AgLetter: November 1999
Farmland values in the Seventh Federal Reserve District
were unchanged, on average, during the third quarter
(July 1–October 1), according to our survey of 346 agricultural
bankers. However, the bankers believed that farmland
values were up a modest 2 percent for the twelvemonth
period ending October 1. The respondents also reported
the demand for farm loans softened in the third
quarter, but that loan-to-deposit ratios and farm loan interest
rates moved higher. Furthermore, the bankers’ anticipate
the fall and winter months will bring continued
downward pressure on farm earnings, resulting in weak
loan repayments, and perhaps an increase in sales of capital
assets among financially stressed farmers.