Record commodity prices and a good harvest season had the average farm income on the rise in 2007, and many farmers rode that wave to the bank in the form of both more spending and lending, according to Federal Reserve Bank economist Maria Akers and assistant vice president Jason Henderson.

"Record farm incomes are fueling a sharp rise in farm capital spending. Spending on farm equipment and grain storage facilities have surged in 2007," Akers and Henderson write. "Agricultural bankers report that capital spending increases are supporting a rise in loan demand.

"Surging farm income will more than offset rising input costs, up almost 10% in 2007, led by higher prices for fuel, fertilizer, seed and energy."

Nationwide strength

The influx of capital and corresponding investment growth isn't limited to Corn Belt farmers. Akers and Henderson say respondents to their recent survey of ag lenders around the country show that the trend reaches well beyond typical corn-and-soybean country.

"Bankers responding to the Federal Reserve agricultural credit surveys report strong capital spending. Bankers in the Kansas City District site additional capital investment by farmers, with a flurry of on-farm grain storage construction near ethanol plants," according to Akers and Henderson. "With rising farm income expectations, bankers in the Minneapolis District also report robust growth in capital spending. In the Richmond [Virginia] District, bankers noted increased spending on tobacco harvesting equipment and barn construction."

Farmland value trend continues

That's not to say the outlook is all bulls and roses for the next year, the Fed economists say. The ongoing rise in farmland values will continue its current trend. Though the overall value rise has slowed in the most recent quarter, the resulting influx of land on the market will translate into further value gains in this era of high commodity prices.

"Bankers in the Kansas City, Minneapolis and Chicago districts cited an increase in the amount of farmland offered for sale as escalating values are motivating some investors to cash out of the market," Akers and Henderson write. "Even with potentially more farmland on the market, bankers indicate that buyer interest remains high, which is facilitating the sale of more farms and spurring value gains.

"After a pause during the summer, robust income expectations may reignite a boom in farmland values."

Source: Agriculture Online