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Abstract
Current problems in agriculture include low commodity prices, loss of export markets, localized droughts, and changes in the structure of federal support programs. Moreover, following the unfortunate industry trend, agricultural banks are having increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining deposits. As a result, they are having to turn to other more expensive forms of funding for their loans. Unlike the extended crisis of the 1980s, the current problems at agricultural banks are relatively new. As a result, most of them are still reasonably healthy and profitable. Nonetheless, a small but increasing number of agricultural banks are registering difficulty.