In April 2025, Reuters reported that a memo from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, required clearance from the Office of the Secretary and from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) before certain farm loans and guarantees could be issued. As reported, the step applied to loans and guarantees of $500,000 or more and to loans to “formal entities” such as corporations, and it took effect April 30, 2025. The reporting does not establish whether the requirement is still in force today, and no USDA or FSA document reviewed for this article says so either way.
What the clearance requirement was reported to cover
Reuters described an April 29, 2025 memo from Houston Bruck, deputy administrator for farm loan programs at FSA. The memo itself is not publicly reproduced in the reporting, so the details below are Reuters’ account of it:
- Dollar threshold: loans and guarantees of $500,000 or more.
- Borrower type: loans to formal entities, such as corporations, were also included. A borrower below $500,000 that is organized as a corporation was therefore reported to be within scope, so the dollar threshold is not the only trigger.
- Loan types: both direct loans and guaranteed loans, where a commercial bank lends and FSA guarantees repayment.
- Reviewing offices: the Office of the Secretary and DOGE, both of which had to clear a covered loan before it was issued.
- Effective date: April 30, 2025.
Reuters also reported that USDA’s own description of its review work referred to payments above $500,000 being assessed for fraud and national security concerns. That statement concerns payments, not the loan approvals described in the memo, so it should not be read as the basis for the clearance step.
How the $500,000 line compares with FSA loan limits
Loan caps differ by program, and the figures in the April 2025 Reuters article are not the same as the current figures in USDA’s FY 2026 explanatory notes. Both are shown below, with the source and date for each.
| Loan type | Limit reported by Reuters (April 2025) | Limit in USDA FY 2026 explanatory notes | Terms and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct farm ownership | $600,000 (Reuters described direct FSA loans as capped at this amount) | $600,000 maximum | The notes describe ownership limits as adjusted annually for inflation. |
| Guaranteed farm ownership | $2.2 million (Reuters described guaranteed loans generally) | $2,251,000 maximum | Adjusted annually for inflation. |
| Direct operating | Not stated | $400,000 maximum | Terms of one to seven years. |
| Operating microloan | Not stated | $50,000 maximum | Terms of one to seven years. |
| Guaranteed operating | Not stated | $2,251,000 maximum | Guaranteed amount adjusted annually for inflation. |
The table shows one practical consequence. Because the direct operating cap is $400,000, a direct operating loan of $500,000 or more cannot be issued under the FY 2026 notes, so the $500,000 threshold mainly affects direct ownership loans and guaranteed loans. The entity-type trigger can still apply to smaller operating loans.
What FSA farm loans are for and who qualifies
FSA makes direct and guaranteed loans to farmers and ranchers who cannot obtain sufficient commercial credit at reasonable rates and terms. Loans can finance farmland or equipment purchases, production costs, and day-to-day operations. The FY 2026 notes list these uses:
- Farm ownership: purchasing or expanding a farm, farm buildings and improvements, closing costs, and soil and water conservation.
- Operating: livestock, poultry, equipment, feed, seed, fertilizer, farm supplies, operating expenses, land and water development, and some refinancing.
FSA’s guidance says direct operating applicants should be ready to explain their operation and goals, state how much they need and how they expect to repay, and provide organized financial records and leases where applicable. Eligibility considerations include acceptable credit history, inability to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere, and managerial ability.
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Responses to the clearance requirement
FSA leadership
Reuters reported that FSA Administrator Bill Beam wrote in an accompanying note: “We recognize the potential impact that this effort may have on our customers, lending partners, and FSA staff, and are committed to ensuring minimal disruption to service delivery.”
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USDA’s statement, as Reuters quoted it, said: “The USDA Efficiency Team reviews many loans, guarantees, and payments,” and that “the team does assess payments over $500k for fraud and national security concerns.”
Former FSA administrator Zach Ducheneaux
Ducheneaux, who led FSA under the Biden administration, criticized the added step. Reuters quoted him: “What this says to me is we’re adding another layer of bureaucracy and clearance to one of the most efficient programs in the federal government.” He also warned that “It can trigger a domino effect to getting the crop planted in the ground or send those cattle to market.” That is his assessment of likely effects, not a measured outcome.
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Senator Amy Klobuchar
Klobuchar, identified by Reuters as the ranking minority member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said she was concerned about the protection of farmers’ personal information and about unnecessary delays or denials of loans. These are her stated concerns; the reporting does not show that either problem has occurred.
Scale of the program
Reuters reported USDA data showing that in fiscal year 2023 FSA made 22,600 farm loans worth about $4.7 billion. The same report estimated that FSA serves roughly 8% to 10% of farms with loans. These are 2023 figures and show the program’s size at that time, not current volumes.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFSA processing changes announced in September 2026
FSA announced several process changes in September 2026. They are separate from the 2025 clearance memo and are summarized here so readers can distinguish them.
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Application Fast Track becomes permanent
On September 3, 2026, FSA said Application Fast Track (AFT), piloted since 2023, will become permanent. It uses financial benchmarks and repayment history to identify low-risk direct loan applicants for streamlined underwriting. During the pilot, FSA said an average of 23% of direct loan customers qualified and processing took about eight calendar days less.
Delegated authority for Preferred Lenders
FSA also announced that Preferred Lenders will receive delegated authority to certify creditworthiness, financial feasibility, and collateral adequacy in place of a more detailed agency review. Lenders may start using this authority with traditional loan narratives on October 1, 2026. A new electronic system is planned for early 2027, and FSA says paper applications will continue to be accepted.
Final rule, “Driving Efficiency in Farm Loan Delivery”
A final rule dated September 4, 2026, titled “Driving Efficiency in Farm Loan Delivery,” permanently implements AFT and makes other regulatory changes. Neither the rule nor the September announcements state whether the 2025 DOGE clearance requirement remains in effect, was rescinded, or was modified.
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Checking whether the clearance applies to a specific loan
Because the current status is not established by the available sources, a borrower or lender planning a covered loan should confirm it directly with FSA rather than rely on the 2025 report. A practical sequence:
- Contact the FSA county office that would process the application and ask whether the 2025 Office of the Secretary and DOGE clearance step still applies to loans of your type.
- Confirm the loan category (direct or guaranteed, ownership or operating) and the amount, including any guarantee, against the current limits in the FY 2026 notes.
- State your borrowing entity type. A corporation or other formal entity should ask about clearance even if the loan is below $500,000.
- Ask for a written processing timeline that includes any clearance step, so that planting, purchase, or sale dates are not set without it.
- If you use a commercial lender with an FSA guarantee, ask the lender which FSA review steps apply to its file, because Preferred Lender certification changes which steps the lender completes itself starting October 1, 2026.
FSA’s Loan Assistance Tool and local offices are the official starting points for eligibility questions.
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