The price of farm land increased by 14.3 per cent last year, the first increase in land prices since 2006, according to the Agricultural Land Prices Report published by the Irish Farmers Journal.
The average price paid for an acre of farm land last year was €9,954. Some 18 counties saw an increase in land prices while eight saw a decrease. Not surprisingly, Dublin recorded the highest average price at €13,724 per acre, followed by Kilkenny at €13,203, Kildare at €13,043 and Wicklow at €12,348.
Leitrim had the lowest average price at €4,517, followed by Mayo at €5,684 and Sligo at €6,446.
The report is based on 1,218 sales of land which involved 63,756 acres, in the 26 counties. Sales were by private treaty, auction and tender.
Co Meath recorded the most sales, followed by Cork and Kildare. Cork saw the highest number of big farms for sale. Some 16 farms in Cork were over 100 acres and 6,729 acres of farm land was sold in the county last year. In contrast, just 440 acres was sold in Leitrim, and 468 acres in Sligo.
