Farmland values in O'Brien and Clay counties increased slightly over the past year due to more positive factors affecting the U.S. ag economy.

The annual Iowa State Land Value Survey released last month reported a 2.4 percent increase in O'Brien County farmland prices in 2020 and a 2.2 percent increase in Clay County. The report noted that lower interest rates, limited land supply and higher commodity prices as reasons for the 1.7 percent statewide increase in farmland values last year.

The statewide increase was slightly less than in 2019, when farmland values increased an average of 2.3 perc...