Excel sheets and yields are of more immediate concern to young farmers than ownership of land in the strive for efficiency, the latest Agricultural Review and Outlook of IPAV has found.

The Institute of Professional Auctioneers & Valuers (IPAV) report found that the young farmer of today takes a more commercial view of farming, with little or no emotion involved.

Projections are also of more immediate concern to young farmers than ownership of land, as they strive to become more intensive and more profitable.

Meanwhile, the relatively-new phenomenon of farmers migrating to other parts of the country in search of opportunity looks set to continue, the report found, while the land market shows increased activity so far this year – following a very poor year in 2016 when only 0.5% of Irish agricultural land was sold.

Increase in land prices

The report, launched by IFA president Joe Healy at IPAV’s Dublin headquarters on Thursday evening last, predicts that while €10,000/acre has become somewhat of a benchmark for land, once this level is exceeded prices could move forward for some time – although this is unlikely to happen in the short-term.

Forestry continues to be popular with the investor, who is increasingly planting on marginal lands traditionally used for grazing. The sector continues to attract new entrants, increasing values.

Welcoming the report and the “snapshot” of Irish agriculture it provides, Healy said Brexit was “the biggest threat in our lifetimes to the future of the Irish and European model of agriculture and food production”.

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