Uncultivated land up for rent

TIRANA, July 18 – “Land should be given to those who work it and not those who turn their backs to it.” This is how Prime Minster Berisha described the initiative to make uncultivated agricultural land available for use or rent it. He called on local government authorities to consider this as an opportunity creating thousands of jobs.
“Uncultivated land in their territories should be given to those willing to cultivate it, of course without losing ownership but giving a 1/10 tax to land owners,” said Berisha considering the monitoring of the process to identify obstacles as crucial.
The law approved by the ruling majority MPs in 2010 foresees that agricultural land which is left uncultivated by its owners for at least two years will be put up for rent while revenues will be distributed between local government units and the owners.
“This change does not affect land ownership at all. The land, although uncultivated, remains under the ownership of the farmer who has won it under a decision. The only change in this case is that it will be put up for rent to be cultivated,” majority MPs have earlier said.
According to data by the Agricultural Ministry, some 50,000 hectares of land, nearly 10 percent of total agricultural land under private ownership has been left uncultivated for many years. Considerable areas of these lands are situated in the western lowlands, the country’s most productive lands. The situation is a result of massive immigration of Albanian farmers and sometimes high costs which makes cultivation unaffordable.