Saskatchewan farmland listings have reached a five-year high as aging farmers, succession challenges and global financial pressures reshape the market.

Yet despite more properties becoming available, land continues to hold its value. 

According to Remax Canada’s Fall 2026 Commercial Real Estate Report, released Oct. 27, Saskatchewan had 317 farm properties listed for sale, up from 286 in 2025 and 208 in 2022.

Jeff Chapple, broker-owner of Remax Revolution Realty in Esterhazy, Sask., believes an aging farming population and a lack of succession planning are major factors behind the increase in listings.

Chapple, who spent much of his life farming before entering real estate in 2018, says the traditional practice of passing farms down through generations is becoming less common.

Many children have moved away to pursue education and careers elsewhere, leaving their parents without an obvious successor.

“There’s still a lot of older farmers here who still think their 50-year-old kids are going to come home and farm,” he says.

While some families have succession plans in place, Chapple believes many do not.

The Remax report similarly identifies generational turnover as a factor that could bring more farmland onto the market, although the timing and volume of future listings remain uncertain.

 

Why prices remain elevated

 

The trend comes as farmland appreciation slows across Canada. According to Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) mid-year farmland values review, cultivated farmland values increased 3.8 per cent nationally in the first half of 2026, compared with six per cent during the same period last year. In Saskatchewan, values rose 2.6 per cent over six months and 6.7 per cent year over year.

Meanwhile, the median selling price for farms of 80 acres or more reached $2,612 per acre over the 12 months ending in September, up more than 58 per cent since 2022.

Despite the increase in available properties, Chapple says farmland remains an attractive asset, particularly for established producers looking to expand.

“Farmland’s a very strong asset. It’s a lot like owning gold.”

He says neighbouring farmers can be especially motivated buyers because land bordering their existing operations carries additional value.

“Land is worth more when it’s next door to you.”

Chapple also believes Saskatchewan farmland remains relatively undervalued compared with other parts of Canada, noting that affordable land originally attracted him to the province from Ontario in 2007.

While farmland purchasing has historically shifted between periods dominated by investors and farmers, he says producers are currently the more active buyers.

Strong commodity prices in recent years allowed some farmers to reduce debt and build cash reserves, leaving them in a position to continue expanding.

“Commodity prices, maybe, aren’t as strong right now, but agriculture is a long game.”

Buyers include both large and small farming operations, Chapple says, although larger producers may be expanding more quickly because of their stronger financial positions.

 

Rising inventory and mounting pressures

 

Julie Davidson, a broker with Royal LePage Next Level in Regina, also sees established farmers looking to expand as the primary buyers, but says rising costs and economic uncertainty are giving some producers pause.

Davidson knows farmers who have postponed expansion plans, hoping prices might ease.

Higher land prices, borrowing costs and startup expenses are also making it more difficult for younger farmers to enter the industry.

“You can’t just buy land and, and hope to make a go of it.”

Weather-related harvest challenges have added to financial pressures for some producers, potentially affecting their ability to purchase additional land.

Davidson says the court-supervised sale of assets belonging to Monette Farms, one of North America’s largest farming operations, has also contributed to Saskatchewan’s growing farmland inventory.

The 350,000-acre operation became insolvent in April after $829.5 million in loans came due, according to court documents. A process to sell approximately 274,000 acres in Canada and the United States began in June. Last week, owner Darrel Monette sought an extension of creditor protection until Nov. 25 as the company continued working to complete asset sales.

 

Could prices soften in 2027?

 

Looking ahead, Chapple doesn’t anticipate a substantial decline in farmland values, even if more properties become available. Instead, he believes access to financing will be a key factor.

“Lending is more difficult whether it’s residential lending, commercial, or, or farm.”

Over the next five years, he expects larger packages of farmland could enter the market as ownership changes hands, with both investors and farmers potentially competing for those properties.

Davidson is somewhat more cautious about the near-term outlook.

“I think because of the current inventory, I think that, we might see prices come down a little bit,” she says.

While she expects demand from expanding farms to continue, Davidson believes prices could decline modestly or remain relatively stable in 2027.