Wicklow land prices jumped 17% in 2017
AGRICULTURAL land prices in County Wicklow jumped by 17 per cent in 2017, representing an increase from €10,140/acre in 2016 to €12,060/acre last year.
According to new figures published in the annual Irish Farmers Journal Agricultural Land Price Report, this follows a previous jump of 19 per cent in 2016.
Co Wicklow, known for its rich agricultural land and rolling hills, offered the second highest number of acres for sale last year, with 6,893 coming to the market. This is second only to Cork, which had 7,134 acres.
The county also offered the biggest estate of land for sale – Luggala, which stands on 5,000 acres and is guided at €28 million.
According to the report, which was compiled by Anthony Jordan, the average price paid for land across the 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland in 2017 was €9,088/acre.
This is an increase of 3.61 per cent on the 2016 figures, which stood at €8,771/acre.
It is the first time since 2014 that the average price per acre has risen over €9,000/acre. The improving prices can be seen around the country with 19 counties showing an increase in land prices in 2017. Seven of these counties, including Wicklow, saw a price rise of over ten per cent, with Laois experiencing the highest jump of 22.1 per cent.
Just seven counties saw a drop in average values, with Waterford, Monaghan, Donegal and Kilkenny seeing drops of over ten per cent.
The influence of commodity price volatility was plain to see in 2017.
The report documented a bumper year for dairy farmers was counteracted by another poor year for grain.
‘Beef and sheep farmers had a better year than in 2016 but were largely unable to compete with the dairy drive. It was just over 12 months ago when the milk price was on the floor and confidence was right there with it. What a difference a year makes and there is little doubt that land prices have significantly benefitted from this renewed dairy vigour,’ said Mr Jordan.
The supply of land offered to the market in 2017 totalled 78,350 acres, up 6.2 per cent on 2016 when 73,778 acres were offered.
‘While the supply increased in a general sense, one of the most frequent observations from across Ireland last year was the scarcity of land. Our analysis shows 13 counties in the Republic of Ireland had a supply reduction in 2017 with a very noticeable reduction in the border counties with Donegal, Monaghan, Cavan and Louth all seeing less land on the market, which may well be a direct impact of Brexit amid the uncertainty around cross-border trade,’ he said.
‘Furthermore, just 47 per cent of the properties offered for sale at auction were sold under the hammer with both auctioneers and selling agents claiming this is partly due to (1) the relatively short timeframe in the auction room that allows buyers to get their finances in order and (2) Some sellers had unrealistic expectations and were holding out for more than €10,000 an acre making targets unviable and properties being either withdrawn or remaining on the market,’ Mr Jordan added.
CATTLE REPORT–WEDNESDAY MARCH 7: A special spring sale with a very brisk trade all round. Prices driven by farmer demand, resulting in a complete clearance. Heavier continental bullocks making up to €2.40 per KG, with a Limousin bullock weighing 615 KG selling for €1450. Lively trade for all types of store cattle. These animals making up to €2.70 per KG.
Charolais Bullock, 610 KG made €1,400; Hereford Bullock , 560 KG made €1,270; Limousin Bullock, 525 KG made €1,240; Angus Bullock, 560 KG made €1,210; Simmental Bullock, 505 KG made €1,210; Simmental Bullock, 395 KG made €1,130; Charolais Bullock, 392 KG made €1,040; Limousin Heifer, 392 KG made €990.
SHEEP REPORT–SATURDAY MARCH 10: Bigger numbers on offer this week after the bad weather. This resulted in a complete clearance of all stock. All sorts of hoggots making up to €2.50 per KG and selling with strong demand. Heavier ewes were making up to €1.70 per KG, this was driven by factory buyers.
Heavier Hoggets: 50.5kg made– €116; 50kg made–€120 ; 47kg made–€119; 45kg made–€118; 40kg made–€106.
Stores: 26kg made–€67; 30kg made–€77; 33kg made–€88; 34kg made–€87; 38kg made–€100.
SHEEP REPORT - TUESDAY MARCH 6: Large sale today with prices fully maintained on last Tuesday with the heavy hoggets improved by another €2 to €3.
Hoggets over 50kg selling in the region from €130 up to €141 with the majority from €134 to €138. Fleshed hoggets over 45kg meeting a good honest demand selling in the region from €116 up to €130 with the majority from €120 to €126. Store hoggets from a base of €78 upwards with the majority of those 38kg to 42kg hoggets selling from €90 up to €102 with some ewe hoggets pushing out over €110.
Very lively trade for the younger cast ewes from €20 to €25 with the kg with some of the older feeding type ewes selling from €15 with the kg while we saw the heavy ewes today improve by €4 or €5 and selling up to a tops of €139 today.
Ewes with lambs at foot aged ewes with single lambs from €150 per unit up to €180 for younger ewes with singles while young ewes with twin lambs at foot up to a tops of €220.
So overall a full lively trade and to remind everyone we have 50 in lamb ewes next Tuesday in conjunction with the sheep sale.
CATTLE REPORT - FRIDAY MARCH 9: Spring trade was definitely noticed today with prices fully maintained on a fortnight ago while store and beef cattle improved in trade by €30 to €40 even up to €70 per head for the quality lots on previous weeks.
Beef and forward bullocks sold very briskly selling from a trade €1.90 per kg for the FR types with AA, HE and Continental all pushing up to a tops of €1080 with the kg and that being a CH bk 720kg making €1800 while we saw lighter store bks equally a lively trade with plenty of farmer custom around the ring amongst the difficult weather. Custom in the region of €2 per kg for the HE and AA €1.80 per kg for the plainer type FR with the strong BR FR type equally up to €2 per kg with the Continental selling anything from €2.20 upwards of €2.80 per kg with one exceptional price 3 CH bks 437kg making €1190.
Very lively trade in the beef heifer class with a lot of butcher demand selling anything from €650 with the kg up to a tops today of €1020 with the kg and the store heifers equally as lively as the store hfrs selling at €2 per kg for the HE and AA with the good continental heifers selling from €2.35 to €2.80 per kg with some heifers pushing up close to €3 for the weanling U grade type.
Very brisk trade for weanling bulls and strong demand by the feeder and shipper customers with those continental bulls selling from €2.40 for the more forward weights up to a tops of €3.10 per kg with the majority pushing between €2.60 and €2.95.
FR cull cows sold from €150 with the kg up to a tops today of €850 with the kg for the heavy continental cows with the good young fit feeding cows a very lively trade.
In calf cows sold today from €1080 up to a tops of €1520 spring calving.
We had a large entry of calves with the shipping type FR selling from €50 up to €100 with some stronger FR up to a tops of €170 and some of the very light calves selling from a base price of €20 upwards while we saw the HE and AA from €120 upwards and the HE and AA bulls selling from €160 upwards and the good continental type calves meeting a strong trade up to a tops of €430 today for a CH bull with the majority selling from €350 to €400.
Just to remind everyone next Friday at 10:30am we will have a clearance sale of 15 continental cows with calves at foot also 4 spring calving cows, 1 PR Reg stock bull and 29 yearling bks and hfrs all from the one herd.
SHEEP SALE – MARCH 8: 1,630 sheep on offer met a super trade with prices up €10/€15 a head on sale two weeks ago. Top price of €150 paid for heavy butchers hoggetts.
Butcher Hoggetts over 50KG– €133–€150; Factory Hoggetts 45 – 49KG–€118–€133; Store Hoggetts over 35KG–€90–€114; Light Store Hoggetts under 35KG–€75–€90; Cull Ewes–€75–€138; In Lamb Ewes–€85–€165; Ewes & Single Lambs–€130–€175; Ewes & Doubles–€185–€245.
DAIRY SALE – MARCH 8: 50 head on offer met a strong trade will full clearance. Freshly Calved Heifers–€1,250–€1,950; Freshly Calved Cows–€900–€1,450; In Calf Heifers–€1,050–€1,540; FR Heifer Calves–€150–€300.
CATTLE SALE–MARCH 9: Big entry with 650 cattle & 750 calves on offer. Cattle trade very strong with a full clearance and good demand for beef and store cattle. Very strong export demand for quality weanling bulls. Beef & Factory Cattle–€780 to €1,030 over; Cont. Store Bullocks–€550 to € 960 over; Fr Bullocks–€180 to € 620 over; Weanling Bulls–€480 to €1,000 over; Beef Heifers–€580 to €960 over; Store Heifers–€380 to €740 over; Dry Cow for Beef–€550 to €900 over; Store Cow–€100 to € 650 over; Sucklers / In Calf–€850 to €1,600 over.
Calves: Cont. Bulls–€180 to €460; Cont. Hfrs–€140 to €380; He / Aa Bulls–€130 to €310; He / Aa Hfrs– €100 to €280; Store Fr Bulls–€130 to €220; Export Fr Bull–€60 to €130; Small Fr Bull–€30 to €60.