Increasing activity of legal entities in the land market: how it affected the price of a hectare

In July 2024, the Ukrainian agricultural land market shows significant growth both in terms of the number of concluded agreements and the area of ​​land in circulation. The market volume increased by 10.2% in the number of transactions and by 4.3% in terms of land area compared to the previous month. This reflects the increasingly active participation of legal entities in the purchase of agricultural plots, which has caused prices to rise to record levels.

According to the analytical review prepared by "KSE Agrocentr", the average weighted price of purchase and sale of a hectare of land in July 2024 reached 46,000 hryvnias. This is 4.5% more than in June and 1.5% more than in May. Prices have recovered after a short-term decline in previous months, and land prices are currently at their highest in the market's history.

A particular increase in prices has been observed since the opening of the land market for legal entities on January 1, 2024. During this period, prices for all agricultural land increased by 24%, and for so-called "commodity" land - by 19%. This indicates a significant increase in demand for land among companies that consider it as a promising asset for investment.

The activity of legal entities in the agricultural land market continues to grow. Since the start of 2024, 953 companies have exercised their right to purchase land, with 363 of them acquiring at least one site in July alone. This is the highest indicator for the entire time of the market opening for legal entities, which emphasizes their increasing interest in agricultural assets.

In total, since the beginning of 2024, legal entities have purchased 8,849 land plots with a total area of ​​26,200 hectares, of which 4,700 hectares were purchased in July alone. This is 5% more than in June. The share of legal entities in the agricultural land market in July 2024 reached 24.1%, which is slightly higher than in June (23.8%) and significantly higher than the average for the first seven months of 2024 (18.8%).

According to Roman Neiter, head of the "Unbreakable Land" project and researcher of "KSE Agrocenter", the activity of legal entities in the land market has the potential for further growth. This is due to a significant number of agricultural producers engaged in the cultivation of grain crops and sunflowers in Ukraine, which may lead to an even greater increase in the share of legal entities in the market structure.