News Land prices
Land price also rises sharply in Belgium
Although there are fewer and fewer farms in Flanders, the price of land is rising sharply (+35%). Prices are lower in Wallonia, but there too a considerable increase is visible (+25%).
The land price in Flanders amounted to €52.000 per hectare in the first half of the year. That was €5 per hectare 38.600 years earlier. This is evident from figures from the Federation of Notaries in Belgium. Mainly in the west of Flanders, the price is rising rapidly (+40%), as a result of which around €1 per hectare is paid for 64.000 acre. The price is lowest in Flemish Brabant and amounts to more than €37.000 per hectare.
37.000
euro
Wallonia is 60% cheaper
In Wallonia, 1 acre of land is 60% cheaper, compared to Flanders. The price in this region varies from €27.000 per hectare in Luxembourg to €39.000 per hectare in Walloon Brabant. However, the price has also increased in Wallonia (+25%).
According to the Belgian farmers' union, this increase is caused by external investors. Farmland is an interesting investment, as its value continues to rise. About 33% of the land in Flanders is owned by farmers, the rest of the land is leased.
Area decrease
The total agricultural area in Flanders amounts to 609.000 hectares, which is 26.000 hectares less than in 2001. The number of farms has also almost halved in recent years. There are still almost 23.300 companies, compared to 41.000 at the beginning of this century. There is also a visible decline in the share of the agricultural sector in the Belgian economy; that is only 0,55% of the gross domestic product.
Anne-Jan Doorn
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