Tag Archives: javascript
Farmland Values Keep Rising
Published August 06, 2013 Farmland values keep rising GRAND FORKS, N.D. — The 2012 drought that devastated crops and pastures in much of the upper Midwest didn’t stop the price of farmland from shooting higher, especially in North Dakota. By: Jonathan Knutson , Forum News Service GRAND FORKS, N.D. — The 2012 drought that devastated crops and pastures in much of the upper Midwest didn’t stop the price of farmland from shooting higher, especially in North Dakota. The average per-acre price of cropland in 2013 in North Dakota soared to $1,910, a whopping 41.5 percent increase from the previous year, according to an annual report issued Aug. 2 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nationally, the average per-acre price of cropland rose 13 percent, NASS says. “I think North Dakota had some catching up to do,” says Dwight Aakre, farm management specialist with the North Dakota State University Extension Service in Fargo. Prices for North Dakota cropland had, in past years, risen slower than prices for cropland in many other states, leading to a “catch-up” this year, he notes. He also notes that much of North Dakota enjoyed good yields in 2012, despite the drought. Aakre says that while North Dakota cropland values undoubtedly rose sharply in the past year, he was surprised to see the NASS estimate of a 41.5 percent increase. “That’s a lot. But you don’t argue with USDA. It has the best numbers,” he says. The report is based on a survey of agricultural producers in the first two weeks of June. Most other states in the upper Midwest also saw substantial increases in cropland values in the past year, according to NASS. Cropland values in South Dakota shot to an average of $3,020 per acre, an increase of 30.2 percent. The average value of Minnesota cropland rose to $4,850 per acre, 19.8 percent more than a year earlier. In Montana, the average value of cropland rose 4 percent to $888. The state grows little corn, which experts say has contributed to rising land prices in the upper Midwest. Average cropland values rose sharply in 2013 in the drought-hammered Corn Belt. In Iowa, for instance, the average value of cropland increased 17.8 percent to $8,600 per acre, according to the report. Though drought hurt production, it also caused the price of corn to rise, encouraging farmers to pay more for land, Aakre says. Low interest rates, which reduce the appeal of competing investments such as CDs, also have contributed to rising land prices, though to a lesser extent than high crop prices, he says. Now, however, crop prices are slumping, and buying land is becoming less attractive, he says. “I think land prices have peaked,” Aakre says. Paying more for pasture NASS also found substantial increases in pasture prices. Nationally, the average value of pasture rose 4.3 percent to $1,200 per acre. North Dakota’s average pasture value rose 28.6 percent to $630 per acre. In Minnesota, the average pasture value rose 16.7 percent to $1,750 per acre. South Dakota’s average pasture value rose 20.3 percent to $710 per acre. High crop prices have encouraged some producers to begin raising crops on land that once was pastured. That reduces the supply of pasture and drives up its price, experts say. The average value of Montana pasture rose 1.8 percent to $580. NASS includes Montana in the report’s mountain region, which also consists of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. All the states in the region had small annual increases, or even small decreases, in their average pasture price. Cash rents rise, too In a separate report on Aug. 2, NASS released updated state-level statistics for cash rents. Here are average per-acre cash rents for nonirrigated farmland for 2013. – United States – $125 per acre, up from $115 a year ago. – North Dakota – $64 per acre, up from $57 per acre a year ago. – South Dakota – $104, up from $93 per acre last year. – Minnesota – $177, up from $150 per acre last year. – Montana – $23.50, up from $23 per acre a year ago. Strong crop prices in recent years have helped boost cash rents, Aakre says. – See more at: http://www.prairiebi…h.SMUTWfnp.dpuf Continue reading
Growth In Farmland Values Slowing But Still Hot
AUGUST 6, 2013 By: Fran Howard Land values, particularly for cropland in the Corn Belt and Northern Plains, soared again in 2013, but analysts warn that current growth rates are not sustainable given the recent declines in grain and oilseed prices and the strengthening U.S. dollar. According to USDA’s Land Values report , released Aug. 2, U.S. farm real estate value, a measure of the value of all land and buildings on farms, averaged $2,900 per acre in 2013, up 9.4% from 2012 values. Regional changes ranged from a 23.1% increase in the Northern Plains region to flat in the Southeast. Not surprisingly, the highest farm real estate values of $6,400 per acre were in the Corn Belt. The Mountain region had the lowest farm real estate value of $1,020 per acre. “The last few months, the growth rate has been coming down,” says Ernie Goss, MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. “Softer corn and soybean prices, the stronger dollar, and slower economic growth globally are all combining to put a dent in the growth in farmland values.” Still, Goss anticipates that long-term average farmland values will continue to grow at about 7-8% a year. “Rising interest rates could also take a little air out of the land-price bubble,” Goss says. “Growth rates of 23%, 15% are not sustainable.” Yet even if land values were to fall, he says, the country would not see a repeat of the 1980s farm crisis because farmland is nowhere near as highly leveraged today. The average value of U.S. cropland, according to the report, increased $460 per acre, up 13% from 2012 levels to $4,000 per acre. Year-over-year cropland values in the Northern Plains and Corn Belt rose 25 and 16.1% to $2,950 and $6,980 per acre, respectively. In the Southeast, the value of cropland fell 2.8% to $3,410. The highest valued cropland was in New Jersey at $12,800 per acre up 4.1%, followed by California at $10,190, and Colorado at $9,000. Iowa and Illinois values were close behind at $8,600 and $7,900. Farmland values in Iowa have risen by double digits in each year since 2010, when the value of cropland was $5,064, according to the Iowa State University land value survey. “Where does this leave us? Many people have discussed the possibility that land is on a speculative bubble and that land values are going to collapse. Will the land market collapse like it did in the early 1980s or similar to the housing market a few years ago? No one knows for sure. But there are several key variables to watch to formulate an opinion,” says Michael Duffy, extension economist with Iowa State University, on his website. “One of the key variables to watch is income. Theory tells us it would be the net income per acre that is the key, but analysis shows that the total income is a better predictor. In Iowa there is a 95% correlation between land values and the value of agricultural production in the state. There is an 89% correlation between land values and net farm income,” Duffy says. According to USDA’s recent report, value of cropland fell in four states, Florida, South Carolina, New Mexico, and New York, and held steady in seven others. The average value of U.S. pastureland increased to $1,200 per acre, up 4.3% from 2012 levels. Southeast pastureland fell 1.5% below year-earlier levels to $3,380, while pastureland in the Northern Plains soared 18.4% to $81. “The attraction of farm life is increasing, so there is a high motivation to return to the farm, but buying a farm operation is not easy,” Goss says. As today’s landowners die, leaving the farm to their heirs, the heirs are often unable to buyout their siblings or cousins. Thus farms will continue to get larger and larger, he adds. Continue reading
BluForest Inc.: Anticipates New Technology to Measure Carbon Emissions Will Expand the Carbon Offsets Trading Market
QUITO, ECUADOR–(Marketwired – Aug 5, 2013) – BluForest Inc. (OTCBB: BLUF ) (OTCQB: BLUF ) (“BluForest” or the “Company”), a development stage company that is a publically traded carbon offsets marketing and renewable energy company, is anticipating new technology. The technology named “Hestia” after the Greek goddess of the hearth and home will expand the carbon offsets trading market. Arizona State University scientists have developed new software that indicates it can accurately measure greenhouse gas emissions down to individual buildings and streets. The system, introduced in an article published October 9, 2012 in Environmental Science and Technology combines information from public databases with simulations and energy consumption models. The researchers believe it could help identify the most effective places to cut emissions. It is believed it could aid international efforts to verify reductions in carbon. Details of the new system are published in the journal and according to the scientists from Arizona State University this new measuring system Hestia would enable the entire Nation to have one method of measuring carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases at national level. Dr Kevin Gurney, one of the leaders of the project states that “We can go to any city in the US and do the quantification and we know it will be utterly consistent from city to city and consistent from city all the way up to national level… You realise how large a source electricity production is. It tends to swamp the signal in cities. And things like traffic jams and slow downs in traffic, that’s what really hits you,” said Dr Gurney. The scientists behind the system state that Hestia can be extremely useful for cities, helping them to target where to make emissions cuts. Once those cuts have been made, the system can verify their effect. Verification is also a hugely contentious issue at international negotiations on a global climate treaty. About BluForest Inc . BluForest Inc. is a development stage company that is a publically traded carbon offsets marketing and renewable energy company. BLUF is executing its strategy to become a leading marketer of carbon offsets in the voluntary markets under the UN principle of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). The BluForest website provides further information about the company which prospective investors are encouraged to visit. Safe Harbor Act Notice: Statements contained herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the company and its management. Such statements reflect management’s current views, are based on certain assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results, events, or performance may differ materially from the above forward-looking statements due to a number of important factors, and will be dependent upon a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the company’s ability to obtain additional financing and the demand for the company’s products. Any investment in the company would be extremely speculative and involve a high degree of risk and should not be pursued unless the investor could afford to lose their entire investment. Before investing, please review this filing, all past public filings with the SEC, all current Pinksheets.com filings and consult a registered broker dealer or contact the financial industry regulatory authority (“FINRA”) for more information regarding locating a qualified party to assist in making an investment decision. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof or to reflect any change in the company’s expectations with regard to these forward-looking statements or the occurrence of unanticipated events. Factors that may impact the company’s success are more fully disclosed in the company’s most recent public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Contact Information On behalf of the Board of BluForest Inc. Contact Us Company phone number: 1-855-509-5508 info@bluforest.com www.bluforest.com Continue reading
