Farmland values largely held steady in the region through the first half of 2017 according to a study released by Farm Credit Services of America. Mark Jensen, senior vice president and chief risk officer says their data shows benchmark values remain unchanged in Nebraska, slightly higher in Iowa and down about 1.8-percent in South Dakota. So, he says the pace of the decline seen the past two years is slowing down, even though pressure on profit margins continues for grain producers.

Jensen says where values declined, lower-quality land sales helped drive the market. However, he says the lower commodity prices the last few years are finally starting to be reflected in the land market.

He says while land prices have stabilized, they still remain far below the record prices of 2013.

Sales activity across the five states was also down 21 percent in the first half of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016.