A mix of dairy farmers, beef finishers and spud growers are in the shake-up to secure a long-term lease on a sizeable farm in Co Meath.

The 230ac farm at Kilcarty, Dunsany has sparked massive interest across the various farm enterprises, and offers for the lease are running well ahead of the €400/ac guide, according to Stephen Barry of Raymond Potterton Auctioneers in Navan.

“So far we’ve had 20 viewings and 10 serious interested parties,” said Barry.

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“I’d expect to bring the bidding process to a conclusion very soon,” he added.

The farm is located between Trim and Dunshaughlin and is divided into two blocks by the public road.

Close to 165ac of the farm is currently in grass, with the remaining 65ac in tillage. The farmyard includes a six-bay hayshed with double lean-to, as well as dry-bedded cattle houses and storage sheds.

Although a number of dairy farmers have viewed the Dunsany holding, Barry said it was unlikely to be used as a milking platform and stressed that there was equally strong interest from beef farmers and potato growers.

Given the guide and the level of interest in the farm, the annual rental payments for the property could potentially tip close to €95,000 per year or in the region of €950,000 over the 10-year term of the lease.

Barry said the interested parties were comfortable with these figures and that the level of demand for the farm was indicative of changes in the overall land rental market.

“Less than 10% of land was rented in long-term leases when I started leasing land over 10 years ago; now that figure is 80%,” Barry said.

“And there is a definite migration from five-year to seven-year leases, and even to 10-year leases,” he claimed.

“In terms of the farming cycle, a 10-year lease enables the farmer to invest in the property and gives time to recoup that investment,” he said.