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The USDA Farm Values Post First Decline Since 1987

The USDA Farm Values Post First Decline Since 1987
The USDA’s Agricultural Land Values and Cash Rents Annual Summary, released August 4, shows U.S. farm property losing some value over the past year, after more than two decades of steady gains. Farm real estate values, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, averaged $2,100 per acre on January 1, 2009, down 3.2 percent from 2008. The 3.2 percent decrease from 2008 is the first decline in farm real estate value since 1987, according to the report. Regional changes in the average value of farm real estate ranged from virtually no change in the Northern and Southern Plains regions to an 11 percent decline in the Mountain region. The highest farm real estate values remained in the Northeast region at $4,830 per acre. The Mountain region had the lowest farm real estate value, $922 per acre. Both cropland and pasture values are down from the previous year. Cropland values declined by $110 per acre (3.9 percent) to $2,650 per acre. In the Cornbelt region, the average cropland value decreased 4.0 percent from the previous year, to $3,870 per acre. However, in the Northern Plains and Delta regions, cropland values rose 1.6 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively. Pasture value declined by $20 per acre (1.8 percent) from 2008 to $1,070 per acre. The Mountain region had the largest percentage decrease in pasture value, 16 percent below 2008. The report notes that contraction in the overall economy has caused less commercial and residential development in many regions. Livestock and crop commodity prices have declined from a year earlier, thus producers and investors are less optimistic than a year ago. A decrease in the demand for recreational land has also contributed to the overall decrease in land values. The full report is available from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Source: Drovers.com