ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER INDUSTRY NEWS 25 35 To learn more about how Oligo Prime® technology boosts corn yields, scan the QR code or talk to your Agro-100 representative or Ag retailer. 1 866 770.8887 • www.agro-100.com download the Agro100 application for free today! “If you could invest one more dollar to kickstart your crop’s recovery from stress and expect a return of up to 7 to 1, wouldn’t you?” CropBooster® Oligo Prime® in corn Since 2018, Oligo Prime® technology has delivered for corn growers an average yield increase of 8.3 bushels per acre when added to various herbicide tank mixes. Scan the QR code to stream the Oligo Prime® animation agro_OPanim_OntGrainFarmer_half_fev2025_04.indd 1 2025-02-24 12:12 Put into percentages, recent years have brought a return to value increases between 20 and 30 per cent across the 11 counties. This number had been previously seen between 2010 and 2013 before shrinking to between two and 10 per cent—a trend which held until 2020. Increases between 20 and 30 per cent returned for 2021 and 2022, but little to no increase was observed between 2023 and 2024. Parker considers this surprising, given “the economic realities of last year.” Looking ahead, Parker says variability will feature prominently in 2025, with different areas within some counties likely to see well over a $15,000 per acre price spread—an indicator that markets are diverging. He also predicts continued growth in some areas, with comparative drops in value in others. At times, this disparity will be visible between farms sold in relatively close proximity. More financiallystressed sales are also predicted. WHAT’S DRIVING PRICES? Variations in commodity prices and interest rates correlate strongly with changes in farmland values. This is a constant, says Parker, given the impact they have on profitability and the ability of businesses to successfully grow. Lower land value growth between 2013 and 2020, for example, matches well with the higher interest and commodities prices of the time. Then, says Parker, “Covid hits. Interest rates plummet again, crop prices go through the roof in 2021, and what do you know, we go way up again, another 20-30 per cent average increase per year.” Livestock density is also a consistent driver. “There are as many dairy farms in Kent and Essex as there is on a couple of concessions in parts of Perth and Oxford,” Parker says, “In farming, the land is the business. Farming requires stable, longterm access to land. Without it, scaling can be a challenge. continued on page 26
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