Government seeks changes to agricultural land agreement with Union

The government has modified its negotiating position regarding European Union (EU) farmers wanting to buy Polish farmland for the purpose of settling and using it. Government officials want to extend the obligatory lease period from three to seven years for a number of voivodships in northwest Poland. The proposal is in line with the position of government coalition partner Polish Peasants' Party (PSL), which has expressed Polish farmers' apprehension to sell land to EU nationals. Poland's agricultural land prices are one-seventh that of most countries of the European Union, and one-tenth cheaper than the price in the Netherlands or Belgium. One hectare of ground in Poland is worth just above euro 1,000. The ratio of usable land to inhabitant is quite large in comparison with most EU countries, similar to that in France or Denmark. Currently the average farm size is six times smaller than in the EU, while the number of people engaged in farming activities is six times as large. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B3) A.K.