FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION (AGM) Business

Farmer Mac is a stockholder-owned, federally chartered corporation that combines private capital and public sponsorship to serve a public purpose. Congress has charged Farmer Mac with the mission of providing a secondary market for a variety of loans made to borrowers in rural America. A secondary market is an economic arrangement in which the owners of financial assets, such as the originators of loans, may sell all or part of those assets or pay a fee to offset some or all of the inherent risks of holding the assets. Farmer Mac's main secondary market activities are:

• purchasing eligible loans directly from lenders;

• providing advances against eligible loans by purchasing obligations secured by those loans;

• securitizing assets and guaranteeing the payment of principal and interest on the resulting securities that represent interests in, or obligations secured by, pools of eligible loans; and

• issuing long-term standby purchase commitments ("LTSPCs") for eligible loans.

Securities guaranteed by Farmer Mac may be retained by the seller of the underlying loans, retained by Farmer Mac, or sold to third-party investors.

Farmer Mac was established under federal legislation first enacted in 1988 and amended most recently in 2018 – Title VIII of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. §§ 2279aa et seq.), which is sometimes referred to as Farmer Mac's charter. Farmer Mac is a government-sponsored enterprise ("GSE") by virtue of the status conferred by its charter. The charter provides that Farmer Mac has the power to establish, acquire, and maintain affiliates under applicable state law to carry out any activities that Farmer Mac otherwise would perform directly. Farmer Mac established its two existing subsidiaries – Farmer Mac II LLC and Farmer Mac Mortgage Securities Corporation – under that power.

Farmer Mac is an institution of the Farm Credit System (the "FCS"), which is composed of the banks, associations, and related entities, including Farmer Mac and its subsidiaries, regulated by the Farm Credit Administration ("FCA"), an independent agency in the executive branch of the United States government. Although Farmer Mac is an institution of the FCS, it is not liable for any debt or obligation of any other institution of the FCS. None of FCA, the FCS, or any other individual institution of the FCS is liable for any debt or obligation of Farmer Mac or its subsidiaries. The debts and obligations of Farmer Mac and its subsidiaries are not guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the United States.

Farmer Mac's two main sources of revenue are:

• interest income earned on assets held on balance sheet, net of related funding costs and interest payments and receipts on financial derivatives; and

• guarantee and commitment fees received for outstanding guaranteed securities and LTSPCs.

Farmer Mac funds its purchases of eligible loans (including participation interests in eligible loans) and guaranteed securities primarily by issuing debt obligations of various maturities in the public capital markets. Farmer Mac also uses the proceeds of debt issuance to fund liquidity investments that must comply with policies adopted by Farmer Mac's board of directors and with FCA regulations, which establish limitations on asset class, dollar amount, issuer concentration, and credit quality. Those

regulations can be found at 12 C.F.R. §§ 652.1-652.45 (the "Liquidity and Investment Regulations"). Farmer Mac's regular debt issuance supports its access to the capital markets, and Farmer Mac's liquidity investment assets provide an alternative source of funds should market conditions become unfavorable. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had $1.6 billion of discount notes and $14.6 billion of medium-term notes outstanding. For more information about Farmer Mac's eligible loan assets and liquidity investment assets, as well as its financial performance and sources of capital and liquidity, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." For more information about Farmer Mac's debt issuance, see "Business—Financing—Debt Issuance."

Farmer Mac's activities are intended to provide lenders with an efficient and competitive secondary market that enhances these lenders' ability to offer competitively-priced financing to rural borrowers. This secondary market is designed to increase the availability of credit at stable interest rates to America's rural communities and to provide rural borrowers with the benefits of capital markets pricing and product innovation. The secondary market provided by Farmer Mac functions as a bridge between the national capital markets and the agricultural and rural credit markets by attracting new capital for financing rural borrowers.

Farmer Mac's purchases of loans and obligations secured by loans and its sale of guaranteed securities to investors increase lenders' liquidity and lending capacity and provide a continuous source of funding for lenders that extend credit to borrowers in rural America. Farmer Mac's issuance of LTSPCs for loans held by lenders and its issuance of guaranteed securities retained by lenders in exchange for the related securitized loans result in lower regulatory capital requirements for the lenders and reduced borrower or commodity concentration exposure for some lenders, thereby expanding their lending capacity. By increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of rural finance, the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac has the potential to lower the interest rates paid on loans by rural borrowers.

The current economic and regulatory environment presents Farmer Mac with opportunities to market a mix of products to rural lenders in need of capital, liquidity, portfolio diversification, and access to a wide variety of loan products including those with long-term fixed rates. As part of its outreach strategy, Farmer Mac engages with current and prospective rural lenders to identify their specific needs, with an emphasis on individual lender meetings, lender road shows, and face-to-face contact at state and national banking conferences. Farmer Mac has also increased its focus on wholesale financing for institutional investors in agricultural assets that qualify as eligible collateral under Farmer Mac's charter. For these potential issuers, Farmer Mac directs its outreach efforts through its business relationships within the agricultural community and through executive outreach to institutions whose profile presents opportunity to benefit from wholesale financing. Farmer Mac seeks to maximize the use of technology to support these business development efforts.

Farmer Mac conducts its secondary market activities through four lines of business – Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, Rural Utilities, and Institutional Credit. The loans (and participation interests in those loans) eligible for the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac include:

• mortgage loans secured by first liens on agricultural real estate, including part-time farms and rural housing (comprising the assets eligible for the Farm & Ranch line of business);

• agricultural and rural development loans guaranteed by the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA") (comprising the assets eligible for the USDA Guarantees line of business); and

• loans by lenders organized as cooperatives to finance electrification and telecommunications systems in rural areas (comprising the assets eligible for the Rural Utilities line of business).

Farmer Mac also guarantees and purchases general obligations of lenders that are secured by pools of these types of eligible loans (comprising the assets eligible for the Institutional Credit line of business). As of December 31, 2018, the total outstanding business volume in all of Farmer Mac's lines of business was $19.7 billion.

Farm & Ranch

Under the Farm & Ranch line of business, Farmer Mac purchases eligible mortgage loans (and related participation interests) secured by first liens on agricultural real estate, which includes part-time farms and rural housing ("Farm & Ranch loans"). Farmer Mac also guarantees securities representing interests in pools of eligible Farm & Ranch loans and participation interests ("Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities"). Farmer Mac also commits to purchase, subject to the applicable LTSPC agreement, eligible Farm & Ranch loans and participation interests. To be eligible, Farm & Ranch loans must meet Farmer Mac's credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other specified standards described in "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Farm & Ranch." As of December 31, 2018, outstanding Farm & Ranch loans held by Farmer Mac and loans that either backed off-balance sheet Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities or were subject to LTSPCs totaled $7.2 billion.

USDA Guarantees

Under the USDA Guarantees line of business, Farmer Mac II LLC, a subsidiary of Farmer Mac, purchases the portions of agricultural, rural development, business and industry, and community facilities loans guaranteed by the USDA under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. §§ 1921 et seq.). Farmer Mac refers to these USDA-guaranteed portions of loans as "USDA Securities." Farmer Mac II LLC also purchases USDA Securities in exchange for issuing securities to third parties backed by those USDA Securities, which are then also guaranteed by Farmer Mac ("Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities"). As of December 31, 2018, outstanding USDA Securities and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities totaled $2.5 billion, of which $395.1 million were Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities.

Rural Utilities

Under the Rural Utilities line of business, Farmer Mac's authorized activities are similar to those conducted under the Farm & Ranch line of business – purchases of, guarantees of securities backed by, and issuances of LTSPCs for eligible rural utilities loans and related participation interests ("Rural Utilities loans"). To be eligible, Rural Utilities loans must meet Farmer Mac's credit underwriting and other specified standards described in "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities." As of December 31, 2018, the aggregate outstanding principal balance of Rural Utilities loans held by Farmer Mac or that were subject to LTSPCs totaled $1.6 billion. There currently are no guaranteed securities issued under the Rural Utilities line of business, although the Institutional Credit line of business includes some AgVantage securities that are secured by Rural Utilities loans.

Institutional Credit

Under the Institutional Credit line of business, Farmer Mac guarantees and purchases general obligations of lenders that are secured by pools of the types of loans eligible for purchase under Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, or Rural Utilities lines of business. AgVantage® is a registered trademark of Farmer Mac used to designate Farmer Mac's guarantees of securities related to these general obligations of lenders that are secured by pools of eligible loans and that comprise the Institutional Credit line of business. Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities, and AgVantage Securities are sometimes collectively referred to as "Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities." For more information on the products currently offered under Farmer Mac's Institutional Credit line of business, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Institutional Credit." As of December 31, 2018, outstanding securities held or guaranteed by Farmer Mac in its Institutional Credit line of business totaled $8.4 billion.

Farmer Mac is the only Congressionally-chartered corporation established to provide a secondary market for agricultural mortgage loans, rural utilities loans, and USDA Securities. But Farmer Mac does face indirect competition from many sources. These sources include other financial institutions and other types of financial entities that purchase, retain, securitize, or provide financing for the types of assets eligible for Farmer Mac's secondary market activities, including commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, other FCS institutions, and financial funds. Farmer Mac also competes indirectly with originators of eligible loans who would prefer to retain the loans they originate rather than sell them into the secondary market. Farmer Mac is able to compete to acquire eligible loans due to the variety of products it offers and its ability to offer low-cost funding to its customers. This enables Farmer Mac to offer flexible financing options and products designed to meet the varied needs of lending institutions related to capital requirements, liquidity, credit risk, and management of sector and geographic concentrations and borrower exposure limits. However, the relative competitiveness of Farmer Mac's loan rates is affected by the ability of other lending institutions to subsidize their rates on the loan products that compete with Farmer Mac by price averaging with other types of loans or by accepting a lower return on equity. Farmer Mac's ability to develop business with lending institutions is also affected by changes in the levels of available capital and liquidity of those institutions, the existence of alternative sources of funding and credit enhancement for those institutions, the rate of growth in the market for eligible loans, and demand for Farmer Mac's products.

Farmer Mac's competitive position is also affected by the willingness of originators to offer eligible loans for sale in the secondary market, as well as the types and variety of products offered by Farmer Mac's competitors to meet the needs of Farmer Mac's customer base. Farmer Mac's limits on borrower exposure and loan size, as well as the types of loans that are eligible for Farmer Mac's lines of business, also affect Farmer Mac's competitive position. Farmer Mac's ability to obtain low-cost funding in the debt markets is essential to its ability to maintain its competitive position with its customers. As a result, competition for debt investors with other debt-issuing institutions, such as the FCS, Federal Home Loan Banks, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and highly-rated financial institutions, can affect the price and volume at which Farmer Mac issues debt and therefore its ability to offer savings to customers in the form of competitive products.

Farmer Mac's charter prescribes the company's basic capital and corporate governance structure. The charter authorizes Farmer Mac to issue two classes of voting common stock, each of which elects one-third of Farmer Mac's 15-person board of directors. The charter also authorizes Farmer Mac to issue non-voting common stock. The classes of Farmer Mac's outstanding common stock and their relationship to Farmer Mac's board of directors are described below.

• Class A voting common stock. The charter restricts ownership of Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock to banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions or similar entities that are not institutions of the FCS. The charter also provides that five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors are elected by a plurality of the votes of the Class A stockholders each year. The charter limits the amount of Class A voting common stock that any one holder may own to no more than 33% of the outstanding shares of Class A voting common stock. Farmer Mac is not aware of any regulation applicable to non-FCS financial institutions that requires a minimum investment in Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock or that prescribes a maximum investment amount lower than the 33% limit set forth in the charter. Farmer Mac's Class A voting common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AGM.A.

• Class B voting common stock. The charter restricts ownership of Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock to FCS institutions and also provides that five members of Farmer Mac's 15-member board of directors are elected by a plurality of the votes of the Class B stockholders each year. The charter contains no restrictions on the maximum number or percentage of outstanding shares of Class B voting common stock that any one holder may own, and Farmer Mac is not aware of any regulation applicable to FCS institutions that requires a minimum investment in its Class B voting common stock or that prescribes a maximum amount. Farmer Mac's Class B voting common stock, which has a limited market and trades infrequently, is not listed or quoted on any exchange or other quotation system, and Farmer Mac is not aware of any publicly available quotations or prices for this class of common stock.

• Class C non-voting common stock. The charter does not impose any ownership restrictions on Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock, and shares of this class are freely transferable. Holders of the Class C common stock do not vote on the election of directors or any other matter. Farmer Mac's Class C non-voting common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AGM.

• Presidential director appointments. The remaining five members of Farmer Mac's board of directors are individuals who meet the qualifications specified in the charter and are appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. These appointed directors serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States.

The ownership of Farmer Mac's two classes of voting common stock is currently concentrated in a small number of institutions. Approximately 44% of the Class A voting common stock is held by three financial institutions, with 31% held by one institution. Approximately 97% of the Class B voting common stock is held by five FCS institutions (two of which are related to each other through a parent-subsidiary relationship). We believe that the concentration in the Class A voting common stock is a by-product of trading activity in the stock over time and is not by design under the charter or any regulatory mandate. We believe that the concentration in such a small number of holders of Class B voting common stock is a

by-product of the limited number of eligible holders of that stock and the structure of the FCS, the number of institutions of which has decreased over time as a result of mergers and consolidations.

The dividend and liquidation rights of all three classes of Farmer Mac's common stock are the same. Dividends may be paid on Farmer Mac's common stock only when, as, and if declared by Farmer Mac's board of directors in its sole discretion, subject to compliance with applicable capital requirements and the payment of dividends on any outstanding preferred stock issued by Farmer Mac. Upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the business of Farmer Mac, after payment and provision for payment of outstanding debt of Farmer Mac, the holders of shares of Farmer Mac's currently outstanding 5.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A ("Series A Preferred Stock"), 6.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series B ("Series B Preferred Stock"), 6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C ("Series C Preferred Stock"), and any other preferred stock then outstanding, would be paid at par value out of assets available for distribution, plus all declared and unpaid dividends, before the holders of shares of common stock received any payment. See also "Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities" for more information about Farmer Mac's common stock, and "Business—Financing—Equity Issuance" for more information about Farmer Mac's common stock and preferred stock.

Unlike some other GSEs such as other FCS institutions and the Federal Home Loan Banks, Farmer Mac is not structured as a cooperative owned exclusively by member institutions and established to provide services exclusively to its members. Rather, Farmer Mac, as a publicly-traded corporation, has a broader base of stockholders, including those who do not directly participate in the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac therefore seeks to fulfill its mission of serving the financing needs of rural America in a way that is consistent with providing a return on the investment of its stockholders.

Farmer Mac generally requires financial institutions to own a requisite amount of Farmer Mac common stock, based on the size and type of institution, to participate in the Farm & Ranch line of business. As a result of this requirement, coupled with the ability of holders of Class A and Class B voting common stock to elect two-thirds of Farmer Mac's board of directors, Farmer Mac regularly conducts business with "related parties," including institutions affiliated with members of Farmer Mac's board of directors and institutions that own large amounts of Farmer Mac's voting common stock. Farmer Mac has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and related corporate policies that govern any conflicts of interest that may arise in these transactions. Farmer Mac also requires that any transactions with related parties be conducted in the ordinary course of business, with terms and conditions comparable to those available to any other counterparty not related to Farmer Mac. For more information about related party transactions, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Related Party Transactions" and Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.

Farmer Mac's charter assigns to FCA, acting through the separate Office of Secondary Market Oversight ("OSMO") within FCA, the responsibility for the examination of Farmer Mac and the general supervision of the safe and sound performance of the powers, functions, and duties vested in Farmer Mac by the charter. The charter also authorizes FCA, acting through OSMO, to apply its general enforcement powers to Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac's charter requires an annual examination of the financial transactions of Farmer Mac and authorizes FCA to assess Farmer Mac for the cost of FCA's regulatory activities, including the cost of any examination. Farmer Mac is also required to file quarterly reports of condition with OSMO. As a publicly-traded corporation, Farmer Mac also must comply with the periodic reporting

requirements of the SEC. For a more detailed discussion of Farmer Mac's regulatory and governmental relationships, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac."

Farmer Mac's charter establishes three capital standards for Farmer Mac – minimum capital, critical capital, and risk-based capital. Farmer Mac must comply with the higher of the minimum capital requirement and the risk-based capital requirement. Also, in accordance with the FCA regulation on capital planning, Farmer Mac's board of directors oversees a policy that requires Farmer Mac to maintain a sufficient level of Tier 1 capital and restricts dividends and bonus payments if Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital falls below specified thresholds. For a discussion of Farmer Mac's capital requirements and its actual capital levels, as well as FCA's role in the establishment and monitoring of those requirements and levels, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Capital Standards," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Balance Sheet Review—Equity," and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Capital Requirements."

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac employed 103 people, located primarily at its office at 1999 K Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006. Farmer Mac also maintains offices at: (1) 9169 Northpark Drive, Johnston, Iowa 50322; (2) 5200 N. Palm Avenue, Suite 306, Fresno, California 93704; and (3) 1065 E. Winding Creek Drive, Suite 200, Eagle, Idaho 83616. Farmer Mac's main telephone number is (202) 872-7700.

Farmer Mac makes available free of charge, through the "Investors" section of its internet website at www.farmermac.com, copies of materials it files with, or furnishes to, the SEC, including its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, and any amendments to those filings, as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing those materials with, or furnishing those materials to, the SEC. All references to www.farmermac.com in this report are inactive textual references only. The information contained on Farmer Mac's website is not incorporated by reference into this report.

The following tables present the outstanding balances, new business volume, and net growth or decrease after maturities, principal paydowns, and sales under Farmer Mac's four lines of business – Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, Rural Utilities, and Institutional Credit:

Lines of Business - Outstanding Business Volume As of December 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017 (in thousands) On-balance sheet: Farm & Ranch: Loans $ 3,071,222 $ 2,798,906 Loans held in trusts: Beneficial interests owned by third party investors 1,517,101 1,399,827 USDA Guarantees: USDA Securities 2,120,553 2,068,017 Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities 27,383 29,980 Rural Utilities: Loans 938,843 1,076,291 Institutional Credit: AgVantage securities 8,072,919 7,593,322 Total on-balance sheet $ 15,748,021 $ 14,966,343 Off-balance sheet: Farm & Ranch: LTSPCs(1) $ 2,509,787 $ 2,335,342 Guaranteed Securities(1) 135,862 333,511 USDA Guarantees: Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities 367,684 254,217 Rural Utilities: LTSPCs(2) 653,272 806,342 Institutional Credit: AgVantage securities 9,898 11,556 Revolving floating rate AgVantage facility(3) 300,000 300,000 Total off-balance sheet $ 3,976,503 $ 4,040,968 Total $ 19,724,524 $ 19,007,311

(1) During fourth quarter 2018, Farmer Mac repurchased the 100% participation interests in loans underlying a pool of $134.1 million in Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at par, thereby redeeming the corresponding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from their sole security holder. Farmer Mac repurchased these participation interests at the request of the sole security holder in exchange for the termination of the participation interests and the reconveyance of all beneficial interest in the loans to the sole security holder that owned the loans in which the participation interests had been issued. The resulting pool of Farm & Ranch loans was concurrently added under LTSPCs. The commitment fee Farmer Mac receives on these loans added under LTSPCs is the same as the guarantee fee Farmer Mac had been earning on the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.

(2) Includes $17.0 million and $20.0 million related to one-year loan purchase commitments on which Farmer Mac receives a nominal unused commitment fee as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

(3) During both 2018 and 2017, $100.0 million of this facility was drawn and later repaid. Farmer Mac receives a fixed fee based on the full dollar amount of the facility. If the counterparty draws on the facility, the amounts drawn will be in the form of AgVantage securities, and Farmer Mac will earn interest income on those securities.

New Business Volume – Farmer Mac Loan Purchases, Guarantees, LTSPCs, and AgVantage Securities For the Year Ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross Volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross Volume Net growth/(decrease) (in thousands) Farm & Ranch: Loans $ 960,848 $ 389,589 $ 1,129,545 $ 684,279 $ 966,023 $ 556,479 LTSPCs 430,071 (23,204 ) 554,743 44,003 399,095 (142,474 ) USDA Guarantees: USDA Securities 332,270 52,537 369,759 113,217 375,203 78,349 Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities 127,851 110,870 161,925 144,622 106,054 97,749 Rural Utilities: Loans 11,645 (137,448 ) 137,341 76,779 50,491 (8,614 ) LTSPCs — (153,069 ) — (72,256 ) 441,404 355,734 Institutional Credit: AgVantage securities 3,010,307 477,939 2,383,912 617,192 2,098,852 563,432 AgVantage revolving line of credit facility 300,000 — — — — — Total purchases, guarantees, LTSPCs, and AgVantage securities $ 5,172,992 $ 717,214 $ 4,737,225 $ 1,607,836 $ 4,437,122 $ 1,500,655

Under the Farm & Ranch line of business, Farmer Mac provides a secondary market for mortgage loans (and related participation interests) secured by first liens on agricultural real estate (including part-time farms and rural housing) by (1) purchasing and retaining eligible mortgage loans, (2) securitizing eligible mortgage loans and guaranteeing the timely payment of principal and interest on the resulting securities that represent interests in, or obligations secured by, pools of those loans, or (3) issuing LTSPCs for designated eligible mortgage loans, subject to the applicable LTSPC agreement. Farmer Mac is compensated for these activities through net effective spread on loans and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities held on balance sheet, guarantee fees earned on Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and commitment fees earned on loans in LTSPCs.

Loan Eligibility

To be eligible for the Farm & Ranch line of business, a loan must:

• be secured by a fee simple mortgage or a long-term leasehold mortgage, with status as a first lien on agricultural real estate (including part-time farms and rural housing) located within the United States;

• be an obligation of a citizen or national of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States, or a private corporation or partnership that is majority-owned by U.S. citizens, nationals, or legal resident aliens;

• be an obligation of a person, corporation, or partnership having training or farming experience that is sufficient to ensure a reasonable likelihood that the loan will be repaid according to its terms; and

• meet the credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other specified standards for the Farm & Ranch line of business. See "—Underwriting and Collateral Valuation (Appraisal) Standards" and "—Approved Lenders" for a description of these standards.

Eligible agricultural real estate consists of one or more parcels of land, which may be improved by permanently affixed buildings or other structures, that:

• is used for the production of one or more agricultural commodities or products; and

• either consists of a minimum of five acres or generates minimum annual receipts of $5,000.

Pending the effectiveness of new legislation described below, Farmer Mac's charter authorizes a maximum loan size (adjusted annually for inflation) for an eligible Farm & Ranch loan secured by more than 1,000 acres of agricultural real estate. That maximum loan size was $13.1 million as of December 31, 2018.

The charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a total borrower exposure for an eligible Farm & Ranch loan secured by 1,000 acres or less of agricultural real estate, but Farmer Mac does limit the size of those loans. For these loans, Farmer Mac generally does not assume more than $50.0 million in cumulative direct credit exposure (e.g., loan purchases, LTSPCs, and non-AgVantage Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, which are not backed by a general obligation of a lender) to any one borrower or group of related borrowers. An internal policy approved by Farmer Mac's board of directors limits the cumulative direct credit exposure to any one borrower or group of related borrowers on these loans to 10% of Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ($72.8 million as of December 31, 2018). That internal policy also sets a limit of $75.0 million in cumulative exposure through a single lender to any one borrower or related borrowers for AgVantage transactions, with the amount of any direct borrower exposure described above not counting toward the $75.0 million limit. AgVantage transactions involve the general obligation of a lender that is in turn secured by eligible loans, resulting in indirect exposure to credit risk on those loans. See "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Institutional Credit.

In December 2018, Congress amended Farmer Mac's charter under the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 to increase the acreage limitation referred to above from 1,000 acres to 2,000 acres of agricultural real estate, subject to FCA's assessment about the feasibility of such a change. FCA is required to submit a report on its assessment of this change to Congress by no later than June 18, 2019. If FCA's assessment indicates that it is feasible to increase the acreage limitation to 2,000 acres or more of agricultural real estate, the change to Farmer Mac's charter will become effective one year after the date that FCA submits its report to Congress. If this amendment becomes effective, the maximum loan size of $13.1 million (adjusted annually for inflation) will apply to eligible Farm & Ranch loans secured by more than 2,000 acres of agricultural real estate. Farmer Mac may change the exposure limitations set forth above for eligible Farm & Ranch loans secured by 2,000 acres or less of agricultural real estate if the amendment becomes effective. If FCA's assessment determines that it is not feasible to increase the acreage limitation, then the current limitation will remain in place.

Farmer Mac includes its part-time farm loans and rural housing loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business. Farmer Mac defines a "part-time farm" as agricultural real estate meeting the eligibility requirements described above that includes a primary residence whose value is at least 30% of the property's aggregate value at origination. When analyzing borrower repayment capacity for part-time farm loans, Farmer Mac typically considers off-farm income as a more important factor than for Farm & Ranch loans that are not part-time farm loans. Farmer Mac had $504.1 million of part-time farm loans in its portfolio as of December 31, 2018.

For the rural housing portion of this line of business, an eligible loan must be secured by a mortgage on a one- to four-family, owner-occupied, moderately priced principal residence located in a community with a population of 2,500 or fewer. Farmer Mac uses the All-Transaction Housing Price Index ("HPI"), as published by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to index the value of a moderately priced rural housing dwelling. Based on the most recent publication of the HPI, Farmer Mac increased the maximum purchase price or current appraised value for a dwelling that secures a rural housing loan (excluding the land to which the dwelling is affixed) to $320,000 effective December 14, 2018. The prior limit was $300,000. Besides the dwelling itself, an eligible rural housing loan can be secured by land associated with the dwelling having an appraised value of no more than 50% of the total appraised value of the combined property. Rural housing loans do not represent a significant part of Farmer Mac's business, with $5.1 million of those loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio as of December 31, 2018.

Summary of Farm & Ranch Transactions

During the year ended December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac added $1.4 billion of gross new business volume under the Farm & Ranch line of business. That gross new business volume was partially offset by repayments on existing assets (principal paydowns, maturities, and sales) during the year, resulting in $7.2 billion of total outstanding business volume in this line of business as of December 31, 2018, compared to $6.9 billion as of December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had direct credit exposure on 12,518 loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business across 48 states.

During 2018, Farmer Mac purchased eligible loans from 149 entities (the top ten institutions generated 67% of the purchase volume) and placed loans under LTSPCs with 19 entities in the Farm & Ranch line of business. During 2017, Farmer Mac purchased eligible loans from 174 entities (the top ten institutions generated 59% of the purchase volume) and placed loans under LTSPCs with 25 entities. During 2016, Farmer Mac purchased eligible loans from 169 entities (the top ten institutions generated 59% of the purchase volume) and placed loans under LTSPCs with 25 entities.

The following table summarizes loans purchased or placed under LTSPCs under the Farm & Ranch line of business for each of the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016. The table also sets forth the amount of net growth or decrease in Farm & Ranch loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs, after maturities, principal paydowns, and sales:

For the Year Ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) (in thousands) Loans $ 960,848 $ 389,589 $ 1,129,545 $ 684,279 $ 966,023 $ 556,479 LTSPCs 430,071 (23,204 ) 554,743 44,003 399,095 (142,474 ) Total $ 1,390,919 $ 366,385 $ 1,684,288 $ 728,282 $ 1,365,118 $ 414,005

The following table presents the outstanding balances of Farm & Ranch loans held and loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs as of the dates indicated:

As of December 31, 2018 2017 (in thousands) On-balance sheet: Loans $ 3,071,222 $ 2,798,906 Loans held in trusts: Beneficial interests owned by third party investors 1,517,101 1,399,827 Total on-balance sheet $ 4,588,323 $ 4,198,733 Off-balance sheet: LTSPCs(1) 2,509,787 2,335,342 Guaranteed Securities(1) 135,862 333,511 Total off-balance sheet $ 2,645,649 $ 2,668,853 Total $ 7,233,972 $ 6,867,586

(1) During fourth quarter 2018, Farmer Mac repurchased the 100% participation interests in loans underlying a pool of $134.1 million in Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at par, thereby redeeming the corresponding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from their sole security holder. Farmer Mac repurchased these participation interests at the request of the sole security holder in exchange for the termination of the participation interests and the reconveyance of all beneficial interest in the loans to the sole security holder that owned the loans in which the participation interests had been issued. The resulting pool of Farm & Ranch loans was concurrently added under LTSPCs. The commitment fee Farmer Mac receives on these loans added under LTSPCs is the same as the guarantee fee Farmer Mac had been earning on the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.

Loan Purchases

Farmer Mac offers loan products designed to increase the secondary market liquidity of agricultural real estate mortgage loans and the lending capacity of financial institutions that originate those loans. Farmer Mac enters into mandatory delivery commitments to purchase loans and offers rates for those commitments daily. Farmer Mac also purchases portfolios of non-delinquent loans on a negotiated basis. Farmer Mac purchases both fixed and adjustable rate loans that have a variety of maturities and often include balloon payments. Of the $1.0 billion of loans purchased in the Farm & Ranch line of business during 2018, 64% included balloon payments. By comparison, of the $1.1 billion of loans purchased in the Farm & Ranch line of business during 2017, 70% included balloon payments.

During 2018, Farmer Mac purchased 2,171 Farm & Ranch term loans and revolving line of credit draws. These purchases consisted of 910 term loans with an average unpaid principal balance of $910,000 and

1,261 revolving line of credit draws with an average unpaid principal balance of $127,000. In 2017 Farmer Mac purchased 2,129 Farm & Ranch term loans and revolving line of credit draws. These purchases consisted of 1,037 term loans with an average unpaid principal balance of $979,000 and 1,092 revolving line of credit draws with an average unpaid principal balance of $107,000.

Guarantees and Commitments

Farmer Mac offers two credit enhancement alternatives to direct loan purchases through the Farm & Ranch line of business that allow approved lenders the ability to retain the cash flow benefits of their loans and increase their liquidity and lending capacity: (1) LTSPCs; and (2) Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. LTSPCs and securitization trusts where Farmer Mac is not the primary beneficiary create off-balance sheet obligations for Farmer Mac. Historically, the only securitization trusts where Farmer Mac was not the primary beneficiary have been trusts containing 100% participation interests in loans that comprised an LTSPC pool before securitization, and in which the participating institution is not a related party to Farmer Mac. In performing Farmer Mac's purchase and guarantee obligations related to LTSPCs and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, payments made on the underlying loans or participation interests and liquidation of the related collateral (in the event of default under the terms of those assets) are intended to protect Farmer Mac against losses.

Both LTSPC and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities transactions permit a lender to nominate from its portfolio an identified pool of loans, subject to review by Farmer Mac for conformity with its eligibility standards for Farm & Ranch loans. In Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPC transactions, the lender effectively transfers the credit risk on those eligible loans because, through Farmer Mac's guarantee or commitment to purchase, Farmer Mac assumes the ultimate credit risk of borrower defaults on the underlying loans. This type of risk transfer reduces a lender's credit and concentration risk exposures and therefore its regulatory capital requirements and loss reserve requirements. The loans and participation interests underlying LTSPCs and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities may include those with payment, maturity, and interest rate characteristics that differ from the loan products that Farmer Mac offers for purchase each day, but all are subject to the applicable standards described in "—Underwriting and Collateral Valuation (Appraisal) Standards." See also "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees."

LTSPCs. An LTSPC commits Farmer Mac, subject to the applicable LTSPC agreement, to a future purchase of one or more loans from an identified pool of eligible loans that met Farmer Mac's standards when the transaction was entered into and Farmer Mac assumed the credit risk on the loans. The LTSPC structure, which is not a guarantee of loans or securities, permits the lender to retain the loan pool in its portfolio until such time, if ever, as the lender elects to deliver some or all of the loans in the pool to Farmer Mac for purchase under the LTSPC agreement. As consideration for its assumption of the credit risk on loans underlying an LTSPC, Farmer Mac receives commitment fees payable monthly in arrears. Farmer Mac offers different options under LTSPC arrangements to meet the credit and liquidity needs of its counterparties. Some LTSPCs provide that the underlying loans can be converted into Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at the option of the counterparty with no conversion fee paid to Farmer Mac. Some LTSPCs contain risk sharing arrangements that provide for the counterparty to absorb up to a specified amount (typically between one and five percent of the original principal balance of the loan pool) of any losses incurred on the loans in the pool. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, approximately 6.8% and 7.2%, respectively, of total LTSPCs and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, including those consolidated as loans on Farmer Mac's balance sheet, contained risk sharing arrangements.

At a lender's request, Farmer Mac purchases loans subject to an LTSPC at:

• par if the loans become delinquent for either 90 days or 120 days (depending on the agreement) or are in material non-monetary default, with accrued and unpaid interest on the defaulted loans payable out of any future loan payments or liquidation proceeds; or

• fair value or in exchange for Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities (if the loans are not delinquent), in accordance with the applicable agreement.

In 2018, Farmer Mac entered into $430.1 million of LTSPCs, compared to $554.7 million in 2017, in the Farm & Ranch line of business. In 2018, LTSPCs were the preferred credit enhancement alternative for new credit protection transactions, and they continue to be a significant portion of the Farm & Ranch line of business. During 2018 and 2017, there were no conversions of LTSPCs into Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. As of December 31, 2018, the aggregate principal balance of the loans underlying LTSPCs in Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch line of business was $2.5 billion. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Business Volume."

Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. In Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities transactions, Farmer Mac guarantees securities representing interests in eligible Farm & Ranch loans or participation interests in those loans held by a trust or other entity. Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of interest and principal on these securities, which are either retained by Farmer Mac or sold to third parties. For those securities sold to third parties, the eligible loans or participation interests are often acquired by Farmer Mac from lenders in exchange for the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities backed by those assets. As consideration for its assumption of the credit risk on the assets underlying the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, Farmer Mac receives guarantee fees based on the outstanding principal balance of the related securities.

Farmer Mac is obligated under its guarantee on the securities to make timely payments to investors of principal (including balloon payments) and interest based on the scheduled payments on the underlying loans, regardless of whether Farmer Mac or the related trust has actually received those scheduled payments. Farmer Mac's guarantee fees typically are collected out of installment payments made on the underlying loans until those loans have been repaid, purchased out of the trust, or otherwise liquidated (generally as a result of default). The aggregate amount of guarantee fees received on Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities depends on the amount of those securities outstanding and on the applicable guarantee fee rate, which Farmer Mac's charter caps at 50 basis points (0.50%) per year. The amount of Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities outstanding is influenced by the repayment rates on the underlying loans and by the rate at which Farmer Mac issues new Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, including as a result of conversions from LTSPCs. In general, when the level of interest rates declines significantly below the interest rates on loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, the rate of prepayments is likely to increase. Conversely, when interest rates rise above the interest rates on the loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, the rate of prepayments is likely to decrease. In addition to changes in interest rates, the timing of principal payments on Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities also is influenced by a variety of economic, demographic, and other considerations.

Of the $19.7 billion outstanding principal balance of assets in Farmer Mac's four lines of business as of December 31, 2018, $1.7 billion were in the form of Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities created from the deposit of eligible loan assets into securitization trusts that issue "pass-through" certificates

representing interests in the underlying assets. This type of securitization structure may involve the deposit of either whole loans or loan participation interests into the trusts.

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had outstanding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities of $1.5 billion that represent interests in whole loans and $135.9 million that represent interests in loan participations as a result of conversions from LTSPCs. Both types of transactions involve the deposit of eligible assets into securitization trusts along with all of the rights under related agreements that provide for, among other things, remedies for any breaches of representations and warranties made by the lender and the servicing of the underlying assets. In each of these transactions, the related trust has issued securities that represent interests in the assets of the trust and that Farmer Mac guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest.

For Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities that result from the conversion of LTSPCs, a 100% participation in the cash flows associated with each loan formerly subject to the LTSPC, rather than the whole loan, is deposited into the securitization trust. These transactions involve loan participations for reasons unique to the counterparties that have elected these conversions, all of whom are members of the FCS. Loans made by FCS institutions to farmers and ranchers have, by statute, specified loan and collateral actions to which borrowers are entitled, known as "borrower rights." Farmer Mac does not have the ability to offer all of the prescribed borrower rights without the involvement of another FCS counterparty. In recognition of this and Farmer Mac's desire not to disrupt the borrower's relationship with the originating FCS lender and expectations about how the loan will be serviced, Farmer Mac developed the participation interest securitization structure for FCS loans with borrower rights. The deposit of participation interests into securitization trusts permits the legal ownership of the related loan to remain with the FCS counterparty, together with the servicing and borrower rights related to the loan. Farmer Mac, in its role as trustee, generally has the right to give or withhold consent to the exercise of remedies as to each related loan. The FCS servicers in these transactions are also the holders of the related Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, which have the same economic benefit to the holder from a cash flow perspective as a securitization of whole loans. See "—Servicing" for more information about the servicing of loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.

For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, Farmer Mac sold Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities in the amounts of $255.1 million and $363.5 million, respectively. No gains or losses resulted from these sales in either 2018 or 2017. During 2018 and 2017, there were no conversions of LTSPCs into Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. During fourth quarter 2018, Farmer Mac repurchased the 100% participation interests in loans underlying a pool of $134.1 million in Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities at par, thereby redeeming the corresponding Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from their sole security holder. Farmer Mac repurchased these participation interests at the request of the sole security holder in exchange for the termination of the participation interests and the reconveyance of all beneficial interest in the loans to the sole security holder that owned the loans in which the participation interests had been issued. The resulting pool of Farm & Ranch loans was concurrently added under LTSPCs. The commitment fee Farmer Mac receives on these loans added under LTSPCs is the same as the guarantee fee Farmer Mac had been earning on the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.

As of December 31, 2018, the aggregate principal balance of the loans that backed Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities, which may or may not be consolidated on-balance sheet depending on the primary beneficiary determination described above, was $1.7 billion. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Business Volume."

Underwriting and Collateral Valuation (Appraisal) Standards

As required by Farmer Mac's charter, Farmer Mac has established underwriting, security appraisal, and repayment standards for eligible loans considering the nature, risk profile, and other differences between different categories of eligible loans. The charter prescribes that the following minimum standards must be applied to agricultural real estate mortgage loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business:

• provide that no loan with a loan-to-value ratio ("LTV") more than 80% may be eligible;

• require each borrower to demonstrate sufficient cash flow to adequately service the loan;

• require sufficient documentation standards;

• protect the integrity of the appraisal process for any loan; and

• confirm that the borrower is or will be actively engaged in agricultural production.

In addition to these minimum standards, agricultural mortgage loans on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure (such as loans purchased or underlying LTSPCs or Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities) are also typically required to meet more specific underwriting standards established by Farmer Mac, as described below.

Farmer Mac relies on the combined expertise of experienced internal agricultural credit underwriters and loan servicers, along with external agricultural loan servicing and collateral valuation contractors, to perform the necessary underwriting, servicing, and collateral valuation functions on Farm & Ranch loans.

Underwriting. To manage Farmer Mac's credit risk and to provide guidance for the management, administration, and conduct of underwriting to all participating and potential Farm & Ranch lenders, Farmer Mac has adopted credit underwriting standards that vary by loan type and loan product. Farmer Mac developed these standards based on industry practices for similar mortgage loans and designed them to assess the creditworthiness of the borrower, as well as the risk to Farmer Mac for having assumed the credit risk on those loans. Farmer Mac also requires Farm & Ranch lenders to make representations and warranties about the conformity of eligible mortgage loans to these standards and any other requirements that Farmer Mac may impose from time to time. Farmer Mac has the ability to require repurchase of the loan upon a material breach of these representations and warranties. The underwriting standards described in this section apply to Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch loans other than part-time farm and rural housing loans, whose underwriting standards more closely resemble generally accepted industry standards for residential lending, including fully verified repayment capacity and use of credit scores.

Farmer Mac's credit underwriting standards for Farm & Ranch loans generally require that the original LTV of any loan not exceed 70%. Farmer Mac may require lower original LTV thresholds for some categories of loans, such as loans secured by property located in certain geographic regions, unseasoned loans, single purpose facility loans, and loans exceeding certain dollar thresholds. Farmer Mac, from time to time, allows higher LTV thresholds for loans secured by swine and poultry facilities that are supported by a strong production contract with a reputable processor (up to 75% original LTV) and rural housing and part-time farm loans secured primarily by owner-occupied residences (up to 80% original LTV). The original LTV of a loan is calculated by dividing the loan's principal balance at the time of guarantee, purchase, or commitment by the lower of the appraised value or the purchase price at the date of loan origination or, when available, updated appraised value at the time of guarantee, purchase, or commitment.

For newly originated Farm & Ranch loans, Farmer Mac's credit underwriting standards include:

• pro forma total debt service coverage ratio supported by historical profitability, including farm and non-farm income, of 1.25 or higher;

• pro forma debt-to-asset ratio of 50% or less; and

• pro forma ratio of current assets to current liabilities of 1.25 or higher.

Farmer Mac evaluates these standards on an ongoing basis based on current and anticipated market conditions, and adjusts these standards as Farmer Mac determines is necessary. Farmer Mac also uses an interest rate shock test for adjustable rate Farm & Ranch loans with initial reset periods of less than five years.

Farmer Mac includes its facility loans, such as dairy and processing facilities, in its Farm & Ranch line of business. Farmer Mac defines a facility loan as a loan secured by agricultural real estate with building improvements (other than a residence) that contribute more than 60% of the appraised value of the property. The credit underwriting standards for facility loans are the same as for other Farm & Ranch loans except that certain facility loans are required to have a more stringent total debt service coverage ratio, including farm and non-farm income, of 1.35 or higher.

Loans not exceeding $1.5 million that are secured by eligible collateral with original LTVs not greater than 55% made to borrowers with high consumer credit scores and adequate financial resources may be accepted without further underwriting tests being applied.

Loans not exceeding $750,000 that are secured by eligible collateral with original LTVs not greater than 55% made to borrowers that meet certain criteria under a scoring model referencing consumer and commercial financial data used by Farmer Mac may be accepted without further underwriting tests being applied.

Farmer Mac's underwriting standards provide for the acceptance of a loan that, in the judgment of the Farmer Mac underwriter, is a sound loan with a high probability of repayment in accordance with its terms even though the loan does not meet one or more of the underwriting ratios usually required for loans of that type. In those cases, Farmer Mac permits approval of a loan if it:

• has compensating strengths, which means it exceeds minimum requirements for one or more of the underwriting standards to a degree that compensates for noncompliance with one or more other standards; and

• is made to a producer of particular agricultural commodities or products in a segment of agriculture in which the compensating strengths are typical of the financial condition of sound borrowers in that segment.

Although underwriting approvals may be made based on compensating strengths, no loan will be approved if it does not at least meet all of the minimum standards prescribed by Farmer Mac's charter.

Farmer Mac's use of compensating strengths is not intended to provide a basis for waiving or lessening the requirement that eligible mortgage loans under the Farm & Ranch line of business be of consistently high quality. Loans approved based on compensating strengths are fully underwritten and have experienced cumulative rates of loss following default no different than loans approved based on conformity with all applicable underwriting ratios.

For a seasoned loan, Farmer Mac considers sustained historical performance to be a reliable alternative indicator of a borrower's ability to pay the loan according to its terms. In the Farm & Ranch line of business, a seasoned loan generally will be eligible if:

• it has been outstanding for at least five years and has an LTV of 60% or less;

• there have been no payments more than 30 days past due during the three-year period before the date the loan is either purchased by Farmer Mac or made subject to an LTSPC; and

• there have been no material restructurings or modifications for credit reasons during the previous five years.

A seasoned loan that has been outstanding for more than one year but less than five years must substantially comply with the applicable underwriting standards for newly originated loans as of the date the loan was originated by the lender.

Farmer Mac performs due diligence before purchasing, guaranteeing securities backed by, or committing to purchase seasoned loans, including:

• evaluating loan database information to determine conformity to the criteria set forth in the preceding paragraphs;

• confirming that loan file data conform to database information;

• validating supporting credit information in the loan files; and

• reviewing loan documentation and collateral valuations.

Farmer Mac performs these and other due diligence procedures using methods that consider the size, age, leverage, industry sector, and nature of the collateral for the loans.

Required documentation for all loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business includes a first lien mortgage or deed of trust, a written promissory note, and assurance of Farmer Mac's lien position through either a title insurance policy or title opinion from an experienced real estate attorney in any geographic area where title insurance is not the industry practice.

As Farmer Mac develops new credit products, it establishes underwriting guidelines for them. Those guidelines result in industry-specific measures that meet or exceed the minimum underwriting standards contained in Farmer Mac's charter and provide Farmer Mac with the flexibility to deliver the benefits of a secondary market to farmers, ranchers, and rural homeowners in diverse sectors of the rural economy. Farmer Mac does not require that each loan's compliance with the applicable underwriting standards be re-evaluated after Farmer Mac purchases the loan or approves it for inclusion in a pool that backs Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities or an LTSPC pool.

Collateral Valuation Standards. Farmer Mac has adopted collateral valuation standards for newly originated loans purchased or underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities or LTSPCs. Those standards require, among other things, that a current valuation be performed, or have been performed within the preceding 12 months, independently of the credit decision-making process. Farmer Mac generally requires appraisals to conform to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice ("USPAP") promulgated by the Appraisal Standards Board.

Farmer Mac's collateral valuation standards require that the valuation function be conducted or administered by an individual who meets specific qualification and competence criteria and who:

• is not associated, except by the engagement for the collateral valuation, with the credit underwriters making the loan decision, though the appraiser or evaluator and the credit underwriter may be directly or indirectly employed by a common employer;

• receives no financial or professional benefit of any kind by virtue of the report content, valuation, or credit decision made, or based on the valuation report; and

• has no present or contemplated future direct or indirect interest in the property serving or to serve as collateral.

Farmer Mac's collateral valuation standards require uniform reporting of reliable and credible opinions of the market value based on analyses of comparable property sales, including consideration of the property's income-producing capacity and, if relevant, the market's response to the cost of improvements, as well as information about market trends. For seasoned loans, Farmer Mac obtains collateral valuation updates as considered necessary in its assessment of collateral risk determined in the due diligence process. If a current or updated collateral valuation is required for a seasoned loan, the collateral valuation standards described above would apply.

Portfolio Diversification

It is Farmer Mac's policy to diversify its portfolio of loans held and loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities and LTSPCs, both geographically and by agricultural commodity or product. Farmer Mac directs its marketing efforts toward agricultural lenders throughout the nation to achieve commodity or product and geographic diversification in its exposure to credit risk. Farmer Mac evaluates its credit exposure in particular geographic regions and commodities or products relative to the total principal amount of all outstanding loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs and Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities.

Farmer Mac is not obligated to assume credit risk on every loan that meets its underwriting and collateral valuation standards submitted by an eligible participant. Farmer Mac may consider other factors, such as its overall portfolio diversification, commodity and farming forecasts, and risk management objectives, in deciding whether to accept a loan as part of the Farm & Ranch line of business. For example, if industry forecasts indicate possible weakness in a geographic area or agricultural commodity or product, Farmer Mac may decide not to purchase or commit to purchase an affected loan as part of managing Farmer Mac's overall portfolio exposure to areas of possible heightened risk exposure. Because Farmer Mac effectively assumes the credit risk on all loans underlying an LTSPC, Farmer Mac's commodity or product and geographic diversification disclosures reflect all loans underlying LTSPCs and any loans purchased out of LTSPC pools. For information about the diversification of Farmer Mac's existing portfolio, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees" and Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements.

Approved Lenders

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had 705 approved lenders eligible to participate in Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch line of business, ranging from single-office to multi-branch institutions, spanning community banks, FCS institutions, mortgage companies, mortgage funds, commercial banks, and insurance companies, compared to 680 eligible approved lenders as of December 31, 2017. Besides participating directly in the Farm & Ranch line of business, some approved lenders facilitate indirect

participation by other lenders by managing correspondent networks of lenders from which the approved lenders purchase loans to sell to Farmer Mac. As of December 31, 2018, of the 705 approved lenders eligible to participate, 165 lenders had been active participants in the Farm & Ranch line of business during the previous 12 months by either selling at least one loan to Farmer Mac or entering into an LTSPC transaction with Farmer Mac, compared to 196 out of 680 approved lenders as of December 31, 2017.

To be considered for approval as a participant in the Farm & Ranch line of business, a lender must meet criteria that Farmer Mac establishes. Those criteria include these requirements:

• own a requisite amount of Farmer Mac common stock according to a schedule prescribed for the size and type of institution;

• have, in the judgment of Farmer Mac, the ability and experience to make or purchase and sell loans eligible for Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch line of business and service those loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's requirements either through the lender's own staff or through contractors and originators;

• maintain a minimum adjusted net worth; and

• enter into a Seller/Servicer Agreement, which requires compliance with the terms of Farmer Mac's Seller/Servicer Guide, including providing representations and warranties about the eligibility of the loans and accuracy of loan data provided to Farmer Mac.

Servicing

Farmer Mac generally does not directly service the loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business, although in some cases Farmer Mac may assume direct servicing for defaulted loans. Farmer Mac serves in the role of master servicer for Farm & Ranch loans held by Farmer Mac and for whole loans underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. In that capacity, Farmer Mac contracts with other institutions, known as central servicers, to undertake most of the servicing responsibilities for the loans in accordance with Farmer Mac's specified servicing requirements. For these loans, the central servicer may or may not be the same entity as the lender that sold the loans to Farmer Mac, and the originating lenders may retain some direct borrower contacts, referred to as "field servicing" functions. Field servicers may enter into contracts with Farmer Mac's central servicers that specify the retained servicing functions.

Loans related to the participation interests underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities that result from the conversion of LTSPCs are serviced for the benefit of Farmer Mac, as trustee and guarantor, by the FCS institution that participated the loans to Farmer Mac. The servicer of those loans is usually also the holder of the related Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities. In those transactions, the FCS servicer is required to service the loans related to the securitized participation interests in a commercially reasonable manner and in substantial compliance with Farmer Mac's servicing requirements for Farm & Ranch loans. Those servicers are also required to give effect to all statutory borrower rights applicable to the loans and have shared power with Farmer Mac for some servicing actions to ensure this. The loans related to the Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities that result from the conversion of loans formerly subject to an LTSPC are the only loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business that are subject to a shared power servicing provision.

Loans underlying LTSPCs are serviced by the holders of those loans in accordance with those lenders' servicing procedures, which Farmer Mac reviews before entering into those transactions.

In summary, the substance of all servicing for loans in the Farm & Ranch line of business is performed in a manner consistent with Farmer Mac's servicing requirements, with some special servicing for the assets underlying Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities resulting from LTSPC conversions to accommodate the borrower rights regime unique to loans originated by FCS institutions.

General

Farmer Mac started its USDA Guarantees line of business in 1991 after Congress revised Farmer Mac's charter to provide that:

• USDA-guaranteed portions of loans (which Farmer Mac refers to as "USDA Securities") guaranteed under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. § 1921 et seq.) are statutorily included in the definition of loans eligible for the secondary market programs provided by Farmer Mac;

• USDA Securities are exempted from the credit underwriting, collateral valuation, documentation, and other standards that other loans must meet to be eligible for the secondary market provided by Farmer Mac, and are exempted from any diversification and internal credit enhancement that may be required of pools of other eligible loans; and

• Farmer Mac is authorized to pool and issue Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities backed by USDA Securities.

Since January 2010, nearly all purchases of USDA Securities have been made by Farmer Mac II LLC, a subsidiary of Farmer Mac that operates substantially all of the business related to the USDA Guarantees line of business. Farmer Mac operates only that part of the business that involves issuing Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities to investors other than Farmer Mac or Farmer Mac II LLC. Although Farmer Mac II LLC may issue securities in these transactions, Farmer Mac II LLC does not guarantee any USDA Securities it holds or any Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities issued by Farmer Mac or Farmer Mac II LLC.

Summary of USDA Guarantees Transactions

Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities backed by USDA Securities. Farmer Mac does not guarantee the repayment of the USDA Securities themselves. During 2018, 2017, and 2016, Farmer Mac and Farmer Mac II LLC conducted USDA Guarantees transactions with 224, 222, and 222 entities, respectively.

The following table presents purchase activity in the USDA Guarantees line of business for each of the years indicated, including the amounts retained by Farmer Mac and securitized and sold to lenders or other investors in the form of Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities. The table also sets forth the amount of net growth or decrease in each of these categories, after maturities, principal paydowns, and sales:

For the Year Ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) (in thousands) Purchased and retained $ 332,270 $ 52,537 $ 375,715 $ 113,217 $ 383,303 $ 78,349 Purchased and sold 127,851 110,870 155,969 144,622 97,954 97,749 Total $ 460,121 $ 163,407 $ 531,684 $ 257,839 $ 481,257 $ 176,098

In addition to the purchases of USDA Securities made by Farmer Mac II LLC in 2017, Farmer Mac purchased for its liquidity investment portfolio $45.0 million of USDA Securities that were not eligible for Farmer Mac's USDA Guarantees line of business because the related USDA guarantees were issued under authority other than the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. Farmer Mac did not make a similar purchase in 2018 or 2016.

The following table presents the outstanding balance of USDA Securities and Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities as of the dates indicated:

As of December 31, 2018 2017 (in thousands) On-balance sheet: USDA Securities $ 2,120,553 $ 2,068,017 Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities 27,383 29,980 Off-balance sheet: Farmer Mac Guaranteed USDA Securities 367,684 254,217 Total $ 2,515,620 $ 2,352,214

United States Department of Agriculture Guaranteed Loan Programs

The USDA, acting through its agencies, currently administers the federal rural credit programs first developed in the mid-1930s. The USDA makes direct loans and guarantees portions of loans made and serviced by USDA-qualified lenders for various purposes. The USDA's guarantee is supported by the full faith and credit of the United States. The USDA guarantees up to 95% of the principal amount of guaranteed loans. Through its USDA Guarantees line of business, Farmer Mac is one of several competing purchasers of USDA Securities representing the USDA-guaranteed portions of farm ownership loans, farm operating loans, business and industry loans, community facilities loans, and other loans. The guaranteed portions of these loans are fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the USDA.

USDA Guarantees. Each USDA guarantee is a full faith and credit obligation of the United States and becomes enforceable if a lender fails to repurchase the portion of the loan that is guaranteed by the USDA from its holder within 30 days after written demand from the holder when:

• the borrower under the guaranteed loan is in default at least 60 days in the payment of any principal or interest due on the USDA-guaranteed portion of the loan; or

• the lender has failed to remit to the holder the payment made by the borrower on the USDA-guaranteed portion of the loan or any related loan subsidy within 30 days after the lender's receipt of the payment.

If the lender does not repurchase the USDA-guaranteed portion as provided above, the USDA is required to purchase the unpaid principal balance of the USDA-guaranteed portion together with accrued interest (including any loan subsidy) to the date of purchase, less the lender's servicing fee, within 60 days after written demand upon the USDA by the holder. While the USDA guarantee will not cover the note interest to the holder on USDA-guaranteed portions accruing after 90 days from the date of the original demand letter of the holder to the lender requesting repurchase, Farmer Mac has established procedures to require prompt demand on the USDA to purchase USDA-guaranteed portions that have not been repurchased by the lender.

If, in the opinion of the lender (with the concurrence of the USDA) or in the opinion of the USDA, repurchase of the USDA-guaranteed portion is necessary to service the related guaranteed loan adequately, the holder is required to sell the USDA-guaranteed portion to the lender or USDA for an amount equal to the unpaid principal balance and accrued interest on such USDA-guaranteed portion less the lender's servicing fee. Federal regulations prohibit the lender from repurchasing USDA-guaranteed portions for arbitrage purposes.

Lenders. Any lender authorized by the USDA to obtain a USDA guarantee on a loan may participate in Farmer Mac's USDA Guarantees line of business. During the years ended 2018 and 2017, 224 and 222 lenders, respectively, consisting mostly of community and regional banks, sold USDA Securities to Farmer Mac.

Loan Servicing. The lender on each USDA guaranteed loan is required by regulation to retain the unguaranteed portion of the guaranteed loan, to service the entire underlying guaranteed loan, including the USDA-guaranteed portion, and to remain mortgagee and/or secured party of record. The USDA-guaranteed portion and the unguaranteed portion of the loan are to be secured by the same collateral with equal lien priority. The USDA-guaranteed portion of a loan cannot be paid later than, or in any way be subordinated to, the related unguaranteed portion.

General

Farmer Mac's charter authorizes the purchase of, and guarantee of securities backed by, loans (including participation interests in loans) for electric or telephone facilities by lenders organized as cooperatives to borrowers that have received or are eligible to receive loans under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 ("REA"). The REA is administered by the Rural Utilities Service ("RUS"), an agency of the USDA. All of Farmer Mac's business to date under the Rural Utilities line of business has involved loans made to electric distribution cooperatives or electric generation and transmission ("G&T") cooperatives and none of it to date has involved telecommunications loans. Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business encompasses purchases of eligible rural utilities loans and guarantees of securities backed by those loans, as well as LTSPCs for pools of eligible rural utilities loans.

Summary of Rural Utilities Transactions

The following table summarizes business activity in the Rural Utilities line of business for each of the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016. The table also sets forth the amount of net growth or decrease in Rural Utilities loans held and loans underlying LTSPCs, after maturities, principal paydowns, and draws:

For the Year Ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) Gross volume Net growth/(decrease) (in thousands) Loans $ 11,645 $ (137,448 ) $ 137,341 $ 76,779 $ 50,491 $ (8,614 ) LTSPCs — (153,069 ) — (72,256 ) 441,404 355,734 Total $ 11,645 $ (290,517 ) $ 137,341 $ 4,523 $ 491,895 $ 347,120

The following table presents the outstanding balances of Rural Utilities loans held as of the dates indicated:

As of December 31, 2018 2017 (in thousands) On-balance sheet: Loans $ 938,843 $ 1,076,291 Off-balance sheet: LTSPCs(1) 653,272 806,342 Total $ 1,592,115 $ 1,882,633

(1) Includes $17.0 million and $20.0 million related to one-year loan purchase commitments on which Farmer Mac receives a nominal unused commitment fee as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Loan Eligibility

To be eligible for Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business, a Rural Utilities loan (or a participation interest in a loan) must:

• be for an electric or telephone facility by a lender organized as a cooperative to a borrower that has received or is eligible to receive a loan under the REA;

• be performing and not more than 30 days delinquent; and

• meet Farmer Mac's underwriting standards described in more detail below.

Underwriting

Farmer Mac's charter does not specify minimum underwriting criteria for eligible Rural Utilities loans under the Rural Utilities line of business. To manage Farmer Mac's credit risk, to mitigate the risk of loss from borrower defaults, and to provide guidance for the management, administration, and conduct of underwriting to participants in the Rural Utilities line of business, Farmer Mac has adopted credit underwriting standards that vary by loan product and by loan type, based on whether loans are made to electric distribution cooperatives or G&T cooperatives. These standards are based on industry practices for similar Rural Utilities loans and are designed to assess the creditworthiness of the borrower, as well as

the risk to Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac reviews lenders' credit submissions and analyzes borrowers' audited financial statements and financial and operating reports typically filed with RUS and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to confirm that loans meet Farmer Mac's underwriting standards for Rural Utilities loans. In most cases, Farmer Mac also requires sellers of rural utilities loans to make representations and warranties about the conformity of eligible loans to these standards and any other requirements that Farmer Mac may impose from time to time. Farmer Mac has the ability to require repurchase of the loan upon a material breach of these representations and warranties.

In addition to the loan eligibility criteria described above for Rural Utilities loans, Farmer Mac has developed different underwriting standards for loans that depend on whether the borrower is an electric distribution cooperative or a G&T cooperative. Farmer Mac's credit underwriting standards for all rural utilities loans on which it assumes direct credit exposure (i.e., with no general obligation of a lender involved in the transaction) require:

• each borrower to demonstrate sufficient cash flow to adequately service the loan; and

• each borrower's leverage position to be adequate based on industry standards.

For a newly originated loan to a distribution cooperative on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure, the borrower typically must, among other criteria set forth in Farmer Mac's credit underwriting standards, meet the following ratios (based on the average of the most recent three years):

• the ratio of long-term debt to "net utility plant" does not exceed 90%;

• the modified debt service coverage ratio (the cooperative's available cash plus patronage capital credits allocated to the cooperative, relative to debt expense) equals or exceeds 1.35; and

• the ratio of equity to total assets equals or exceeds 20%.

The "net utility plant" means the real and tangible personal property of a rural utilities borrower constituting the long-term assets of property, plant, and equipment (PPE), less depreciation, computed in accordance with applicable accounting requirements.

For a newly originated loan to a G&T cooperative on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure, the borrower typically must, among other criteria set forth in Farmer Mac's credit underwriting standards, meet the following ratios (based on the average of the most recent three years):

• the equity to total assets ratio equals or exceeds 10%;

• the modified debt service coverage ratio equals or exceeds 1.10;

• the debt to EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) ratio does not exceed 12; and

• the aggregate members' equity to total capitalization ratio equals or exceeds 25%.

The due diligence Farmer Mac performs before purchasing, or guaranteeing securities backed by, Rural Utilities loans includes:

• evaluating loan database information to determine conformity to Farmer Mac's underwriting standards;

• confirming that loan file data conforms to database information;

• validating supporting credit information in the loan files; and

• reviewing loan documentation.

Farmer Mac is not obligated to assume credit risk on every rural utilities loan submitted to Farmer Mac that meets its underwriting and collateral valuation standards. Farmer Mac may consider other factors, such as portfolio diversification, in deciding whether to accept the loans. Farmer Mac may also accept loans that do not meet all underwriting standards if the loan has compensating strengths.

Collateral

It is customary in loans to distribution cooperatives and G&T cooperatives for the lender or lender group to take a security interest in substantially all of the borrower's assets. When Farmer Mac purchases a Rural Utilities loan with a pledge of all assets and a lender also has a lien on all assets, Farmer Mac verifies that a lien accommodation results in either a shared first lien or a first lien in favor of Farmer Mac. When debt indentures are used, Farmer Mac determines if available collateral is adequate to support the loan program and Farmer Mac's investment. As of December 31, 2018, substantially all of the Rural Utilities loans held by Farmer Mac consisted of loans with a pledge of all assets. Farmer Mac sometimes purchases unsecured Rural Utilities loans that meet stricter underwriting standards than those described above under "—Underwriting." In accordance with Farmer Mac's internal policies, the total outstanding balance of unsecured Rural Utilities loans may not exceed $100 million. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac held $3.2 million of unsecured Rural Utilities loans.

Servicing

Farmer Mac generally does not directly service the Rural Utilities loans held in its portfolio. Those loans are serviced by a servicer designated by Farmer Mac. As of December 31, 2018, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation ("CFC") serviced all of the Rural Utilities loans in Farmer Mac's portfolio. CFC is a related party to Farmer Mac because of its stock ownership in Farmer Mac. As of December 31, 2018, CFC held approximately 8% of Farmer Mac's outstanding Class A voting common stock (or approximately 5% of total voting shares). See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Related Party Transactions."

Approved Lenders

Farmer Mac's charter requires eligible rural utilities loans to be by a lender organized as a cooperative. Currently, the primary rural utilities lenders that are cooperatives are CFC and CoBank, ACB and its affiliate CoBank, FCB (collectively, "CoBank"), institutions of the FCS. As of December 31, 2018, CFC was the only lender to have participated in Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business. On February 19, 2019, we purchased a $546 million portfolio of participations in seasoned Rural Utilities loans from CoBank under a master loan participation agreement entered into on February 13, 2019. CoBank is a related party to Farmer Mac because of its stock ownership in Farmer Mac. For more information, please refer to the Current Report on Form 8-K that we filed with the SEC on February 20, 2019.

Portfolio Diversification

Rural utilities loans are made throughout the entire United States. Farmer Mac analyzes the geographic distribution of loans to cooperatives and considers regional concentration levels as part of its business activities under the Rural Utilities line of business. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had direct credit exposure on 1,135 loans to electric cooperatives constituting $1.6 billion across 39 states.

Farmer Mac's charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size for an eligible rural utilities loan. For these loans, Farmer Mac generally does not assume more than $50.0 million in cumulative direct credit exposure (e.g., loan purchases, LTSPCs, and non-AgVantage Rural Utilities Guaranteed Securities) to any one borrower or group of related borrowers. An internal policy approved by Farmer Mac's board of directors limits the cumulative direct credit exposure to any one borrower or group of related borrowers on rural utilities loans to 10% of Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ($72.8 million as of December 31, 2018). That internal policy also sets a limit of$75.0 million for cumulative loan exposure to any one borrower or related borrowers for indirect credit exposures on rural utilities loans (e.g., AgVantage transactions), with the amount of any direct exposure to a borrower not counting toward the $75.0 million limit. See "Business—Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Institutional Credit." As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's direct credit exposure to rural utilities loans consisted of $1.2 billion in loans to distribution cooperatives and $0.4 billion in loans to G&T cooperatives.

Under the Institutional Credit line of business, Farmer Mac provides advances against eligible loans by guaranteeing and purchasing general obligations of institutions, including financial funds, approved by Farmer Mac, which obligations are also secured by the types of loans eligible for one of Farmer Mac's other lines of business. Farmer Mac refers to these obligations as AgVantage® securities. Farmer Mac guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on AgVantage securities and may retain AgVantage securities in its portfolio or sell them to third parties in the capital markets as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities.

Farmer Mac has direct credit exposure to the general credit of the issuers of AgVantage securities and assumes the ultimate credit risk of an issuer default on the AgVantage securities. Before approving an institution as an issuer in an AgVantage transaction, Farmer Mac assesses the issuer's creditworthiness as well as the credit quality and performance of the issuer's loan portfolio. Farmer Mac continues to monitor the counterparty risk assessment on an ongoing basis after the AgVantage security is issued. In addition to being a general obligation of the issuer, AgVantage securities must be secured by eligible loans or guaranteed securities in an amount at least equal to the outstanding principal amount of the security. As a result, Farmer Mac has indirect credit exposure to the loans or guaranteed securities that are pledged to secure the AgVantage securities, which would be available to Farmer Mac in the event of a default by the issuer.

Loans pledged under AgVantage securities are serviced by the issuers of the securities (or their affiliated servicing institutions) in accordance with that institution's servicing procedures. Farmer Mac reviews these servicing procedures before entering into those transactions. In AgVantage transactions, the issuer is required to remove from the pool of pledged collateral any loan that becomes more than 30 days delinquent in the payment of principal or interest and to replace the delinquent loan with another eligible loan that is current in payment to maintain the minimum required collateralization level.

For AgVantage securities secured by loans eligible for Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch line of business, Farmer Mac currently requires the general obligation to be over-collateralized, either by more eligible loans or any of the following types of assets:

• cash;

• securities issued by the U.S. Treasury or guaranteed by an agency or instrumentality of the United States;

• other highly-rated securities; or

• other instruments approved by Farmer Mac.

The required collateralization level for the AgVantage securities secured by Farm & Ranch loans currently ranges from 103% to 125%. Within this range, Farmer Mac generally requires higher collateralization levels for securities issued by institutions without long-term debt ratings from a nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO"). The required collateralization level is established when the AgVantage facility is entered into with the counterparty and does not change during the life of the AgVantage securities issued under the facility unless mutually agreed by Farmer Mac and the counterparty.

For AgVantage securities that are secured by Farm & Ranch loans, Farmer Mac requires that the loans meet the minimum standards set forth in the charter for those types of loans and that the value is supported by either appraisals that conform to USPAP or similar collateral valuation methods based on Farmer Mac's evaluation of the issuer's collateral valuation protocols and history. Although the charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a total borrower exposure for an eligible Farm & Ranch loan secured by 1,000 acres or less of agricultural real estate, for AgVantage transactions Farmer Mac currently limits the size of those loans to $75.0 million in cumulative exposure through a single lender to any one borrower or related borrowers (with the amount of any direct borrower exposure not counting toward the $75.0 million limit).

Farmer Mac has tailored a version of its AgVantage product to focus on institutional investors in agricultural assets that qualify as collateral for the types of loans eligible for the Farm & Ranch line of business. Farmer Mac refers to this product variation as the Farm Equity AgVantage® product. This product has similar requirements for AgVantage securities secured by Farm & Ranch loans described above, but Farmer Mac also requires that Farm Equity AgVantage transactions and AgVantage transactions with smaller financial funds or entities (1) generally maintain a higher collateralization level, through lower loan-to-value ratio thresholds and higher overcollateralization requirements, and (2) generally contain specified financial covenants for the life of the related AgVantage security to avoid default. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had $279.8 million of outstanding Farm Equity AgVantage securities.

For AgVantage securities secured by loans eligible for Farmer Mac's Rural Utilities line of business, Farmer Mac requires:

• the counterparty issuing the general obligation to have a credit rating from an NRSRO that is at least investment grade, or be of comparable creditworthiness as determined through Farmer Mac's analysis;

• the collateral to be comprised of loans, or interests in loans, for electric or telephone facilities by a lender organized as a cooperative to a borrower that has received or is eligible to receive a loan under the REA;

• the collateral to be classified as performing and not in payment default beyond the applicable cure period; and

• the collateralization (consisting of current, performing loans) to be maintained at the contractually prescribed level, in an amount at least equal to the outstanding principal amount of the security.

Although Farmer Mac has only indirect credit exposure on the Rural Utilities loans pledged to secure AgVantage securities, the same underwriting standards that apply to loans made to distribution cooperatives on which Farmer Mac assumes direct credit exposure also apply to loans made to distribution cooperatives that secure the general obligation of the lender in AgVantage transactions. See "Business—

Farmer Mac's Lines of Business—Rural Utilities—Underwriting." For loans made to G&T cooperatives that secure the general obligation of the issuer in AgVantage transactions, the G&T cooperative must either (1) have a rating from an NRSRO of BBB- (or equivalent rating) or better or (2) meet the following underwriting standards (based on the average of the most recent three years):

• the aggregate members' equity to total capitalization ratio equals or exceeds 25%;

• the modified debt service coverage ratio equals or exceeds 1.10; and

• the equity to total assets ratio equals or exceeds 10%.

Farmer Mac's charter does not prescribe a maximum loan size or a total borrower exposure for an eligible Rural Utilities loan, but Farmer Mac's current limit for AgVantage transactions is $75.0 million for cumulative loan exposure to any one borrower or related borrowers (with the amount of any direct exposure to a borrower not counting towards the $75.0 million limit). Farmer Mac also permits up to 20% of Rural Utilities loans pledged to secure AgVantage securities to be unsecured or secured by less than all of the borrower's assets. As of December 31, 2018, all AgVantage securities secured by eligible Rural Utilities loans were issued by CFC, which is a related party to Farmer Mac because of CFC's stock ownership in Farmer Mac. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Related Party Transactions."

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had not experienced any credit losses, nor had it been called upon to make a guarantee payment to third parties, on any of its AgVantage securities. For more information on Farmer Mac's AgVantage securities, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Institutional."

Summary of Institutional Credit Transactions

During the year ended December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac added $3.3 billion of gross new business volume under the Institutional Credit line of business. That gross new business volume was partially offset by repayments on existing assets (principal paydowns and maturities) during the year, resulting in $8.4 billion of total outstanding business volume in this line of business as of December 31, 2018, compared to $7.9 billion as of December 31, 2017. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Business Volume" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Institutional." The following table summarizes activity in the Institutional Credit line of business for each of the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016. The table also sets forth the amount of net growth in the purchases of AgVantage securities, after maturities, principal paydowns, and draws:

For the Year Ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Gross volume Net growth Gross volume Net growth Gross volume Net growth (in thousands) AgVantage Securities $ 3,010,307 $ 477,939 $ 2,383,912 $ 617,192 $ 2,098,852 $ 563,432 Revolving floating rate AgVantage facility 300,000 — — — — — $ 3,310,307 $ 477,939 $ 2,383,912 $ 617,192 $ 2,098,852 $ 563,432

The following table presents the outstanding principal amount of AgVantage securities held by Farmer Mac and off-balance sheet AgVantage securities as of the dates indicated:

As of December 31, 2018 2017 (in thousands) On-balance sheet: AgVantage Securities $ 8,072,919 $ 7,593,322 Off-balance sheet: AgVantage Securities $ 9,898 $ 11,556 Revolving floating rate AgVantage facility(1) 300,000 300,000 Total off-balance sheet $ 309,898 $ 311,556 Total $ 8,382,817 $ 7,904,878

(1) During both 2018 and 2017, $100.0 million of this facility was drawn and later repaid. Farmer Mac receives a fixed fee based on the full dollar amount of the facility. If the counterparty draws on the facility, the amounts drawn will be in the form of AgVantage Securities, and Farmer Mac will earn interest income on those securities.

The main sources of funding for the payment of Farmer Mac's obligations under its guarantees and LTSPCs are the fees Farmer Mac receives for its guarantees and commitments, net effective spread, proceeds of debt issuances, loan repayments, and maturities of AgVantage securities. Farmer Mac satisfies its obligations under LTSPCs and its guarantees by purchasing defaulted loans out of LTSPCs and from the related trusts for Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities. Farmer Mac typically recovers a significant portion of the value of defaulted loans purchased either through borrower payments, loan payoffs, payments by third parties, or foreclosure and sale of the property securing the loans. Net credit losses/(gains) arising from Farmer Mac's guarantees and commitments include charge-offs/(recoveries) against its allowance for losses, gains and losses on the sale of real estate owned ("REO"), which consists of real estate acquired through foreclosure, and fair value adjustments of REOs held. During 2018, Farmer Mac had net credit losses of $40,000, compared to net credit gains of $1.4 million during 2017. The net credit losses during 2018 included $7,000 of net losses on the sale of REO compared to $1.7 million of net gains during 2017.

Farmer Mac's charter requires Farmer Mac to maintain in its accounts a portion of the guarantee fees it receives from its guarantee activities as a reserve against losses. As of December 31, 2018, this reserve against losses arising from Farmer Mac's guarantee activities was $80.8 million. Farmer Mac calculates the amount of this statutorily required reserve against losses arising from its guarantee activities based on the credit risk component of guarantee fees received on all Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, including AgVantage securities. This amount does not represent either anticipated credit losses or estimated probable credit losses and does not directly relate to either the allowance for loan losses or the reserve for losses in Farmer Mac's consolidated balance sheets. Rather, this is the amount of capital that must be exhausted before Farmer Mac may issue obligations to the U.S. Treasury against the $1.5 billion that Farmer Mac is statutorily authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to fulfill its guarantee obligations. That borrowing authority is not intended to be a routine funding source and has never been used. For a more detailed discussion of Farmer Mac's borrowing authority from the U.S. Treasury, see "Business—Farmer Mac's Authority to Borrow from the U.S. Treasury."

Farmer Mac's total outstanding guarantees and LTSPCs exceed the total of: (1) the amount held as an allowance for losses, (2) the amount maintained as a reserve against losses arising from guarantee

activities, and (3) the amount Farmer Mac may borrow from the U.S. Treasury. However, Farmer Mac does not expect its future payment obligations under its guarantees and LTSPCs to exceed amounts available to satisfy those obligations, including access to the underlying collateral in the event of default. For information about Farmer Mac's allowance for losses, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Loans and Guarantees" and Note 2(j) and Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements.

Farmer Mac's charter authorizes Farmer Mac to issue debt obligations to purchase eligible loans, USDA Securities, and Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and to maintain reasonable amounts for business operations, including adequate liquidity. Farmer Mac funds its purchases of eligible loan assets and liquidity investment assets primarily by issuing debt obligations of various maturities in the public capital markets. Farmer Mac also issues debt obligations to obtain funds to finance its transaction costs and its obligations under guarantees and LTSPCs. Farmer Mac's debt obligations include discount notes and fixed and floating rate medium-term notes, including callable notes, all of which are unsecured general obligations of Farmer Mac. Discount notes have original maturities of 1 year or less. Medium-term notes generally have maturities of 6 months to 15 years.

The interest and principal on Farmer Mac's debt obligations are not guaranteed by, and do not constitute debts or obligations of, FCA, the United States, or any agency or instrumentality of the United States other than Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac is an institution of the FCS but is not liable for any debt or obligation of any other institution of the FCS. Likewise, neither the FCS nor any other individual institution of the FCS is liable for any debt or obligation of Farmer Mac. Income to the purchaser of a Farmer Mac discount note or medium-term note is not exempt under federal law from federal, state, or local taxation. Farmer Mac's discount notes and medium-term notes are not currently rated by an NRSRO.

Farmer Mac's board of directors has authorized the issuance of up to $20.0 billion of discount notes and medium-term notes (of which $16.2 billion was outstanding as of December 31, 2018), subject to periodic review of the adequacy of that level relative to Farmer Mac's borrowing needs. Farmer Mac invests the proceeds of its debt issuances in loan purchases, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and liquidity investment assets in accordance with policies established by its board of directors that comply with FCA's Liquidity and Investment Regulations, which establish limitations on asset class, dollar amount, issuer concentration, and credit quality. Farmer Mac's regular debt issuance supports its access to the capital markets, and Farmer Mac's liquidity investment assets provide an alternative source of funds should market conditions be unfavorable. Farmer Mac's current policies authorize liquidity investments in:

• obligations of or fully guaranteed by the United States or a U.S. government agency;

• obligations of or fully guaranteed by GSEs;

• municipal securities;

• international and multilateral development bank obligations;

• money market instruments;

• diversified investment funds;

• asset-backed securities;

• corporate debt securities; and

• mortgage-backed securities.

For more information about the Liquidity and Investment Regulations, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management—Credit Risk – Other Investments." For more information about Farmer Mac's outstanding investments and indebtedness, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Balance Sheet Review" and Note 4 and Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.

Farmer Mac's charter authorizes Farmer Mac to issue voting common stock, non-voting common stock, and non-voting preferred stock. Farmer Mac may obtain additional capital from future issuances of voting and non-voting common stock and non-voting preferred stock.

Common Stock

Only banks, other financial entities, insurance companies, and institutions of the FCS may hold voting common stock. No holder of Class A voting common stock may directly or indirectly be a beneficial owner of more than 33% of the outstanding shares of Class A voting common stock. There are no restrictions on the maximum number or percentage of outstanding shares of Class B voting common stock that may be held by an eligible stockholder. No ownership restrictions apply to Class C non-voting common stock, and those securities are freely transferable.

The dividend rights of all three classes of Farmer Mac's common stock are the same, and dividends may be paid on common stock only when, as, and if declared by Farmer Mac's board of directors in its sole discretion, subject to compliance with applicable capital requirements and the payment of dividends on outstanding preferred stock. Upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the business of Farmer Mac, after payment and provision for payment of outstanding debt of Farmer Mac, the holders of shares of preferred stock would be paid at par value out of assets available for distribution, plus all declared and unpaid dividends, before the holders of shares of common stock received any payment.

As of December 31, 2018, the following shares of Farmer Mac common stock were outstanding:

• 1,030,780 shares of Class A voting common stock;

• 500,301 shares of Class B voting common stock; and

• 9,137,550 shares of Class C non-voting common stock.

Farmer Mac's board of directors approved a share repurchase program during third quarter 2015 authorizing Farmer Mac to repurchase up to $25.0 million of its outstanding Class C non-voting common stock for two years. In August 2017, Farmer Mac's board of directors approved the continuation of the share repurchase program on its existing terms through August 2019 for the repurchase of up to $5.4 million of Farmer Mac's outstanding Class C non-voting common stock. This is the amount that was remaining under the share repurchase program that Farmer Mac's board of directors originally authorized in third quarter 2015 for the repurchase of up to $25 million of outstanding Class C non-voting common stock. Farmer Mac did not repurchase any shares during 2018 or 2017 under this program. As of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, Farmer Mac had repurchased approximately 668,000 shares of Class C non-voting common stock at a cost of approximately $19.6 million under the share repurchase program.

The following table presents the dividends declared on Farmer Mac's common stock during and after 2018:

DateDividendDeclared PerShareAmount ForHolders OfRecord As Of DatePaid February 28, 2018 $0.58 March 19, 2018 March 30, 2018 May 2, 2018 $0.58 June 15, 2018 June 29, 2018 August 2, 2018 $0.58 September 14, 2018 September 28, 2018 October 31, 2018 $0.58 December 14, 2018 December 31, 2018 February 19, 2019 $0.70 March 15, 2019 *

* The dividend declared on February 19, 2019 is scheduled to be paid on March 29, 2019.

Farmer Mac's ability to declare and pay common stock dividends could be restricted if it were to fail to comply with applicable capital requirements. See Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements and "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Capital Standards."

Preferred Stock

No ownership restrictions apply to any preferred stock issued by Farmer Mac, and those securities are freely transferable. As of December 31, 2018, the following shares of Farmer Mac preferred stock were outstanding:

• 2,400,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, all of which were issued on January 17, 2013;

• 3,000,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, all of which were issued on March 25, 2014; and

• 3,000,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock, all of which were issued on June 20, 2014.

The Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, and Series C Preferred Stock (collectively referred to as the "Outstanding Preferred Stock") each has a par value of $25.00 per share and an initial liquidation preference of $25.00 per share. Farmer Mac incurred direct costs of $1.7 million related to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, direct costs of $1.9 million related to the issuance of the Series B Preferred Stock, and direct costs of $1.6 million related to the issuance of the Series C Preferred Stock. Since each of their respective issuances, Farmer Mac has not issued any additional shares of any series of Outstanding Preferred Stock. Each series of Outstanding Preferred Stock ranks senior to Farmer Mac's outstanding Class A voting common stock, Class B voting common stock, Class C non-voting common stock, and any other common stock of Farmer Mac issues in the future.

The Series A Preferred Stock and the Series B Preferred Stock pay an annual dividend rate fixed at 5.875% and 6.875%, respectively, for the life of the securities. The Series C Preferred Stock pays an annual dividend rate of 6.000% from the date of issuance to and including the quarterly payment date on July 17, 2024 and thereafter at a floating rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus 3.260%. Dividends on all series of Outstanding Preferred Stock are non-cumulative, so if the board of directors has not declared a dividend before the applicable dividend payment date for any dividend period, the dividend will not be paid or cumulate, and Farmer Mac will not be obligated to pay dividends for that dividend period, whether or not dividends on any series of Outstanding Preferred Stock are declared for any future dividend period. Farmer Mac may pay dividends on the Outstanding Preferred Stock without paying dividends on any class or series of stock Farmer Mac may issue in the future that ranks junior to the Outstanding Preferred Stock.

The Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, and Series C Preferred Stock rank equally with each other and will rank equally with any other class or series of stock Farmer Mac may issue in the future of equal priority as to dividends and upon liquidation. Farmer Mac has the right, but not the obligation, to redeem some or all of the issued and outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock on and any time after January 17, 2018, the Series B Preferred Stock on and any time after April 17, 2019, and the Series C Preferred Stock on and any time after July 18, 2024, all at a price equal to the then-applicable liquidation preference. The Outstanding Preferred Stock is considered Tier 1 capital for Farmer Mac. For more information on Farmer Mac's capital requirements, see "Business—Government Regulation of Farmer Mac—Capital Standards."

The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series A Preferred Stock during and after 2018:

DateDividendDeclared PerShareAmount ForPeriodBeginning ForPeriodEnding DatePaid February 28, 2018 $0.3672 January 18, 2018 April 17, 2018 April 17, 2018 May 2, 2018 $0.3672 April 18, 2018 July 17, 2018 July 17, 2018 August 2, 2018 $0.3672 July 18, 2018 October 17, 2018 October 17, 2018 October 31, 2018 $0.3672 October 18, 2018 January 17, 2019 January 17, 2019 February 19, 2019 $0.3672 January 18, 2019 April 17, 2019 *

* The dividend declared on February 19, 2019 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2019.

The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series B Preferred Stock during and after 2018:

DateDividendDeclared PerShareAmount ForPeriodBeginning ForPeriodEnding DatePaid February 28, 2018 $0.4297 January 18, 2018 April 17, 2018 April 17, 2018 May 2, 2018 $0.4297 April 18, 2018 July 17, 2018 July 17, 2018 August 2, 2018 $0.4297 July 18, 2018 October 17, 2018 October 17, 2018 October 31, 2018 $0.4297 October 18, 2018 January 17, 2019 January 17, 2019 February 19, 2019 $0.4297 January 18, 2019 April 17, 2019 *

* The dividend declared on February 19, 2019 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2019.

The following table presents the dividends declared and paid on Series C Preferred Stock during and after 2018:

DateDividendDeclared PerShareAmount ForPeriodBeginning ForPeriodEnding DatePaid February 28, 2018 $0.3750 January 18, 2018 April 17, 2018 April 17, 2018 May 2, 2018 $0.3750 April 18, 2018 July 17, 2018 July 17, 2018 August 2, 2018 $0.3750 July 18, 2018 October 17, 2018 October 17, 2018 October 31, 2018 $0.3750 October 18, 2018 January 17, 2019 January 17, 2019 February 19, 2019 $0.3750 January 18, 2019 April 17, 2019 *

* The dividend declared on February 19, 2019 is scheduled to be paid on April 17, 2019.

Farmer Mac is authorized to borrow up to $1.5 billion from the U.S. Treasury through the issuance of debt obligations to the U.S. Treasury. Any funds borrowed from the U.S. Treasury may be used solely for the purpose of fulfilling Farmer Mac's guarantee obligations. Farmer Mac's charter provides that the U.S. Treasury is required to purchase Farmer Mac's debt obligations up to the authorized limit if Farmer Mac certifies that:

• a portion of the guarantee fees assessed by Farmer Mac has been set aside as a reserve against losses arising out of Farmer Mac's guarantee activities in an amount determined by Farmer Mac's board of directors to be necessary and such reserve has been exhausted (that amount was

$80.8 million as of December 31, 2018); and

• the proceeds of such obligations are needed to fulfill Farmer Mac's guarantee obligations.

Any debt obligations issued by Farmer Mac under this authority would bear interest at a rate determined by the U.S. Treasury, taking into consideration the average rate on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States as of the last day of the last calendar month ending before the date of the purchase of the obligations from Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac would be required to repurchase any of its debt obligations held by the U.S. Treasury within a "reasonable time." As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac had not used this borrowing authority and does not expect to use this borrowing authority in the future.

The United States government does not guarantee payments due on Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, funds invested in the equity or debt securities of Farmer Mac, any dividend payments on shares of Farmer Mac stock, or the profitability of Farmer Mac.

Farmer Mac was created by federal statute in 1988 in the aftermath of the collapse of the agricultural credit delivery system. Farmer Mac's primary committees of jurisdiction in Congress – the Committee on Agriculture of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry – added requirements for Farmer Mac that had not been included in any of the other statutes establishing other GSEs. Unlike the other existing GSEs at the time, Farmer Mac was required to be regulated by an independent regulator, FCA, which has the authority to regulate Farmer Mac's safety and soundness. The statute creating Farmer Mac expressly requires that eligible Farm & Ranch loans meet minimum credit and appraisal standards that represent sound loans to profitable businesses. The enabling legislation also did not contain a specific federal securities law exemption as had been given to the housing GSEs, which had the effect of requiring Farmer Mac to comply with the periodic reporting requirements of the SEC, including filing annual and quarterly reports on the financial status of Farmer Mac and current reports when there are significant developments. Farmer Mac's charter also requires offerings of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and related regulations (collectively, the "Securities Act"), unless an exemption for an offering is available that is not based on Farmer Mac's status as an instrumentality of the United States.

Since Farmer Mac's creation, Congress has amended Farmer Mac's charter five times:

• in 1990 to create the USDA Guarantees line of business;

• in 1991 to clarify Farmer Mac's authority to purchase its guaranteed securities, establish OSMO as Farmer Mac's financial regulator, and set minimum regulatory capital requirements for Farmer Mac;

• in 1996 to remove certain barriers to and restrictions on Farmer Mac's operations to be more competitive (e.g., allowing Farmer Mac to buy loans directly from lenders and issue guaranteed securities representing 100% of the principal of the purchased loans and modifying capital requirements);

• in 2008 to authorize Farmer Mac to purchase, and guarantee securities backed by, loans or interests in loans by lenders organized as cooperatives to borrowers to finance electrification and telecommunications systems in rural areas; and

• in 2018 to expand the acreage exception to the Farm & Ranch loan amount limitation from 1,000 acres to 2,000 acres, subject to FCA's feasibility assessment, and to repeal obsolete provisions and make technical corrections.

Farmer Mac's authorities and regulatory structure were not revised by legislation adopted in 2008 to regulate other GSEs.

As an institution of the FCS, Farmer Mac (including its subsidiaries) is subject to the regulatory authority of FCA. Farmer Mac's charter assigns to FCA, acting through OSMO within FCA, the responsibility for the examination of Farmer Mac and the general supervision of the safe and sound performance of the powers, functions, and duties vested in Farmer Mac by its charter. The charter also authorizes FCA, acting through OSMO, to apply its general enforcement powers to Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac (including its subsidiaries) is the only entity regulated by OSMO, which was created as a separate office in recognition of the different role that Farmer Mac plays in providing a secondary market, as compared to the roles of other FCS institutions as primary lenders. The Director of OSMO is selected by and reports to the FCA board.

Farmer Mac's charter requires an annual examination of the financial transactions of Farmer Mac and authorizes FCA to assess Farmer Mac for the cost of its regulatory activities, including the cost of any examination. Each year, OSMO conducts an examination of Farmer Mac to evaluate its safety and soundness, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and mission achievement. The examination includes a review of Farmer Mac's capital adequacy, asset quality, management performance, earnings, liquidity, and sensitivity to interest rate risk. OSMO may also conduct additional oversight and examination activities unrelated to its annual examination of Farmer Mac at any other time it determines necessary. Farmer Mac is also required to file quarterly reports of condition with FCA.

General Requirements. Farmer Mac's charter establishes three capital standards for Farmer Mac:

• Statutory minimum capital requirement. Farmer Mac's minimum capital level is an amount of core capital (stockholders' equity less accumulated other comprehensive income) equal to the sum of 2.75% of Farmer Mac's aggregate on-balance sheet assets, as calculated for regulatory purposes, plus 0.75% of Farmer Mac's aggregate off-balance sheet obligations, specifically including:

◦ the unpaid principal balance of outstanding Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities;

◦ instruments issued or guaranteed by Farmer Mac that are substantially equivalent to Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, including LTSPCs; and

◦ other off-balance sheet obligations of Farmer Mac.

• Statutory critical capital requirement. Farmer Mac's critical capital level is an amount of core capital equal to 50% of the total minimum capital requirement at that time.

• Risk-based capital. The charter directs FCA to establish a risk-based capital stress test for Farmer Mac, using specified stress-test parameters.

Farmer Mac must comply with the higher of the minimum capital requirement and the risk-based capital requirement.

The risk-based capital stress test promulgated by FCA is intended to determine the amount of regulatory capital (core capital plus the allowance for losses) that Farmer Mac would need to maintain positive capital during a ten-year period in which:

• annual losses occur at a rate of default and severity "reasonably related" to the rates of the highest sequential two years in a limited U.S. geographic area; and

• interest rates are shocked by the lesser of 600 basis points or 50% of the ten-year U.S. Treasury rate, and interest rates remain at such level for the remainder of the period.

The risk-based capital stress test then adds an additional 30% to the resulting capital requirement for management and operational risk.

As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's statutory minimum and critical capital requirements were $545.0 million and $272.5 million, respectively, and its actual core capital level was $727.6 million, which is $182.6 million above the statutory minimum capital requirement and $455.1 million above the statutory critical capital requirement. Based on the risk-based capital stress test, Farmer Mac's risk-based capital requirement as of December 31, 2018 was $119.0 million and Farmer Mac's regulatory capital of $736.8 million exceeded that amount by approximately $617.8 million. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Capital Requirements" for a presentation of Farmer Mac's current regulatory capital position.

Enforcement Levels. Farmer Mac's charter directs FCA to classify Farmer Mac within one of four enforcement levels to determine compliance with the capital standards established by Farmer Mac's charter. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac was classified as within level I – the highest compliance level.

Failure to comply with the applicable required capital level in the charter would result in Farmer Mac being classified as within level II (below the applicable risk-based capital level, but above the minimum capital level), level III (below the minimum capital level, but above the critical capital level) or level IV (below the critical capital level). If Farmer Mac were classified as within level II, III or IV, the charter requires the Director of OSMO to take specified mandatory supervisory measures and provides the Director with discretionary authority to take various optional supervisory measures depending on the level in which Farmer Mac is classified. The mandatory measures applicable to level II and level III include:

• requiring Farmer Mac to submit and comply with a capital restoration plan;

• prohibiting the payment of dividends if the payment would result in Farmer Mac being reclassified as within a lower level and requiring the pre-approval of any dividend payment even if the payment would not result in reclassification as within level IV; and

• reclassifying Farmer Mac as within one level lower if it does not submit a capital restoration plan that is approved by the Director, or the Director determines that Farmer Mac has failed to make, in good faith, reasonable efforts to comply with such a plan and fulfill the schedule for the plan approved by the Director.

If Farmer Mac were classified as within level III, then, in addition to the mandatory supervisory measures described above, the Director of OSMO could take any of the following discretionary supervisory measures:

• imposing limits on any increase in, or ordering the reduction of, any obligations of Farmer Mac, including off-balance sheet obligations;

• limiting or prohibiting asset growth or requiring the reduction of assets;

• requiring the acquisition of new capital in an amount sufficient to provide for reclassification as within a higher level;

• terminating, reducing, or modifying any activity the Director determines creates excessive risk to Farmer Mac; or

• appointing a conservator or a receiver for Farmer Mac.

Farmer Mac's charter does not specify any supervisory measures, either mandatory or discretionary, to be taken by the Director if Farmer Mac were classified as within level IV.

The Director of OSMO has the discretionary authority to reclassify Farmer Mac to a level that is one level below its then current level (for example, from level I to level II) if the Director determines that Farmer Mac is engaging in any action not approved by the Director that could result in a rapid depletion of core capital or if the value of property subject to mortgages backing Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities has decreased significantly.

Capital Adequacy Requirements. Under FCA's rule on capital planning, Farmer Mac must develop and submit to OSMO for approval annually a plan for capital that considers the sources and uses of Farmer Mac's capital, addresses capital projections under stress scenarios, assesses Farmer Mac's overall capital adequacy, and incorporates a Farmer Mac board-approved policy on capital adequacy. In accordance with this regulation, Farmer Mac's board of directors oversees a policy that requires Farmer Mac to maintain an adequate level of "Tier 1" capital, consisting of retained earnings, paid-in-capital, common stock, qualifying preferred stock, and accumulated other comprehensive income allocable to "non-program" investments that are not included in the Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, Rural Utilities, and

Institutional Credit lines of business. Under this policy, Farmer Mac must maintain at all times a Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 7.0% of risk-weighted assets, calculated using an advanced internal ratings based ("AIRB") asset risk weighting regime that is consistent with current Basel-based principles.

The policy also requires Farmer Mac to maintain a "capital conservation buffer" of additional Tier 1 capital of more than 2.5% of risk-weighted assets. If the capital conservation buffer drops to various levels at or below 2.5%, as shown in the table below, the policy requires Farmer Mac to restrict distributions of current quarter Tier 1-eligible dividends and any discretionary bonus payments to an amount not to exceed the corresponding payout percentage specified in the table below, which represents the percentage of the cumulative core earnings for the four quarters immediately preceding the distribution date:

Capital Conservation Buffer Payout Percentage (percentage of risk-weighted assets) (percentage of four quarters' accumulated core earnings) greater than 2.5% No limitation greater than 1.875% to and including 2.5% 60% greater than 1.25% to and including 1.875% 40% greater than 0.625% to and including 1.25% 20% equal to or less than 0.625% 0% (no payout permitted)

These distribution restrictions will remain for so long as the Tier 1 capital conservation buffer remains at or below the minimum level of 2.5%, and Farmer Mac's board of directors may consider other factors, such as earnings presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") and other regulatory requirements, in determining whether to restrict capital distributions, including dividends and bonus payments. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ratio was 13.4%. The calculation of Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ratio does not include certain interest rate risk components of the risk weighting of assets, which reflects the fact that Farmer Mac pursues a match-funding approach to funding its assets and therefore does not bear material interest rate risk in its portfolio. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Capital Requirements" for more information on Farmer Mac's Tier 1 capital ratio. Farmer Mac does not expect its compliance on an ongoing basis with FCA's rule on capital planning, including Farmer Mac's policy on Tier 1 capital, to materially affect Farmer Mac's operations or financial condition.