ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book describes the extent of the available data on financial conditions in the farming sector. It shows that disaggregating national measures of financial condition by size of farm, by region of the country and by types of commodities produced help to identify what segments of the farm population are experiencing the most problems. The book presents a description of the traditional sources of equity and debt capital for farmers. It deals with the issues in private farm capital markets including debt, equity and leasing. The book also presents the reasons for direct government involvement in farm credit markets, specific issues related to the implementation of government credit programs and a description of current financial policy options. It explores how tax policy interacts with finance to help determine the size and structure of farm firms and the farm sector.
