British farmland prices have jumped by almost 15 per cent in the past year as increasing investor interest and strong commodity prices boost demand from buyers, according to new figures

The number of farmland sales increased by more than 50 per cent in the second half of last year, according to the research by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

Jeremy Blackburn, head of UK policy at RICS, said: "With commodity prices now having remained strong for some time, many farmers have been looking to expand their businesses and, with so little actually coming up for sale, competition for good land is fierce."