Rising farmland values and higher interest rates have swung the affordability pendulum in favour of renting, not buying, farmland.
Renting land better than buying for cash flow: FCC
Each farm needs to make the decision themselves, but a bit of analysis can help when choosing
U.S. Lawmakers seek to limit corporate, foreign ownership of farmland
Farm groups, lawmakers are concerned that foreign, investor ownership is driving up prices and threatening national security
Washington | Reuters – U.S. lawmakers from both parties are pushing legislation that would limit who can own American farmland, with a latest effort from Democratic Senator Cory Booker aimed at curbing corporate ownership. Farm groups and lawmakers are concerned that land buys by investors and foreign countries are driving up farmland prices and threatening […] Read more
Kazakhstan’s president orders ban on foreign ownership of farmland
Almaty | Reuters — Kazakhstan will permanently ban foreigners from owning or renting farmland in the vast central Asian nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Thursday, ending a lengthy dispute that once prompted anti-government protests. Kazakhstan is a major producer of grains, oilseeds and meat in the former Soviet region sandwiched between China and Russia […] Read more
Tighter regulations take effect for B.C. farmland reserve
Local governments' expanded role to take effect this fall
New regulations governing how — or if — changes can be made to land’s status within British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) are now in force, but local governments get more prep time for their expanded role. The province on Thursday announced amendments to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) Act — having received royal assent […] Read more
The birds and the beef: The facts of grasslands conservation
Grassland bird populations down dramatically, but farmers often don’t appreciate their value
Reading Time: 3 minutes Birds are struggling to survive on Prairie grasslands — but they’re not the only ones in trouble. “The biggest species at risk in Manitoba is beef producers,” said Curtis Hullick, field manager for the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation. “It’s important to have large blocks of habitat for the birds. But with the economic pressures of […] Read more
Do more to save farmland, say two new reports
U of A study says hundreds of thousands of acres have been lost while Senate committee calls for help for young farmers
Reading Time: 2 minutes A pair of new reports are urging government to do more to save good farmland from being lost to agriculture. And there’s a lot that has been lost already, according to researchers at the University of Alberta. “Analysis of satellite imagery shows that between 1984 and 2013, the amount of land in urban uses in […] Read more
Zimbabwe to give white farmers 99-year leases
Harare | Reuters — Zimbabwe will issue 99-year leases to white farmers, according to a government circular, after new President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he would end discrimination along racial lines in agriculture. Fewer than 400 white farmers are still operating in the southern African nation, after former president Robert Mugabe’s government evicted more than 4,000 […] Read more
Ukraine’s parliament extends ban on farmland sales
Kiev | Reuters — The Ukrainian parliament voted on Thursday to extend a ban on the sale of agricultural land by one year, delaying what financial backers say is a key reform essential to Ukraine’s long-term economic growth. The bill was backed by 236 lawmakers, narrowly over the 226 required to pass. Currently Ukraine’s more […] Read more
Alberta farmland value growth second highest in Canada
Taber and Lethbridge held the highest average farmland values in 2016, reaching over $5,800 per acre
Reading Time: 2 minutes While the rate of increase appears to be slowing, average farmland values in Alberta continue to rise. “Farmland values rose rapidly in the 1970s but were met with a substantial decline in the 1980s,” says Aaron Lawson, program assistant, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF). “For the most part, prices recovered by the mid-’90s, and farmland […] Read more
Grazing grasslands is good for the environment, study finds
A research team conducted a study on 114 sites throughout Alberta and found that long-term grazing can have a positive impact on grasslands
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cattle are often demonized as environmental polluters, but grazing them can have a positive impact on grasslands. “Grasslands store a lot of carbon and we should be proactively thinking about the value of that carbon, not to mention all the environmental goods and services they provide,” said Edward Bork, professor of rangeland ecology at the […] Read more
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