As we read on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, a meeting was held between the head of the ministry and representatives of agricultural chambers from regions where there is the greatest interest among individual farmers in land after companies that have in practice lost or will soon lose the right to continue using the land and possibly extend the lease.
The meeting was attended by the presidents of agricultural chambers from the following provinces: Lower Silesia, Opole, Pomerania, and Greater Poland. The talks were also attended by the president of the National Council of Agricultural Chambers, Wiktor Szmulewicz.
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Thirteen years of being at each other's throats. Leases need to be improved
Let us recall that the Act of 16 September 2011 amending the Act on the management of agricultural real estate of the State Treasury and amending certain acts, from one day to the next, presented land tenants with a critical dilemma. Within three months, they were to decide what to do with their properties. The areas in question are long-term leases of lands after State Agricultural Farms, which were liquidated at the threshold of transformation by the Act of 19 October 1991 on the management of agricultural real estate of the State Treasury. Tenants could either exclude 30% of the managed land, continue their production and count on the possibility and priority of purchase after the lease agreement ends, or complete the lease and lose the right to continue management and purchase the land.
The last leases in which the statutory 30% was not excluded expire in 2033. The peak expiry date of multi-year leases in which this obligation was not met falls in 2023-2025.
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Big Appetite for Land: What Next for Large Agricultural Tenants?
What's next?
As you can see, farmers still care about this land, they want clear law enforcement, an improvement in the situation in the regions in terms of access to agricultural land, a better perspective for the development of their farms. On the other hand, the question remains whether to blindly and at all costs liquidate technologically advanced enterprises, often with highly efficient animal production, which is now supposed to be surrounded by special care. Not so long ago, in the Senate, Deputy Minister Adam Nowak said that without breeding we will come to terms with our production of feed grains, so it is no longer just about improving self-sufficiency, e.g. in pork production, but about balancing the grain market, making it resistant to crises.
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The profession of a breeder under protection. Now or never
The chance to build a compromise remains the restructuring of these companies and the creation of agricultural production centers. In short, this would guarantee the transfer of a significant part of the land, even up to 50 percent, to individual farmers. In turn, it would allow the current owners to participate in a tender for further lease. Will this be enough and will it solve the problem? So far, we know of three such agricultural production centers. They are being created slowly, because the logistics of such an undertaking are complex.
As we read on the ministry's website, representatives of the agricultural self-government drew attention to the very high interest of farmers in land remaining under the statutory 30-percent exclusion of agricultural land to which lessees were obliged.
– There must be uniform information from the National Support Centre for Agriculture – what the land division will be, in what time and how much land – said President Wiktor Szmulewicz.
What is the minister’s position after presenting the case?
– I kindly ask you to prepare urgently more detailed information about delays and irregularities in the matters we are discussing today – this is how the head of the Ministry of Agriculture appealed at the meeting. Could this quote indicate the beginning of the process of sorting out leases that are used illegally after the contract expires? We will probably find out soon, because the minister also announced that a joint meeting of representatives of the agricultural self-government and KOWR will be organized soon.
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PLN 10 million fine for unauthorised land lease. KOWR in court with lessee
