PM Tarlev says foreign donors are responsible for parcelling of land and destruction of agriculture

The consolidation of only half of agricultural land in Moldova will cost about 340 million lei, stated Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Anatolie Gorodenco on Wednesday, September 12. In this connection, the Government approved a regulation on agricultural land redistribution according to the National Programme of agricultural land consolidation. Gorodenco says that since the programme was approved in 2006, no significant steps have been made in the process of consolidation. Thus, approving the new regulation is expected to stimulate this process. The Minister mentioned that the first stage will include selecting the localities which wish a consolidation of agricultural lands, since works are being done in a benevolent way. The second stage will consist of elaborating the project as well as its implementation by the beneficiaries. Further on, the rights of the land owners will be authenticated by registering the documents at the proper offices. Avoiding any names, Anatolie Gorodenco says that six localities have already been selected for the pilot projects of land consolidation. The implementation of these projects is financially supported by the World Bank that will offer 700 thousand USD for this purpose. Gorodenco says that the six villages were selected out of a total of 100 suggested localities willing to get involved in the process. The consolidation of agricultural land implies the merger of the dispersed land plots belonging to a single owner, as well as the fusion of certain major land plots into corporate exploitations, through trade methods, rental, cooperation and association. Expenditures for elaborating a project of consolidating large areas of agricultural lands reach 50-70 thousand lei, says the minister. Concluding a document of property rights costs about 120 lei, while registration at respective offices – 40 lei. According to European and global practices, a total consolidation of agricultural lands could last for a period of 60-150 years, said Gorodenco. PM Vasile Tarlev declared that the majority of academics and politicians have already been convinced that on a surface smaller than 350-400 hectares, agriculture with added value is not possible, nor it is possible a return of investments. According to him, land parcelling needed “billions of lei and it took 10 years to convince the foreign donors that financed the parcelling to now finance the consolidation of land”.