More farmers are buying farmland than selling, and pressure over costs remains

Demand for farmland is good, but supply levels are concering economists.

The Farmland National Company found there are more buyers than sellers in today’s market. Land values have held steady in farm country, but pressure continues to mount over low prices and high inputs. However, real estate pros say farmers are still the primary buyers of ag land.

Across the industry, leaders say listings are down around 25 percent from active times between 2020 and 2023.

Related Stories
Credit stress is building for row-crop farms despite steady land values and slight price improvements.
The Lexington shutdown pushes national slaughter capacity utilization nearer long-run averages, underscoring how tight cattle supplies are reshaping packer operations.
RFD-TV Farm Legal and Tax Expert Roger McEowen explains the basics of Low-Risk Credit in Farming, and how an understanding of the farm credit landscape lets producers tactfully approach debt.
Mike Steenhoek, with the Soy Transportation Commission, shares his outlook on current grain stocks and transportation lines amid bumper crops filling bins across the United States.
American soybean and corn leaders, along with Canada’s AgriFood sector, testified before the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office in support of the trade pact between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Working capital is tightening for crop farms, increasing reliance on operating loans even as land values steady in the broader sector.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

One trader said the products entering the U.S. are primarily grind and trim, noting that the volume and type of beef, on its own, should not cause a major disruption. However, he says fund traders are reacting heavily to headlines rather than market realities.
Olivia Bury, AgriSafe Network Behavioral Health Coordinator, shares about AgriSafe Network’s resources created to support farmers and rural Americans.
Jael Cruikshank, the newly elected Western Region Vice President, shares her story on this week’s FFA Today.
Farm legal expert Roger McEowen reviews the history of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and outlines how shifting definitions across multiple administrations have created regulatory confusion for landowners.
Leslee Oden, president of the National Turkey Federation, and Jay Jandrain, CEO of Butterball, joined us in the studio on Monday to discuss the history, significance, and expectations surrounding this year’s presidential turkey pardon.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.