From Agrimoney:
...MOREFarmland prices in England rose by 15% last year, and are poised for further gains, as the asset class's reputation as a safe haven more than offset pressure from lower crop prices, Knight Frank said.The market in England, which contains the majority of UK farmland, "set a blistering pace throughout 2014", with prices rising by 15.0% to a record £7,925 per acre (£19,583 per hectare), the property consultancy said.And Andrew Shirley, the Knight Frank head of rural research, forecast a further increase saying that "I would be very surprised if we don't see average values comfortably exceed £8,000 an acre at some point in 2015".Crop price factorThe group acknowledged the depressant of weak agricultural commodity markets, with feed wheat prices tumbling 21% over the past year, rapeseed values down 14% and milk prices falling 19%."A generally gloomy outlook for commodity prices could temper some farmers' enthusiasm for expansion, particularly in the dairy sector," Mr Shirley said.In the US, weak commodity prices have been blamed for a fall in Midwest farmland values last year for the first time since 1986.However, most farmers "take a long-term view and will still be keen to take on land that will add economies of scale to their existing holdings", he said.'Sheltering wealth'Furthermore, with a general election ahead, bringing potential tax changes, while continental Europe is dogged with economic uncertainty, farmland was exploiting its status as a safe haven asset."The investment market continues to focus on agricultural land for a number of reasons but mainly as a source of sheltering wealth and protection longer term against uncertain market forces," said Tom Raynham, head of the Knight Frank agricultural investment team....
Here's the Economist through the end of 2013:
*Recently:
Farmland Prices: The Chicago and St. Louis Feds Weigh In (AGCO; DE)
U.S. Farmland Has Been the Top Performing Asset Over the Last 20 Years: Goodbye to all that
Farmland Price Index Down For 13th Month In a Row
