The price of agricultural land in France increased by an average of 1.6% in 2015, to reach €6,010/hectare, according to SAFER, the French rural land agency.

The increase last year is a more modest rise from the larger increases of 2.9% in 2014 and 6.3% in 2013,

However, as usual, there were significant variations in price movements between and within the regions.

Thus, whilst there were significant double digit increases in the regions of Centre (+11%), Champagne-Ardenne (+13%) and Languedoc-Roussillon (10%), prices in several regions actually fell, notably in Franche-Comté (-12%) and Alsace (-8%).

Similarly, there are significant variations in the value of agricultural land, depending on its use and classification.

When different types of agricultural use are separated out a price hierarchy emerges, with the price of land under cereal crop production averaging €7,230/ha, mixed use was €5,620/ha, whilst that for pasture land for grazing livestock was €4,500/ha.

By way of illustration, the average price paid for land in Limousin in 2015 was €3,110/ha, yet the prices actually paid ranged from €1,000/ha to around €10,000/ha.

Similarly, in the region of Aquitaine. in some parts of the Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques, prices of agricultural land are over €10,000 per hectare, yet most of the land in the departments of Dordogne and the Gironde can be purchased for less than €4,000/ha.

The table below shows the average prices in each region for the four years 2012-2015.

With the exception of Franche-Comté prices have increased in all regions over this period, although in most cases by only a modest amount.

At a regional level, the most expensive region for farmland in France is in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Lowest average prices are in Franche-Comté region.

The figures are only for untenanted land. There is also a substantial market in tenanted land, whose sales last year were in excess of those of unoccupied land, and where prices averaged €4,470/ha.

Source: Terres d’Europe-Scafr, Safer and SSP.