Farmers Amongst Buyers as East of England Sees Rise in Farmland for Sale
Farmers seeking economies of scale have been among the most active buyers of farmland this year, according to agents, as new Savills research shows the East of England had more farmland publicly listed for sale in the first half of 2026 than any other UK region.
Some 13,974 acres were marketed in the East of England in the six months, up 13% on the same period of 2025. Across Great Britain, 88,100 acres were publicly marketed, down 12% year on year.
Values have been broadly stable despite tougher conditions. Prime arable land in the East averaged £9,270 an acre, down 1% from £9,368 in June 2025, while Grade 3 arable averaged £8,785, down 3.1% from £9,061. Nationally, prime arable values dipped 0.8% to £9,908 an acre and Grade 3 fell 1.1% to £8,685.
Jamie Elbourn of Savills in Essex said values vary widely, with some land in the region selling at £16,000 an acre and some at £9,000. The best farms continue to attract strong competition, sometimes pushing prices above average, particularly where established farming businesses bid for neighbouring or strategically important land. Non-farming buyers, many motivated by Capital Gains Tax rollover relief, also remain active.
Oliver Carr, who leads Savills' rural team in Cambridgeshire, noted that farmers have faced very low rainfall since March and higher costs linked to the Middle East conflict. However, the Government's Land Use Framework for England has brought a degree of policy stability by recognising land's role in food production as well as development, infrastructure and energy. He expects values to keep holding up, and said the rise in supply partly reflects how little farmland came to market in the East last year.
Source: UK Property Forums, original article (18 August 2026)
