(Dow Jones) -- Farm banks lent more to the troubled agricultural sector in 2017, according to the American Bankers Association, increasing lending by almost 6% to $106B. Low commodity prices have pushed US agriculture into a multi-year slump, with farm incomes due to fall to the lowest point since 2006. Some farmers have turned to creditors for relief while others have gone out of business altogether. "We're starting to see the effects of a weaker ag sector," says ABA's Brittany Kleinpaste. Farm bank profitability slowed in 2017 from the previous year, with around 96% profitable and around 55% increasing earnings. Banks held a total of $180B in agricultural loans at the end of the year.
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