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The greatness of rural America has always relied upon men and women willing to roll up their sleeves and build a better future for their families and local communities. For nearly a century, the USDA has supported their initiative through targeted loans that support new or upgraded farms, homes, businesses, electricity and water infrastructure. Recently, as part of the Trump administration’s bold effort to improve government efficiency, USDA announced sweeping changes to modernize our loan systems.
Soon, 130 loan and grant systems across USDA’s Rural Development and Farm Production and Conservation mission areas will be streamlined into a single integrated platform. This change marks one of the largest modernization efforts in our history, and it is long overdue. Our program and loan accounting system alone has been in use since 1968, meaning this is its first overhaul since Neil Armstrong planted an American flag on the moon.
For decades, the programs designed to breathe life across the fields that feed America have been suffocated by increasingly redundant systems and red tape, slowing USDA’s responsiveness to the needs of rural communities. Our programs and systems have largely developed in silos, solving individual challenges but creating complexity and confusion for our customers in rural America. Whereas previous administrations ignored this problem and allowed it to fester, President Trump understands that rural revival is central to Making America Great Again, which is why we are taking decisive action to bring our technology into the 21st century.
Loan modernization is an important part of the Trump administration’s shift away from the era of bureaucratic bloat and toward the clarity and confidence that our rural communities deserve. By simplifying our loan systems, these long overdue changes will improve efficiency, bolster cybersecurity, crack down on fraud, and ensure USDA programs deliver timely and targeted assistance to the men and women who sustain this nation. Producers, business owners, developers, and families will soon be able to apply for a loan and work directly with our staff from any device — wherever and whenever it’s most convenient. At the same time, USDA will continue offering in person support for those who still desire it. Far from cutting off access for anyone, this modernization effort ensures that every American with a vision for small-town prosperity will once again have the tools to realize it.
These loans are the lifeblood of economic development in rural America. Whether by increasing catfish processing in Maryland, expanding sawmill production across several states, or improving support for small meat and poultry plants, USDA has a strong legacy of expanding opportunities for Main Street USA.
While these loans are aimed at rural America, they help foster a rich national heritage that belongs to every American. We all want safe, affordable, clean, beautiful communities, and we expect them to harmonize with the rural fabric of our land, which agriculture has preserved and cultivated for generations.
As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, the Trump administration is reviving the spirit of faith, family and patriotism that first built our small towns that so many Americans call home. That spirit stands in direct contradiction to the inefficient and dehumanizing bureaucratic systems that have held rural America hostage for too long. Thankfully, USDA is quickly transforming those systems so that they better serve our communities and unleash the full potential of the American spirit instead of stifling it.