The least expensive land in Ireland is in counties Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo, Longford and Mayo while the biggest price increases last year were in Monaghan, Louth, Carlow, Galway and Wicklow.
That's according to the Irish Farmers Journal annual Agricultural Land Price Report 2022 which highlights how the average price, nationally, increased by almost 3% to €12,288/ac but Cavan bucked that trend because prices fell by as much as 70% - dropping to €8,828/ac.
Author of the report, Paul Mooney, spoke to Northern Sound and he says that demand for land in Monaghan is strong due to food production pressures on Northern Irish dairy famers along the border. He says the UK is under immense pressure to avoid food shortages and production in Northern Ireland has become intense with farmers needing land to produce more food.
Paul added that competition between supermarkets in the UK has undermined farmers there but the Northern Ireland dairy sector is thriving. "Farming in Northern Ireland is intense and it's at a very high standard.
They have good markets and they are going to keep seeking to increase production as best they can. And, they are going to buy extra land to allow them to do that. The UK food industry is a uniquely tough industry; the supermarkets are extremely competitive with each other and the farmer, unfortunately, falls victim to that," he said.
