California saw historic increases in farmland values in 2013 on rising crop prices and increased planting of tree nuts and winegrapes according to a report by the California chapter of Farmland Managers and Rural Appraisers. Cropland values in the Stockton, Linden, Manteca, and Ripon area rose to between $18,000 and $30,000 per acre in 2013 compared to $12,000 to $20,000 per acre in 2012, and almond acreage in the same area sold for between $20,000 per acre and $31,000 per acre in 2013 – up from between $18,000 per acres and $30,000 per acre the year before. Walnut acreage values increase even more in 2013, ranging between $21,000 and $31,000 per acre – up from between $15,000 and $25,000 per acre in 2012. Increase in crop prices have driven new planting and have attributed to the increase in values. Almond prices increased 78% and walnut prices increased 138% between 2008 and 2012. Since 2008 the state has added 270,000 acres of almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and winegrapes to bring the acreage for these four crops to 1.98 million acres. Because of this surge in planting the scarcity of available suitable land for the planting of permanent crops is also pushing up values. To read further about the value of the state’s dairies and the effect that secure water supplies is having on the state’s farmland values:
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