Foreign agricultural land holdings surge in Oregon

Foreign agricultural land holdings in Oregon increased by 146,500 acres in 2024, marking the fourth-highest gain in the United States, according to analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation and USDA data.

In the Pacific Northwest, foreign investors hold nearly 3.4 million acres of agricultural properties, a 6.9% increase from 2023. Timberland constitutes nearly two-thirds of these holdings, including 1.14 million acres of forest in Oregon and 1.08 million acres in Washington.

Across the United States, foreign holdings totaled 46.3 million acres of agricultural land at the end of 2024, representing 3.6% of all private American agricultural acreage. Faith Parum, deputy chief economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, noted that the data includes leases of 10 years or more, meaning foreign-held land is not always foreign-owned.