Farmers may apply for Ohio Ag-LINK program

COLUMBUS — Farmers may apply for a state-managed program that allows farm operators to receive a reduced interest rate on loans and lines of credit, state Treasurer Josh Mandel said.

The application period for the 2012 Agricultural Linked Deposit Program (Ag-LINK) began on Thursday and runs through 5 p.m. March 9. This year, the applications are to be done entirely online, Mandel said.

To qualify for Ag-LINK, farmers must be for-profit with their headquarters and more than half of their operations maintained within Ohio, state officials said. The farmer must apply to, and be approved for a loan or line of credit from a farm lender or an eligible bank.

After approval, the farmer may apply through Ag-LINK for an interest rate reduction.

Notification of each application’s status will be sent to lenders no later than April 6, Mandel said. Funding will begin on April 16.

For more information, go online to www.ohiotreasurer.gov/aglink or call the state treasurer’s office at (800) 228-1102.