Reuters/Staff — New rules for buying farmland in Saskatchewan, Canada’s biggest wheat- and canola-growing province, will take effect Jan. 4, and toughen its ban on pension plans investing, the provincial government said Monday. The changes make more explicit an existing ban on pension plans and trusts from buying land and continue to limit purchases of […] Read more
Saskatchewan farmland off limits for pension plans next month
The downside of an option-to-purchase land agreement
This type of agreement doesn’t oblige an energy or utility company to buy the land
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office has received numerous inquiries on option-to-purchase agreements between landowners and the energy and utility sectors. “It’s important that landowners are aware of the risks of option-to-purchase agreements,” said Jeana Les, research and communications specialist for the advocate office. “An option-to-purchase agreement locks a landowner into selling to a certain company at […] Read more
Australia blocks foreign firm’s deal for largest farm owner
Sydney | Reuters –– Australia on Thursday blocked the sale of the country’s largest landowner, private farming group S. Kidman and Co., to foreign investors, saying an agricultural area the size of South Korea should remain in Australian hands. Ownership of farmland is a sensitive political issue in Australia amid concerns that foreign buyers are […] Read more
India’s Modi battles opposition to key land reform
New Delhi | Reuters — India’s opposition parties boycotted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest attempt to build consensus around a business-friendly land bill Wednesday, boding badly for his ambitious agenda of economic reform in a parliament session that starts next week. Almost half of India’s 31 chief ministers spurned Modi’s invitation to meet him in […] Read more
The sizzling market for farmland may be ready to take a breather
Alberta land prices are still heading up, but double-digit annual rises appear to be over for now
Reading Time: 3 minutes The red-hot market for farmland is showing signs of cooling off. “The more recent sales are still showing some increase, but the increases aren’t what they have been previously,” said Dave Weber, an appraiser with Serecon, an agricultural consulting company. Alberta farmland values were increasing about one per cent a month during 2011 and 2012, […] Read more
Funds blocked from investing in Sask. farmland, for now
Saskatchewan’s government plans to take a closer look at its rules on investment in farmland, but will block such investments by pension funds and other “institutional” investors while the review is underway. The province said Monday it will soon run further consultations and a review of farmland ownership rules as now laid out under the […] Read more
Ask the big questions before buying land
Answering 16 Questions to Consider before Buying Farmland is a good way to avoid buyer’s remorse
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta farmers are still keen to buy land, says a farm financial specialist. “Interest rates remain low and, although some farms have experienced some cash flow problems, the majority of Alberta farms has a strong balance sheet and is interested in purchasing additional land, should the opportunity arise,” said Rick Dehod. But before making a […] Read more
S. Africa’s proposed ban on foreign land ownership aimed at farms
Johannesburg | Reuters — A South African government proposal to ban foreign nationals from owning land will apply to farms, not residential property, a government minister was quoted as saying Tuesday. In his State of the Nation address last week, President Jacob Zuma said foreigners would be barred from owning land and South African citizens […] Read more
Australia tightens rules over foreign buying of farmland
Sydney | Reuters –– Australia tightened rules on Wednesday over foreign ownership of its agricultural land amid concerns that it is losing control of its own food security, slashing the amount beyond which land purchases would require regulatory approval. From March 1, foreign purchases of agricultural land over A$15 million (C$14.51 million) will be subject […] Read more
Sask. eyes tougher rules on investor farm buys
Saskatoon | Reuters — Saskatchewan is likely to tighten what are already some of North America’s strictest rules for purchasing farmland, as it looks to fend off big money managers hungry for what they see as a winning investment. The province, whose fertile plains grow more wheat than Argentina, has become the latest front in […] Read more
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