CORK has the second most expensive agri land in Munster, according to a new report which puts the average price of good quality farm land at around €17,100 per acre.

The survey by Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland with Teagasc predicts a 4% rise in sector sales and rental prices this year, pointing to an uncertain outlook due to higher costs caused by conflict in the Middle East.

The most expensive land in the country is in Wexford (€19,226 per acre) as the SCSI report describes an active and competitive market with strong demand and a continued scarcity of available land.

Kildare was second (€19,200) with Tipperary (€18,062) the highest in Munster and fourth highest in the country. Cork was eighth most expensive in the country.

Disruptions to energy markets arising from the US/Israeli war with Iran have contributed to increases in fuel, fertiliser and other input prices with knock-on implications for agricultural production costs and farm profitability.

The report found that the average national price for good quality agricultural land in 2025 was €14,126, an increase of 7% on the previous year. The average national price for poor quality agricultural land was €6,963 per acre, an increase of 5% on the previous year.

Leitrim has the lowest average poor quality land prices at €3,772 per acre across the three holding sizes.

In Munster average prices remained stable with an acre of good quality land fetching €15,404, while the average price for an acre of poor-quality land is €6,868.

In Munster, sales prices for good quality land on holdings under 50 acres range from that high of €18,779 in Tipperary to €11,333 in Clare. In Cork the price of an acre of good-quality land on a holding of this size is €17,250, which is down slightly on the previous survey.

Prices for poor quality land ranged from an average of €8,750 in Cork – up from €7,650 in 2024 - to €6,250 in Limerick.

On the rental front Munster recorded substantial increases across most land uses, reflecting strong demands for land in the region. Land for grazing/meadowing/silage increased by 19% to €350 per acre, while grazing-only land rose by 17%.

Cropping land also recorded strong growth, with rental values for cereal crops increasing by 23% and potato land increasing by 27%, indicating particularly strong demand for specialised crop production land.

Teagasc economist, Dr Jason Loughrey, says that while agricultural performance last year was strong overall, particularly in the dairy and cattle sectors, 2026 will be significantly more challenging due to external factors impacting costs, and declining dairy margins.