livestock
Part-time
Farm
Ag. Storage and
Processing
Other
Total
As of December 31, 2019
(in thousands)
Internally Assigned Risk Rating(1)
Acceptable
Special mention(2)
Substandard(3)
Total
$ 1,033,002 $ 484,601 $ 521,341 $ 161,361 $
66,106 $ 2,594 $ 2,269,005
68,372
56,307
22,909
6,595
35,618
34,625
1,612
5,128
—
—
—
222
128,511
102,877
$ 1,157,681 $ 514,105 $ 591,584 $ 168,101 $
66,106 $ 2,816 $ 2,500,393
Commodity analysis of past due
loans(1)
(1)
(2)
(3)
$
1,493 $
196 $
1,066 $
480 $
— $
— $
3,235
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.
Assets in the "Special mention" category generally have potential weaknesses due to performance issues but are currently considered to be adequately
secured.
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.
183
13.
FAIR VALUE DISCLOSURES
Fair Value Classification and Transfers
The following tables present information about Farmer Mac's assets and liabilities measured at fair value
on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and indicate the fair value hierarchy
of the valuation techniques used by Farmer Mac to determine such fair value:
Table 13.1
Recurring:
Assets:
Investment Securities:
Available-for-sale:
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value as of December 31, 2020
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3(1)
Total
(in thousands)
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student
loans
$
— $
— $
19,171 $
Floating rate asset-backed securities
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries
Total Investment Securities
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
USDA Securities:
Trading
Total USDA Securities
Financial derivatives
Total Assets at fair value
Liabilities:
Financial derivatives
Total Liabilities at fair value
—
—
—
1,467,951
6,231
2,360,026
313
—
—
—
—
—
1,467,951
2,366,570
19,171
19,171
6,231
2,360,026
313
1,467,951
3,853,692
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
17,468
6,947,701
6,947,701
6,947,701
6,947,701
6,695
6,695
—
6,695
6,695
17,468
$ 1,467,951 $ 2,384,038 $ 6,973,567 $ 10,825,556
$
$
82 $
82 $
29,810 $
29,810 $
— $
— $
29,892
29,892
(1) Level 3 assets represent 29% of total assets and 65% of financial instruments measured at fair value.
184
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value as of December 31, 2019
Level 1
Level 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
$
— $
— $
18,912 $
Floating rate asset-backed securities
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries
Total available-for-sale
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage
Total Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
USDA Securities:
Trading
Total USDA Securities
Financial derivatives
Total Assets at fair value
Liabilities:
Financial derivatives
Total Liabilities at fair value
—
—
—
1,296,923
11,085
1,632,583
340
—
—
—
—
—
1,296,923
1,644,008
18,912
18,912
11,085
1,632,583
340
1,296,923
2,959,843
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
10,519
7,143,025
7,143,025
7,143,025
7,143,025
8,913
8,913
—
8,913
8,913
10,519
$ 1,296,923 $ 1,654,527 $ 7,170,850 $
10,122,300
$
$
51 $
51 $
26,991 $
26,991 $
— $
— $
27,042
27,042
(1) Level 3 assets represent 33% of total assets and 71% of financial instruments measured at fair value.
There were no significant assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis as of
December 31, 2020 or December 31, 2019.
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 both 2020 and 2019, 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.
185
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, 2020 and 2019.
Table 13.2
Level 3 Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value for the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Beginning
Balance
Purchases
Sales
Settlements
Allowance
for Losses
(in thousands)
Realized
and
unrealized
gains
included
in Income
Unrealized
gains
included in
Other
Comprehensive
Income
Ending
Balance
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-sale
18,912
—
—
—
(36)
—
295
19,171
Farmer Mac Guaranteed
Securities:
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage
7,143,025
974,237
Total available-for-sale
7,143,025
974,237
USDA Securities:
Trading
Total USDA Securities
8,913
8,913
—
—
—
—
—
—
(1,397,861)
(1,397,861)
(309)
(309)
202,706
202,706
25,903
6,947,701
25,903
6,947,701
(2,269)
(2,269)
—
51
51
—
—
6,695
6,695
Total Assets at fair value $ 7,170,850 $ 974,237 $ — $ (1,400,130) $
(345) $ 202,757 $
26,198 $ 6,973,567
186
Level 3 Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value for the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Beginning
Balance
Purchases
Sales
Settlements
Realized 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 $
— $
— $
— $
Total available-for-sale
18,715
—
—
—
— $
—
197 $
197
18,912
18,912
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage
5,974,497
2,033,713
Total available-for-sale
5,974,497
2,033,713
—
—
(1,020,294)
(1,020,294)
181,144
181,144
(26,035)
7,143,025
(26,035)
7,143,025
USDA Securities:
Available-for-sale
Trading
Total USDA Securities
—
57,853
(57,853)
9,999
9,999
—
—
57,853
(57,853)
—
(1,412)
(1,412)
—
326
326
—
—
—
—
8,913
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, 2018
Cumulative
Effect from
Change in
Hedge
Accounting
Beginning
Balance
Purchases
Sales
Settlements
(in thousands)
Realized
and
unrealized
(losses)/
gains
included
in Income
Unrealized
gains/(losses)
included in
Other
Comprehensive
Income
Ending
Balance
Recurring:
Assets:
Investment Securities:
Available-for-sale:
Floating rate auction-rate
certificates backed by
Government guaranteed
student loans
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed
mortgage-backed
securities
Total available-for-sale
$ 18,814 $
— $
— $
— $
— $
— $
(99) $
18,715
4,333
23,147
—
—
—
—
—
—
(2,137)
(2,137)
(2,092)
(2,092)
(104)
(203)
—
18,715
Farmer Mac Guaranteed
Securities:
Available-for-sale:
AgVantage
5,471,914
Total available-for-sale
5,471,914
487
2,177,546
487
2,177,546
—
—
(1,670,402)
(1,670,402)
21,459
21,459
(26,507)
5,974,497
(26,507)
5,974,497
USDA Securities:
Available-for-sale
Trading(1)
Total USDA Securities
Total Assets at fair
value
—
13,515
13,515
—
—
—
127,850
(127,850)
—
—
127,850
(127,850)
—
(3,597)
(3,597)
—
81
81
—
—
—
—
9,999
9,999
$ 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 on trading securities."
187
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
Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2020 and 2019:
Table 13.3
Financial Instruments
Fair Value
Valuation Technique
Unobservable Input
Range
(Weighted-Average)
(in thousands)
As of December 31, 2020
Assets:
Investment securities:
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed
by Government guaranteed student loans
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
$
19,171
Indicative bids
Range of broker quotes 97.5% - 97.5% (97.5%)
AgVantage
$ 6,947,701 Discounted cash flow Discount rate
0.8% - 2.3% (1.3%)
USDA Securities
$
6,695 Discounted cash flow Discount rate
0.9% - 1.9% (1.4%)
CPR
25% - 49% (44%)
Financial Instruments
Fair Value Valuation Technique
Unobservable Input
Range
(Weighted-Average)
(in thousands)
As of December 31, 2019
Assets:
Investment securities:
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed
by Government guaranteed student loans
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
AgVantage
$
18,912
Indicative bids
Range of broker quotes 96.0% - 96.0% (96.0%)
$ 7,143,025 Discounted cash flow Discount rate
2.3% - 5.5% (2.6%)
USDA Securities
$
8,913 Discounted cash flow Discount rate
CPR
2.3% - 2.6% (2.1%)
10% - 21% (19%)
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 don't prepay.
The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurements of USDA Securities are the
prepayment rate and discount rate 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
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.
188
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, 2020 and 2019:
Table 13.4
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Investment securities
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
USDA Securities
Loans
Financial derivatives
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable
Financial liabilities:
Notes payable
As of December 31, 2020
As of December 31, 2019
Fair Value
Carrying
Amount
Fair Value
Carrying
Amount
(in thousands)
$ 1,033,941
$ 1,033,941 $ 604,381
$
604,381
3,899,925
3,898,724
3,005,828
3,004,875
8,148,691
8,123,493
8,606,451
8,590,476
2,637,509
2,480,321
2,294,671
2,241,073
9,167,525
8,535,146
7,317,091
6,981,440
17,468
34,115
17,468
37,113
10,519
36,732
10,519
38,442
22,130,263
21,848,917
19,234,079
19,098,648
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties
1,390,330
1,323,786
1,663,177
1,616,504
Financial derivatives
Guarantee and commitment obligations
29,892
32,537
29,892
35,535
27,042
34,990
27,042
36,700
The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents is a reasonable estimate of their approximate fair value
and is classified as Level 1. The 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
projected discount rates for Level 3 financial instruments are derived using a Monte Carlo simulation
model. Different market assumptions and estimation methodologies could significantly affect estimated
fair value amounts.
189
14.
BUSINESS SEGMENT REPORTING
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.
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 not directly
attributable to an operating segment are allocated to each segment based on headcount.
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
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.
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 will
differ from the stand-alone financial statements of Farmer Mac's subsidiaries. These differences will 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 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.
190
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, 2020, 2019, and 2018:
Table 14.1
Core Earnings by Business Segment
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Farm &
Ranch
USDA
Guarantees
Rural
Utilities
Institutional
Credit
Corporate
Reconciling
Adjustments
Consolidated
Net Income
(in thousands)
Net interest income
$
73,901 $
19,570 $
21,963 $
67,953 $
7,201 $
—
$
190,588
Less: reconciling adjustments(1)(2)(3)
Net effective spread
Guarantee and commitment fees(2)
Other income/(expense)(3)
Non-interest income/(loss)
Release of losses
Provision for reserve for losses
Other non-interest expense
Non-interest expense(4)
Core earnings before income taxes
Income tax (expense)/benefit
Core earnings before preferred stock
dividends
Preferred stock dividends
Loss on retirement of preferred stock
(3,892)
70,009
16,957
2,556
19,513
(2,959)
(81)
(22,414)
(22,495)
64,068
(13,454)
2,395
21,965
850
1,098
1,948
—
—
(7,270)
(7,270)
16,643
(3,495)
2,734
24,697
1,314
32
1,346
(4,709)
(169)
(6,224)
(6,393)
14,941
(3,137)
4,533
72,486
29
—
29
(110)
—
(8,784)
(8,784)
63,621
(13,361)
50,614
13,148
11,804
50,260
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
598
7,799
—
(536)
(536)
(27)
—
(16,711)
(16,711)
(9,475)
2,066
(7,409)
(17,805)
—
Segment core earnings/(losses)
$
50,614 $
13,148 $
11,804 $
50,260 $
(25,214) $
(6,368)
(6,368)
(6,601)
604
(5,997)
—
—
—
—
(12,365) (5)
2,596
(9,769) (5)
—
(1,667)
(11,436) (5)
—
—
12,549
3,754
16,303
(7,805)
(250)
(61,403)
(61,653)
137,433
(28,785)
108,648
(17,805)
(1,667)
$
89,176
Total assets at carrying value
$ 6,305,975 $ 2,553,176 $ 2,365,996 $
8,128,489 $ 5,001,865 $
Total on- and off-balance sheet program
assets at principal balance
$ 8,581,181 $ 2,786,718 $ 2,816,837 $
7,739,359 $
— $
—
—
$ 24,355,501
$ 21,924,095
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Includes the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value, originally included in interest income, to reflect core earnings
amounts.
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.
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.
Includes directly attributable costs and an allocation of indirectly attributable costs based on employee headcount.
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.
191
Core Earnings by Business Segment
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Net interest income
$
65,098 $
17,470 $
10,459 $
69,039 $
11,069 $
—
$
173,135
Farm &
Ranch
USDA
Guarantees
Rural
Utilities
Institutional
Credit
Corporate
Reconciling
Adjustments
Consolidated
Net Income
(in thousands)
520
69,559
(987)
10,082
Less: reconciling adjustments(1)(2)(3)
Net effective spread
Guarantee and commitment fees(2)
Other income/(expense)(3)
Non-interest income/(loss)
Provision for loan losses
Release of reserve for losses
Other non-interest expense
Non-interest expense(4)
Core earnings before income taxes
Income tax (expense)/benefit
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends
Preferred stock dividends
Loss on retirement of preferred stock
(9,471)
55,627
18,593
1,397
19,990
(3,504)
3
(19,375)
(19,372)
52,741
(11,076)
41,665
—
—
(732)
16,738
958
174
1,132
—
—
(5,757)
(5,757)
12,113
(2,545)
9,568
—
—
6,143
16,602
1,412
38
1,450
—
—
(3,898)
(3,898)
14,154
372
—
372
—
—
(8,390)
(8,390)
61,541
(2,972)
(12,924)
11,182
48,617
—
—
—
—
—
166
166
—
—
(14,505)
(14,505)
(4,257)
907
(3,350)
(13,940)
4,527
4,527
(7,669)
5,501
(2,168)
—
—
—
—
2,359
(5)
(495)
1,864
(5)
—
Segment core earnings/(losses)
$
41,665 $
9,568 $
11,182 $
48,617 $
(17,290) $
(92) (5) $
—
(1,956)
—
—
13,666
7,276
20,942
(3,504)
3
(51,925)
(51,922)
138,651
(29,105)
109,546
(13,940)
(1,956)
93,650
Total assets at carrying value
$ 5,408,302 $ 2,311,932 $ 1,717,405 $ 8,606,912 $ 3,664,823 $
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at
principal balance
$ 7,776,950 $ 2,620,175 $ 2,280,571 $ 8,440,246 $
— $
—
—
$ 21,709,374
$ 21,117,942
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Includes the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value, originally included in interest income, to reflect core earnings
amounts.
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.
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.
Includes directly attributable costs and an allocation of indirectly attributable costs based on employee headcount.
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.
192
Core Earnings by Business Segment
For the Year Ended December 31, 2018
Net interest income
$
62,951 $
20,554 $
12,505 $
69,321 $
9,105 $
—
$
174,436
Farm &
Ranch
USDA
Guarantees
Rural
Utilities
Institutional
Credit
Corporate
Reconciling
Adjustments
Consolidated
Net Income
(in thousands)
Less: reconciling adjustments(1)(2)(3)
Net effective spread
Guarantee and commitment fees(2)
Other income/(expense)(3)
Non-interest income/(loss)
Provision for loan losses
Release of reserve for losses
Other non-interest expense
Non-interest expense(4)
Core earnings before income taxes
Income tax (expense)/benefit
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends
Preferred stock dividends
(9,889)
53,062
17,976
1,371
19,347
(238)
(97)
(19,026)
(19,123)
53,048
(11,140)
41,908
—
(2,499)
18,055
797
20
817
—
—
(5,309)
(5,309)
13,563
(2,848)
10,715
—
(922)
11,583
1,599
33
1,632
—
—
(3,062)
(3,062)
10,153
(7,884)
61,437
360
—
360
—
—
(8,011)
(8,011)
53,786
(2,133)
(11,295)
42,491
8,020
—
(2,047)
7,058
—
(913)
(913)
—
—
(14,411)
(14,411)
(8,266)
2,361
(5,905)
23,241
23,241
(6,756)
(2,747)
(9,503)
—
—
—
—
13,738
(5)
(2,887)
10,851
(5)
Segment core earnings/(losses)
$
41,908 $
10,715 $
8,020 $
42,491 $
(19,087) $
10,851
(5) $
—
(13,182)
—
—
—
13,976
(2,236)
11,740
(238)
(97)
(49,819)
(49,916)
136,022
(27,942)
108,080
(13,182)
94,898
Total assets at carrying value
$ 4,701,736 $ 2,240,906 $ 945,282 $ 8,089,410 $ 2,716,994 $
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at
principal balance
$ 7,233,972 $ 2,515,620 $ 1,592,115 $ 8,382,817 $
— $
—
—
$ 18,694,328
$ 19,724,524
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Includes the amortization of premiums and discounts on assets consolidated at fair value, originally included in interest income, to reflect core earnings
amounts.
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.
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.
Includes directly attributable costs and an allocation of indirectly attributable costs based on employee headcount.
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.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial
Disclosure
Item 9.
None.
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
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“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, 2020.
193
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, 2020.
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.
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, 2020 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.
194
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance
PART III
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to Farmer Mac's definitive proxy
statement to be filed on or about April 5, 2021.
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 5, 2021.
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 5, 2021.
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 5, 2021.
Item 14.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
PART IV
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to Farmer Mac's definitive proxy
statement to be filed on or about April 5, 2021.
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.
Exhibits
*
*
*
3.1
3.2
4.1
—
—
—
Title VIII of the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as most recently amended on June 18, 2020 (Previously filed as
Exhibit 3.1 to Form 10-Q filed August 10, 2020).
Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant (Previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to Form 8-K filed May 12,
2020).
Specimen Certificate for Farmer Mac Class A Voting Common Stock (Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to
Form 10-Q filed May 15, 2003).
195
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
†*
†*
†*
†*
†*
†*
†*
†*
†*
†*
4.2
4.3
4.5
4.5.1
4.6
4.6.1
4.7
4.7.1
4.8
4.8.1
4.9
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.3.1
10.3.2
10.3.3
10.3.4
10.3.5
10.3.6
10.3.7
†*
10.3.8
†*
†*
†*
†*
†*
†*
10.3.9
10.3.10
10.3.11
10.3.12
10.4
10.5
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Specimen Certificate for Farmer Mac Class B Voting Common Stock (Previously filed as Exhibit 4.2 to
Form 10-Q filed May 15, 2003).
Specimen Certificate for Farmer Mac Class C Non-Voting Common Stock (Previously filed as Exhibit 4.3 to
Form 10-Q filed May 15, 2003).
Specimen Certificate for 6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C
(Previously filed as Exhibit 4.6 to Form 10-Q filed August 11, 2014).
Certificate of Designation of Terms and Conditions of 6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative
Preferred Stock, Series C (Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to Form 8-A filed June 20, 2014).
Specimen Certificate for 5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D (Previously filed as Exhibit 4.7 to
Form 10-Q filed August 1, 2019).
Certificate of Designation of Terms and Conditions of 5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D
(Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to Form 8-A filed May 13, 2019).
Specimen Certificate for 5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E (Previously filed as Exhibit 4.7 to
Form 10-Q filed August 10, 2020).
Certificate of Designation of Terms and Conditions of 5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E
(Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to Form 8-A filed May 20, 2020).
Specimen Certificate for 5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F (Previously filed as Exhibit 4.8 to
Form 10-Q filed November 9, 2020).
Certificate of Designation of Terms and Conditions of 5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F
(Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to Form 8-A filed August 20, 2020).
Description of the Registrant's securities that are registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (Previously filed as Exhibit 4.9 to Form 10-Q filed November 9, 2020).
Amended Employment Agreement dated as of December 23, 2020 between Bradford T. Nordholm and the
Registrant (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed December 30, 2020).
Form of Performance-Based Restricted Stock Award Agreement for grants made to non-directors on or after
March 3, 2020 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed March 9, 2020).
Amended and Restated 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q filed
August 9, 2018).
Form of SARs Award Agreement under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan for grants made prior to April 1,
2012 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10 to Form 8-K filed June 11, 2008).
Form of SARs Award Agreement under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan for grants made from April 1, 2012
to March 31, 2013 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed April 6, 2012).
Form of SARs Award Agreement under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan for grants made from April 1, 2013
to March 31, 2015 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed April 5, 2013).
Form of SARs Award Agreement under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan for grants made on or after April 1,
2015 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed on April 3, 2015).
Form of Restricted Stock Agreement (Officers) under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan for grants made prior
to April 1, 2012 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed June 10, 2009).
Form of Restricted Stock Agreement (Officers) under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan for grants made from
April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K filed April 6, 2012).
Form of Performance-Based Restricted Stock Award Agreement (Officers) under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive
Plan for grants made from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2015 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K filed
April 5, 2013).
Form of Performance-Based Restricted Stock Award Agreement (Officers) under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive
Plan for grants made from April 1, 2015 to March 10, 2020 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K filed
April 3, 2015).
Form of Performance-Based Restricted Stock Agreement (Officers) under the 2008 Omnibus Form of
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Agreement (Officers) under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan for grants
made on or after March 3, 2020 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed March 10, 2020).
Form of Time-Based Restricted Stock Award Agreement (Officers) under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan for
grants made from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2015 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K filed April 5,
2013).
Form of Time-Based Restricted Stock Award Agreement (Officers) under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan for
grants made on or after April 1, 2015 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Form 8-K filed on April 3, 2015).
Form of Restricted Stock Agreement (Directors) under the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan (Previously filed as
Exhibit 10.3 to Form 8-K filed April 6, 2012).
Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation Amended and Restated Executive Officer Severance Plan
(effective January 16, 2020) (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed January 23, 2020).
Form of Participation Agreement to the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation Amended and Restated
Executive Officer Severance Plan (effective January 16, 2020) (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K
filed January 23, 2020).
196
†*
†*
†*
10.6
10.7
10.8
†**
*#
10.9
10.10
*#
10.10.1
—
—
—
—
—
—
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (effective May 1, 2017) (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form
10-Q filed May 10, 2017)
Adoption Agreement of the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (effective May 1, 2017) (Previously
filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Form 10-Q filed May 10, 2017)
Form of Indemnification Agreement for Directors (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed April 9,
2008).
Description of compensation agreement between the Registrant and its directors, effective January 1, 2021.
Amended and Restated Master Central Servicing Agreement between Zions First National Bank and the
Registrant, dated as of May 1, 2004 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.11.2 to Form 10-Q filed August 9, 2004).
Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Master Central Servicing Agreement between Zions First
National Bank and the Registrant, dated as of June 1, 2009 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.11.1 to Form 10-Q
filed August 10, 2009).
*#
10.10.2
—
Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Master Central Servicing Agreement between Zions First
National Bank and the Registrant, dated as of August 25, 2010 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.11.2 to Form 10-
Q filed November 9, 2010).
10.16
—
10.16.1
—
10.16.2
—
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
10.18
10.19
10.25
10.26
10.27
10.28
10.29
10.30
10.31
10.32
*
**
21
31.1
**
31.2
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement between Farmer Mac Mortgage Securities Corporation,
National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, and the Registrant, dated as of March 24, 2011
(Previously filed as Exhibit 10.22 to Form 10-Q filed May 10, 2011).
Amended and Restated First Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement between Farmer Mac Mortgage
Securities Corporation, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, and the Registrant, dated as
of January 8, 2015 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed January 13, 2015).
Second Amended and Restated First Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement between Farmer Mac Mortgage
Securities Corporation, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, and the Registrant, dated as
of February 26, 2018 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q filed May 10, 2018).
Amended and Restated Master Sale and Servicing Agreement between National Rural Utilities Cooperative
Finance Corporation and the Registrant, dated as of August 12, 2011 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.26 to Form
10-Q filed November 9, 2011).
Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Master Sale and Servicing Agreement between National Rural
Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation and the Registrant, dated as of November 28, 2016 (Previously filed
as Exhibit 10.17 to Form 10-K filed March 9, 2017)
Second Amended, Restated and Consolidated Pledge Agreement between Farmer Mac Mortgage Securities
Corporation, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, U.S. Bank National Association, and
the Registrant, dated as of July 31, 2015 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Form 10-Q filed November 9,
2015).
Long Term Standby Commitment to Purchase between National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance
Corporation and the Registrant, dated as of August 31, 2015 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.4 to Form 10-Q
filed November 9, 2015).
Amendment No. 1 to Long Term Standby Commitment to Purchase between National Rural Utilities
Cooperative Finance Corporation and the Registrant, dated as of May 31, 2016 (Previously filed as Exhibit
10.1 to Form 10-Q filed August 9, 2016).
Loan Participation Servicing Agreement between National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation,
National Cooperative Services Corporation, and the Registrant, dated as of September 26, 2019 (Previously
filed as Exhibit 10 to Form 8-K filed October 9, 2019).
Master Non-Recourse Loan Participation Agreement between CoBank, ACB, CoBank, FCB, and the
Registrant, dated as of February 13, 2019 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed February 20,
2019).
Loan Participation and Servicing Agreement between CoBank, ACB and the Registrant, dated as of February
13, 2019 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K filed February 20, 2019).
Master Non-Recourse Loan Participation Agreement between National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance
Corporation and the Registrant, dated as of February 3, 2020 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K
filed February 7, 2020).
Loan Participation and Servicing Agreement between National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance
Corporation and the Registrant, dated as of February 3, 2020 (Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K
filed February 7, 2020).
List of the Registrant's subsidiaries (Previously filed as Exhibit 21 to Form 10-K filed March 8, 2018).
Certification of Registrant's principal executive officer relating to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of Registrant's principal financial officer relating to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-
Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
197
**
32
—
Certification of Registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer relating to the
Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §
1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
**
**
**
**
**
**
**
a.
*
**
#
†
101.INS —
Inline 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.SCH —
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
101.CAL —
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation
101.DEF —
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition
101.LAB —
101.PRE —
104
—
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation
Cover 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.
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary
None.
198
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. Nordholm
By: Bradford T. Nordholm
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
February 25, 2021
Date
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.
Name
Title
Date
/s/ LaJuana S. Wilcher
Chair of the Board and Director
February 25, 2021
LaJuana S. Wilcher
/s/ Bradford T. Nordholm
Bradford T. Nordholm
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
February 25, 2021
/s/ Aparna Ramesh
Aparna Ramesh
Executive Vice President – Chief Financial
Officer and Treasurer
(Principal Financial Officer)
February 25, 2021
/s/ Gregory N. Ramsey
Gregory N. Ramsey
Vice President – Controller
(Principal Accounting Officer)
February 25, 2021
199
Name
Title
Date
/s/ Dennis L. Brack
Dennis L. Brack
/s/ Richard H. Davidson
Richard H. Davidson
/s/ Everett M. Dobrinski
Everett M. Dobrinski
/s/ James R. Engebretsen
James R. Engebretsen
/s/ Sara L. Faivre
Sara L. Faivre
/s/ Amy H. Gales
Amy H. Gales
/s/ Mitchell A. Johnson
Mitchell A. Johnson
/s/ Lowell L. Junkins
Lowell L. Junkins
/s/ Robert G. Sexton
Robert G. Sexton
/s/ Daniel L. Shaw
Daniel L. Shaw
/s/ Charles A. Stones
Charles A. Stones
/s/ Myles J. Watts
Myles J. Watts
/s/ Todd P. Ware
Todd P. Ware
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
Director
February 25, 2021
200
1999 K Street, N.W., Fourth Floor,
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202.872.7700
or 800.879.3276
www.farmermac.com