Farmer Mac says U.S. farmland values rise 3.4% in 2026, USDA survey shows
AGM•Farmland values rise in USDA survey
Farmer Mac said U.S. farmland values rose 3.4% in 2026, according to a USDA survey.
The survey showed farm real estate values up to $4,500 per acre. Farmer Mac’s farmland index rose 5% year-on-year.
Western water constraints tighten land markets
Water constraints tightened Western land markets, with drought persisting.
Lake Powell and Lake Mead were near their lowest levels since the 1960s.
Almond outlook improves as output forecast falls
The almond outlook improved after forecasts cut 2026 output to 2.64 billion to 2.67 billion pounds, compared with the USDA’s 2.7 billion pounds projection.
Profitability gap widens across crops and livestock
Farmer Mac flagged widening profitability gaps in Q2 2026, with crops under margin pressure from ample supply, weak prices and trade uncertainty.
Livestock producers benefited from strong demand, favorable feed costs and cattle prices near record highs. Inventories rose to 94,200,000 head.
