Farmland values in Iowa — a marketplace commonly watched as an indicator of overall Midwestern ag financial health — have surged by 8% in the last 6 months, according to the latest statewide market survey. The northern three crop reporting districts in the state — those comprising normally the highest-value crop ground — saw the largest increases, with north-central Iowa land rising by 9.6%. More than 50% of the survey respondents from the farm real estate industry said commodity prices are the biggest driver of the increase, while continued low interest rates are contributing to the climb. The prospects of general economic inflation and government supports were ranked the lowest in their influence on the land market, and 43% of those responding say they see farmland values climbing by more than 10% in the next five years versus 2% who said they believe the market will decline by up to 10% in the same time. See more from the survey.