Despite the cold, snowy weather, ag producers are getting ready to head into the fields as soon as they can. Ag bankers have been working with producers to help finance their operations this year, SDBA President Curt Everson recently told WNAX Radio. 

"There has been a considerable amount of restructuring going on of operating debt maybe current year or short-term operating loans being restructured into the longer-term debt just to try and create a little better cash flow situation for producers," Everson said. "So bankers have been working on those kinds of things customer by customer."

Land values have dropped over the last year, according to SDSU, with average crop ground in the state at about $3,900 an acre--a five percent drop from the previous year. Everson says most banks don’t use the sales price of land in their financial statements.

Everson says low grain prices also contribute to the strain on farm operations cash flow. Listen to Everson's sound bites.

The SDBA's 2018 Agricultural Credit Conference will be held April 11-13 in Pierre. There is still time to register. View the agenda and register.