Survey: Iowa Farm Land Values Decline

Donnelle Eller reported on the front page of the business section in today’s Des Moines Register that, “Iowa farmland values have dropped nearly 9 percent over the past year, reflecting lower farm income and commodity prices, a farm real estate group said Wednesday.

“The Iowa Realtors Land Institute farmland survey through March shows the average value of cropland fell to $6,732 an acre, 8.7 percent lower less than a year ago.”

Ms. Eller explained that, “It’s a 22.5 percent decline from 2013, when values climbed to a record $8,690 an acre and U.S. income climbed to $123 billion.”

The Register article noted that, “‘Farm incomes have been dropping, but land values haven’t dropped to the same degree,’ said Steve Bruere, president of Peoples Co., a Clive brokerage and farm management business.

“That has meant that farmland rents have been slow to decline, causing some farmers to default on agreements this spring.”

Ms. Eller added that, “In November, Iowa State University’s farmland survey showed values down 3.9 percent to $7,633 an acre.”

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