The price of Czech farmland is expected to increase by 5 percent this year. Its market price has nearly doubled since the Czech Republic joined the EU in 2004. Still it is much cheaper than in neighboring countries, writes Hospodářské noviny, because the land is cut into small pieces. Consolidation would help push the price up.
A square meter of farmland currently costs CZK 13 on average, up from CZK 12.41 last year, according to Hospodářské noviny citing data from Farmy.cz. In Austria, farmland costs approximately eight times as much. In Germany, the price is fivefold, while in the Netherlands, it is 11 times higher than the average Czech market price. In Poland and Bulgaria, farmland is also more expensive, but the difference is not so marked.
