SBA and USDA Team Up to Cut Red Tape for Farmers

Farmers and ranchers already deal with unpredictable weather, rising costs and long days. The federal government says it wants to make one part of the job a little less complicated.

The U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have signed a new agreement designed to help farmers, ranchers, rural communities and small businesses report federal regulations or enforcement actions they believe are unfair, inconsistent or unnecessarily costly.

Under the partnership, USDA will operate a centralized online portal for complaints involving federal agencies. Those concerns will also be shared with the SBA’s Office of the National Ombudsman, which will help coordinate cases and connect them with the appropriate agency.

The SBA will review complaint data to spot recurring regulatory problems that may be hurting producers and rural businesses across the country. That information could eventually help shape broader regulatory reforms.

For small-town economies, this matters. Farms and agricultural businesses are often major employers, customers and community anchors. Less time wrestling with red tape could mean more time growing, hiring and investing locally.

Read the official SBA news release.