An increase in activity is expected in the commercial farmland market as the snow melts away and spring truly arrives.

The majority of estate agents are expecting an increase in the number of farms for sale later in the spring, it is reported.

While the area of farmland on the open market so far in 2013 is said to be around 10% up on a year ago, Farmer's Weekly's Land Tracker suggests supplies of commercial farmland remain limited.

Just under 14,000 acres of commercial farmland have been put on the open market this year, according to the figures.

Private sales are reported to be accounting for a sizeable proportion of transactions in some areas, with various reasons cited for the below-average number of farms for sale on the open market.

Inheritance tax may be one factor that is encouraging owner-occupiers to retain their land, as well as a lack of alternative investment opportunities offering sufficient levels of security.

In other words, various factors may be combining that result in people deciding to hold on to what they have - for the time being.

Such factors are certainly not set in stone and, of course, when there are restricted supplies of desirable farms to buy, it can mean that owners find themselves in an increasingly strong position when it comes to achieving a good price when they sell.

It is reported in some areas that the main buying activity is coming from farmers looking to expand their holdings.

Owner-occupiers may also have been holding on to their assets as they await a more favourable time to come to market, given the practical farming challenges of recent seasons.

Having said that, those challenges may prompt a number of landowners to decide to sell, leading to a potential increase in activity.

There is also the well-publicised challenge many individuals and businesses have faced in securing credit in recent times - although a number of initiatives designed to combat the problem might just be starting to bear fruit and stimulate activity in the residential property and commercial property markets.

Nevertheless, one agent has pointed out that banks are increasingly seeking proof of an ability to generate positive cash returns as opposed to purely offering cash asset security.

The demand is certainly there for commercial arable land across a number of areas though, including the eastern counties.

This is especially the case when there has been little or no land coming to market for a significant period of time.

It is certainly an intriguing time for anyone keeping a keen eye on the rural property and land markets - and we may be set for more interesting times ahead with most agents expecting an increase in the number of farms for sale within the coming months.

Strutt & Parker are optimistic that there will be slightly more land in the market in 2013 than there was in 2011 and 2012, but by no means a glut.

Sarah Macdonald Smith from the Estates and Farm team explains: "The knock on effect of a late 2012 harvest and difficult circumstances for sowing winter crops have meant that a significant area of land is still undrilled and many farmers have been concentrating on the immediate challenge of establishing crops in adverse conditions.

"Fewer acres in the market early in the year mean that those sales we launched in the first quarter have largely gone extremely well; competitive bidding has generated sale prices in excess of the national average and ahead of expectation, and demonstrated that investors are still acquisitive in the farmland market. We are confident that there is sufficient pent up demand in the market to absorb an increase in land coming to the market without affecting price for good quality farms and estates."