The Verkhovna Rada's Agrarian Committee considers the State Property Fund's claims to the lands of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences to be unfounded and doubts the effectiveness of the State Land Bank - decision

The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy at its meeting heard representatives of the State Property Fund regarding their plans to seize land from the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences (NAAS) and its subsequent lease. As a result, the deputies pointed out that the SPFU's encroachments on these lands are unfounded and sent the draft resolution on the transfer of land plots for revision, writes UNN.

Details

During the meeting, in addition to information from the SPFU, the committee members heard the position of representatives of the NAAS, who explained to the deputies and the present representatives of the Fund that the seizure of land from scientific centers, research institutes and enterprises of the NAAS would deal a devastating blow to the activities of leading scientific agricultural institutes operating in different soil and climatic zones of Ukraine.

"Following the discussion, the Committee decided to appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine regarding the need to determine the optimal amount of land necessary for the effective operation of NAAS research institutions and their implementation of state programs. In this regard, the State Property Fund of Ukraine needs to withdraw and revise the draft order, taking into account the justified needs for land use for NAAS institutions," the Verkhovna Rada Apparatus press service reported.

In addition, the parliamentary committee doubts the effectiveness of the State Land Bank, to which the SPFU had previously transferred the first pool of state land plots for lease. Therefore, the deputies demand that the Fund, together with the State Land Bank, report on whether such a scheme of leasing state land was justified.

"Also, provide the Committee with information on the effectiveness of the Land Bank compared to the activities of scientific institutions on these lands," the decision of the Verkhovna Rada's agrarian committee reads.

Parliamentarians are convinced that it is important for the agricultural sector to use agricultural land effectively and prevent risks to the full functioning and development of agricultural science in Ukraine.

Add

For almost a year of operation, the State Land Bank has leased only 22% of the land, or a little more than 20,000 hectares out of almost 91,000 hectares. That is, more than 70,000 hectares, or every four out of five hectares, are stuck in the State Land Bank and do not work.

It was planned that the state budget would receive an additional UAH 1 billion from the lease of state land, but only UAH 615.7 million was received.

Recall

The SPFU published an official statement in which it appeals to the fact that the lands that should be transferred from the disposal of the NAAS are not withdrawn from state ownership, but will bring more revenue to the state budget. At the same time, the wording "inefficiency" hides a deep misunderstanding of the specifics of scientific agricultural activity.

The NAAS explains that the lands that are now under threat of seizure are the basis of the work of 42 scientific institutions and 63 state enterprises of the NAAS, including experimental farms, research institutes, and national scientific centers. These are polygons for selection work and creation of new varieties of agricultural crops, territories for growing elite seeds, testing innovative agricultural technologies, and preserving and developing the base of genetic resources of plants and animals.

In fact, the scope of the NAAS covers the entire cycle of scientific support for the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine - from fundamental research in selection and genetics to the introduction of innovative technologies in production. The achievements of the Academy's scientists not only provide farmers with high-quality domestic seed material, but also form the basis of Ukraine's agricultural self-sufficiency, significantly reducing dependence on imported varieties, hybrids and technologies.

Of particular value are the samples taken out and preserved after the occupation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia. They were rescued from scientific gardens and collections that existed on the territory of the peninsula and integrated into the NAAS breeding and cultivation system in the controlled territory.

One such collection, which includes about 20 varieties of trees, including fruit and medicinal crops, is located on the land plots of the NAAS Institute of Horticulture, which the State Property Fund plans to select from the Academy.