FARMERS hungry for extra land have driven the conacre market to close weeks before normal.

With the Single Farm Payment deadline of May 4 still three weeks away, it appears much of the land available for letting has already been snapped up.

Farmers with unused entitlements have to activate them this year or lose them to the national reserve, a factor which had driven demand up for 2007.

Auctioneers also report that better price prospects have meant that tillage farmers have set extra land to corn this year in the hope of another bumper year.

As a result, prices have jumped by around €20/ac, depending on the quality, size and location of the parcel.

Posted: 04|10|07 at 7:59 am. Filed under: Auction News.