Why is this important
- This is the systematic regulation of land relations: lease will become a universal form of use, which will strengthen market mechanisms and transparency;
- Elimination of indefinite or permanent land use — reduction of the risk of uncertainty of rights and legal disputes;
- The possibility of building infrastructure facilities (warehouses, sorting, packaging, etc.) on agricultural land will increase the added value of products right on the spot, reduce logistics and costs.
What happened
- Over the past five years, almost 42 million hectares of land have been included in the cadastre from a total area of 45 million hectares; agricultural land — more than 26 million hectares;
- Instructions were given to maintain separate records of vacant lands returned to the district and to put them up for auction through a system that minimizes the human factor;
- Institutions of sublease and re-lease (re-lease without returning the land to the state) have been introduced;
- The construction of service facilities on agricultural lands is permitted: refrigerated warehouses, packaging and sorting points, canopies, structures with water-saving technologies, technical parks and other auxiliary facilities;
- A decree on the implementation of these measures has been signed; work has begun on amendments to the legislative acts.
Context
The law of 9 October 2024 has already introduced amendments to the Land Code and laws on farming and pastures, permitting re-lease – the transfer of lease rights and obligations by the lessee to another person. In 2024-2025, a procedure has already been established for leasing agricultural land through electronic online auctions, which enhances transparency. These changes are part of a broader land reform: cadastre, land accounting, digitalisation, and combating unused land.
