Kildare has second most valuable land 

KILDARE has the second most valuable land in Ireland on holdings of less than 20Ha (50ac), valued at €18,680 per acre.

In a new report with Teagasc, auctioneer, and valuer members of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), operating in the agricultural sales and rental market say average rental prices in 2025 are expected to increase by seven per cent.

The survey found that on holdings under 50 acres Kildare had the most expensive land in Leinster and the second most expensive in Ireland – up from third last year The survey found the most expensive land in the country last year was in Waterford with good quality land on holdings between 50 and 100 acres fetching an average sales price of €23,500 per acre.

The SCSI say the outlook for the agricultural land market remains strong for 2025 and are forecasting that the price of agricultural land nationally will increase by six per cent on average this year.

Average rental prices are expected to rise by seven per cent in Leinster, Connacht and Ulster, while in Munster the figure is eight per cent.

SCSI auctioneers and valuers say they expect land values to rise again, primarily due to better milk prices, strong competition among farmers and investors and recent changes to Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme.

Due to the latter, some farmers require more land to meet lower stocking rate thresholds, which further increases the demand, especially among dairy farmers in Ireland.

 According to the SCSI Review and Outlook Report 2025, the Central Statistics Office data shows that the share of agricultural land, which transacts for sale annually is only half of one per cent of agricultural area and this, combined with strong demand for agricultural land is driving the increase in land prices.

Mayo has the lowest land sales prices in the country at €3,075 for an acre of poor-quality land on holdings over 100 acres.

Waterford, also has the most expensive land on holdings under 50 acres, followed by Kildare, with Cork in third place at €17,875, just marginally ahead of Tipperary on €17,865. In Carlow, the average price of good quality land on holdings of less than 50 acres is €17,417 per acre, while rounding off the top six places is Meath on €16,890.

Meanwhile, the price of an acre of good land in Kildare on holdings between 50 to 100 acres last year was €18,033 – up from €16,417 in 2023 - while the price of an acre of good land on holdings over 100 acres was €17,089.

The corresponding prices for an acre of poor land were €10,100 and €11,403.

Chartered Valuation Surveyor Philip Byrne of Coonan Property in Maynooth, who is a member of the SCSI’s Rural Agency Committee says land prices are being driven by a continued low supply of land to the market and demand across major sectors for agricultural outputs including a thriving dairy sector.

“Dairy farms are projected to have a robust 2025 and will continue to significantly influence the demand for both owned and leased land. Over three-quarters of respondents to our survey (77%) ranked dairy farmers as the main buyer type of agricultural land. In addition, 62% of respondents expect an increase in demand from dairy farmers in 2025, with just 2% of respondents expecting this demand from dairy farmers to decrease.

“But there are also several other factors which are supporting the positive outlook. After a poor start, last year’s weather improved, and as a result crop yields performed better than expected. We have also seen a marked reduction in interest rates, which of course means lower finance costs.” “That said, uncertainty in the global economy, along with recently imposed US tariffs on EU agricultural products are casting a long shadow. While it’s impossible to predict the outcome and potential impact, it’s clear these factors could introduce volatility into the land market and may temper some of the upward price momentum.” 

Mr Byrne said one noticeable trend survey respondents picked up on is a significant landowner shift towards long-term leasing over short-term rentals.

“As the market continues to evolve, we believe long-term leasing will remain the preferred model, supported by government policies that encourage security of tenure and investment in land productivity. As a result, nearly 84 per cent of survey respondents noted that farmers would typically pay more per acre for similar quality land on a long-term lease compared to conacre.”

In Leinster (excluding Dublin), land rental prices for grazing, meadowing, silage, grazing, and potato growing all increased by nine per cent on average to €295, €271 and €467 per acre respectively.

The survey of 169 auctioneers and valuers from all over the country, took place in February and March 2025, and it found the volume of farmland going to market increased marginally during 2024 with probate sales continuing to provide the main source of farmland sales. 

This year’s report devotes a special section to the complex area of farm succession and generational renewal.

It notes that farmers comprise an ageing workforce — the average age is 59 years with only 4.3 per cent are under 35 years of age.

Responses from the survey indicated the main reasons for such low land volumes coming to the market for sale relate to cultural, taxation and succession planning issues.