Prices haven't dropped, but the lack of transactions is a signal that demand is softer, says the chief economist at Farm Credit Canada. | Getty Images

Farmland transaction numbers down this year

FCC says producers are worried about commodity prices, input costs and interest rates, which could hurt farmland values

UPDATED: Farmland values chart added September 12, 2024 – 1030 CST – WINNIPEG — Less farmland has been bought and sold in Canada this year. Prices haven’t dropped, but the lack of transactions is a signal that demand is softer, says the chief economist at Farm Credit Canada. FCC will release its official estimates of […] Read more

Canada is a difficult place for foreign investors to buy farmland. Provincial regulations restrict ownership to Canadian citizens or permanent residents. In contrast, foreigners can and do own a sizable share of farmland in other countries, including Australia.  |  Robin Booker photo

Global interest still strong in farmland purchase

WINNIPEG — With 154 million acres, Canada has a decent share of the world’s crop and pasture land. Canada also has stable governments, reliable laws and a favourable climate for growing crops and raising livestock. But Canada isn’t a destination of choice for global money managers who want to invest in agricultural land, says a […] Read more

The speculation around who is buying land can trigger a lively conversation. | File photo

Sask. watchdog monitors farmland ownership regulations

WINNIPEG — On any given day at a coffee shop somewhere in rural Saskatchewan, it’s a safe bet that the following topics will come up in conversation — the weather, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and what’s happening with farmland in the area. Most of the time, the coffee talk around farmland is directed at two […] Read more


Land rarely pencils out based on productive value, but few investments have been as lucrative. | File photo

Farmland prices may have reached turning point

What if current grain prices and squeezed margins are the new normal? Certainly, there are well-capitalized operations with a great deal of resilience. However, you have to think there will be operations financially stretched by aggressive expansion. Timing is everything when a new producer starts out or when a farm makes a major expansion. Buying […] Read more

The number of farms owned by investment firms increased 231 percent between 2008 and the second quarter of 2023, and the value of those holdings rose more than 800 percent to US$16.2 billion.  |  Reuters/Bing Guan photo

Investors hot on U.S. farmland

Reuters — Investment funds have become voracious buyers of U.S. farmland, amassing more than a million acres as they seek a hedge against inflation and aim to benefit from the growing global demand for food, according to data reviewed by Reuters and interviews with fund executives. The trend worries some U.S. lawmakers who fear corporate […] Read more


Besides limiting the fragmentation caused by the sub-division of rural lands, it will help diversify the region’s economy by promoting value-added agri-businesses, said Rod Shaigec, chair of the Regional Agriculture Master Plan (RAMP) task force. | Screencap via emrb.ca

Edmonton region moves to preserve farmland

The regional board wants the province to approve its measure to protect farmland and promote agri-businesses

A plan that is the first of its kind in the prairie provinces seeks to help farmers in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region by protecting prime agricultural land. The most important thing for producers and landowners about the Regional Agriculture Master Plan (RAMP) is that it provides certainty, said Rod Shaigec, mayor of Parkland County. “And […] Read more

Falling crop prices haven’t hit prairie land rental rates yet, but if revenue continues to decline it will eventually take rates down from the high levels of recent years, say experts.  |  File photo

Farmland rental rates slow to respond to commodity prices

Economist expects prices will adjust, but farmers 
with multi-year contracts will see margins squeezed

Prairie crop receipts will be down this year, but it won’t necessarily be immediately reflected in the price that farmers pay for rented land, says a Farm Credit Canada economist. Money on hand is just one factor affecting prices, said Craig Klemmer, senior agricultural economist with FCC. “Rental rates are notoriously sticky,” he said. “They […] Read more

Land sales have slowed in Saskatchewan, but farmland in Alberta is still a hot commodity and prices continue to rise.  |  File photo

Cheaper grain hurts land demand

Saskatchewan first affected | Alberta and Ontario prices remain strong and are expected to rise

Despite the explosion in farmland values in recent years, Saskatchewan remains home to some of the cheapest prices in Western Canada. It’s also the first province to feel the effects of softening commodity markets and tighter bottom lines on Prairie farms this year, according to a new report published by a real estate company operating […] Read more


Are foreign investors eyeing this pie?

Are foreign investors eyeing this pie?

Strong interest in Sask. farmland | Locals concerned about outside investors, foreign connections

Saskatchewan farmland continues to be viewed as fertile ground for corporate investors to sink their money. But as the amount of investor-owned farmland grows, so do concerns about foreign ownership and loopholes in the province’s farmland ownership regulations. Mark Folk, general manager of the Saskatchewan Farmland Security Board, said concerns about foreign ownership are becoming […] Read more