UPCOMING EVENTS
Nebraska Farm Custom Rates
A survey of agricultural custom operators is conducted in Nebraska every two years. A total of 159 survey responses were received in 2024 with information reflecting the current rates charged by custom operators for machine hire services and other work they provide for neighboring farms and ranches or as part of a business enterprise that covers a broader area. Survey participants identified by Nebraska Extension personnel, or in some cases, self-identified custom operators, received a paper survey or a web link to complete the custom rates survey online.
Actual rates paid for custom services may vary from those listed in these survey results due to differences in the operators responding and those providing services across the State. This report provides a summary of State averages for specific custom operations in Table 1. More detailed information covering the results of the custom rates survey by Nebraska Agricultural Statistical Districts is provided in two parts. Part I of the survey focused on spring and summer farm and ranch operations such as planting, tillage, and baling hay. Part II of the custom rates survey included questions about fall operations such as harvesting, hauling grain and livestock, as well as miscellaneous custom work activities on the farm.
Nebraska Farmland Values and Cash Rental Rates
The Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Highlights 2023-2024 publication was created for educational purposes to provide insight into recent trends in agricultural land values and rental rates across Nebraska. Agricultural land values and rental rates in the report represent averages for different regions of the state. Actual agricultural land values or rental rates for an individual parcel in Nebraska will vary from reported figures depending on the area's quality attributes and local market forces.
Agricultural land values and rental rates for this publication were obtained by surveying expert panel members engaged in agricultural land and rental markets throughout Nebraska. The panel members’ validity relies on their expertise and accuracy, and the authors do not make any guarantees as to their qualifications or the reliability of their responses. While survey responses were examined to eliminate obviously erroneous data, no further effort was made to verify or corroborate the data independently.
Physical attributes such as location, soil type, topography, or depth of water may affect the value of a given real property, causing the value to deviate substantially from what may be considered normal for the area. Also, local market forces, such as the competitive nature of an area, and local government policies, such as restrictions on the use of water, all have the ability to greatly impact agricultural land values or rental rates.
In addition, variations exist within reporting Districts that may cause real estate values and rental rates to differ substantially within the region. For example, the North reporting district spans almost 200 miles from east to west. Precipitation in Nebraska decreases, on average, one inch for every 25 miles a person travels westward, resulting in a possible decline of eight inches from the eastern side of this district to the west. An eight-inch difference in precipitation for a semi-arid region will substantially change the value and rental rates for crop and range ground.
Due to the inherent limitations of this survey, some of which are listed above, information in this report should not be used to set a specific rental rate or value for a particular parcel of real property for sale or property taxes, security for a loan, and other related legal matters.
