Less sales but higher prices.

The sale of agricultural land has fallen during the first half of 2009 but the average of operations registered a 25% increase with reference to the average 2008 price, according to the last data published by the Agricultural Statistics Office of the Ministry of Agriculture (DIEA in Spanish).

During the first six months of this year it has been registered 869 sales operations involving about 143,000 hectares - about a 60% less than during the previos semestre- for about US$ 328 millions. The average price of the hectare was US$ 2,299. The data show that it has been a reversion of the price decrease registered
during the last quarter of 2008.

The Departments were the higest prices were atañed were Soriano, Río Negro and Durazno. The gratest areas sold were in the Departments of Paysandú, Tacuarembó and Durazno.

Source: Uruguay Properties