Land Values and Cash Rents

On a national level, a new USDA report shows farmland values and cash rents dropping from last year's levels. However in our region, that wasn't necessarily the case.

In the Pacific Northwest, farmland values were up across the board. For cash rent for all cropland in Idaho is estimated at $168 per acre for 2016, 6.3 percent higher than last year. Irrigated cropland is estimated at $225 per acre, up 9.8 percent from 2015. Non-irrigated cropland rental expense is $61 per acre, down 6.2 percent from last year.

Oregon producers paid $137 per acre for all cropland, down 6.2 percent from 2015. Irrigated cropland is estimated at $200 per acre, unchanged from 2015. Non-irrigated cropland rental expense is $80 per acre, down 5.9 percent from last year. In

Washington, all cropland rental expense is $195 per acre for 2016, down 6.3 percent from the previous year. Irrigated cropland is estimated at $345 per acre, unchanged from 2015. Non-irrigated cropland rental expense is $72 per acre, down 4 percent from last year.

NASS Mountain Director Bill Meyer shares details from Colorado's report overall land value were approximately the same and cash rents were nearly unchanged from the previous year.

Meyer: "The average cash rent for irrigated crop land was $142 per acre in 2016 and it was $29 for non-irrigated crop land and for pasture land it averaged $5.80 per acre."