An online auction for the letting of farmland near Coleraine hit a peak of £655/acre on Tuesday.

Overall, 183 acres were let for the Atchison family by Kilrea-based auctioneers H.A. McIlrath and Sons.

The highest priced lot was 11 acres of grassland that was being let for ware potatoes.

The next top price was £295/acre for 16 acres of silage ground. After that, two different lots for silage cutting both made £265/acre.

Two lots were let for cattle grazing only, with the first eight-acre block making £230/acre and a 12-acre parcel later went for £260/acre.

Several pieces of land were let for barley or wheat. Most lots made £180/acre, although one 11-acre lot went for £230/acre. Three lots of stubble ground were let for sowing into grass and made £175 to £185/acre.

Auction

A separate conacre auction of 53 acres near Portstewart was conducted afterwards. The land is owned by Ulster University and was being let for a three-year term for silage cutting only.

The land was let in two halves with the annual rent for first lot set at £255/acre and the second went for £285/acre.