Arvest Bank makes list of top 100 farm lenders

Arvest Bank is one of the leading bank lenders to U.S. agriculture, according to the American Bankers Association’s (ABA) list of the top 100 farm lenders.

The bank ranked 27th nationally with approximately $462 million in agricultural loans at the end of last year according to the American Banker’s Association annual list of 100 largest farm lenders. In 2012, Arvest originated approximately $452 million in farm loans, up 9% from $415 million in 2011.

“In the regions where we operate, Arvest has a number of customers who make their living in the agricultural industry. Many of our associates have backgrounds in agriculture, so it’s natural that we would focus on providing farmers with various loans, such as SBA and FSA. We are always working on building the expertise that agribusiness people need to be profitable. We are thrilled to partner with so many agriculturally-based businesses and customers in our communities,” Kent Williamson, loan manager for Arvest Bank in Springdale, said in a bank statement.

The 2012 ABA Farm Bank Performance Report stated that the U.S. banking industry is the nation’s most important supplier of credit to the agriculture industry, providing more than 50% ($141 billion) of all farm loans.

Agricultural lending is an area in which Arvest continues to experience growth. Since 2006, total farm loans at Arvest (farm production loans plus farmland loans) have more than doubled. The bank originated $227 million in farm loans in 2006, and approximately $452 million in 2012. Since 2006, total farm loans made by all banks have increased 67% from $49.1 billion in 2006 to $81.8 billion in 2012. Also, 6% of Arvest’s total loan portfolio is farm lending.