Tag Archives: green
Farmland Prices Up In Utah, NASS Says
06/08/13 Average farm real estate values, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, in Utah at $1,900 per acre was up 5.6 percent compared to 2012, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Utah Field Office. Cropland in Utah averaged a value of $2,820 per acre in 2013, an increase of 4.8 percent from 2012. Irrigated cropland in the State was valued at an average of $5,200 per acre, up 4 percent from 2012 while non-irrigated cropland was valued at an average of $1,100 per acre, a rise of 6.8 percent from the year before. Utah pasture land in 2013 was valued at an average of $950 per acre, an increase of 3.3 percent from 2012. Nationally, farm real estate value averaged $2,900 per acre for 2013, up 9.4 percent from revised 2012 values. Regional changes in the average value of farm real estate ranged from a 23.1 percent increase in the Northern Plains region to no change in the Southeast region. The highest farm real estate values were in the Cornbelt region at $6,400 per acre. The Mountain region had the lowest farm real estate value at $1,020 per acre. The United States cropland values increased by $460 per acre (13.0 percent) to $4,000 per acre. In the Northern Plains and Corn Belt regions, the average cropland value increased 25.0 and 16.1 percent, respectively, from the previous year. However, in the Southeast region, cropland values decreased by 2.8 percent. The United States pasture value increased to $1,200 per acre, or 4.3 percent above 2012. The Southeast region had the largest percentage decrease in pasture value, 1.5 percent below 2012. The Northern Plains had the highest increase at 18.4 percent. The full report is available on-line at http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1446 or call Joel Gentillon or John Hilton at 1(800)747-8522. Continue reading
Sustainable Forestry Investment Gaining Popularity
The latest UPM Tilhill Timber Bulletin highlights and provides a unique insight into key factors relating to UK standing coniferous timber sales such as market share, performance of the market with a view to investment and, additionally, the impact of the growth in renewable energy. Very positive news is that UK processors continue to increase their market share which has risen from 41 per cent to 44.6 per cent by volume. This, says the report’s author UPM Tilhill’s Timber Operations Director Peter Whitfield, is a huge achievement. Continue reading
Latvian Forestry Earnings Up, Despite Drop In Sales Volume
A reduction in the logging of state forests throughout the last 12 months has led to a fall in the availability of Latvian logs, which has caused prices to rise. Traditionally, UK markets have attempted to resist paying inflated amounts, but with supply declining steadily, they have been required to follow other countries in doing so, the Timber Trades Journal reports. In 2012, there was a 12 per cent reduction in the volume sold by Latvian State forests (LVM), but earnings climbed higher as a result of increased prices and improved efficiency. Heavy snowfall was a feature of the harsh recent winter and in December, around 200,000 m3 of the country’s woodland was removed due to the damage caused. However, this led to a €2 million investment from LVM in new acquisitions of private sector forests, resulting in the addition of an extra 1,500 hectares. In the UK, there has been “stronger-than-expected” demand for Latvian plywood, with customers believed to be making preparations ahead of the typical summer mill closures, which have seen production cease until the second week of August. According to the report, inventories are said to be at extremely low levels as large amounts were sold prior to the July closures. UK stocks are also believed to be minimal and Latvian mills have typically extended lead times to between ten and 12 weeks. Prices for plywood produced in the country increased in May and a further rise of as much as five per cent is expected when production restarts. The situation in Sweden is much the same, with a shortage of the sawlogs required by independent mills leading to a surge in prices. Swedish softwood exports to Europe declined by 11 per cent year-on-year in the first four months of 2013, with redwood exports falling by 15 per cent. Meanwhile, trade in Asian markets has risen, with redwood exports to Japan up by 18 per cent and those to China nine per cent higher over the same period. HD FestForest provides forest management in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and is a subsidiary company of HedeDanmark. Continue reading
