It seemed that the issue of distributing the leased land for Top Farms Głubczyce was finally resolved during the PiS government. It turns out that the new ruling team is investigating this matter again.
At least this is what the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Adam Nowak, said during yesterday’s conversation in the Radio Opole studio. As it turned out, the activities of the Opole KOWR regarding the process of distributing the former leases of Top Farms Głubczyce were one of the main reasons for his visit to the Opole Voivodeship and the topic of talks with farmers.
The government is investigating the trial
– We are investigating this process. The new management of the National Support Center for Agriculture, both in Warsaw and in the region, will solve this process in a transparent way, which will ensure access to land in accordance with the law for farmers, family farms and individual farms – assured the deputy minister in Poranna Rozmowa of Radio Opole.
Nowak suggested that the reason for the ministry’s interest in the matter were media reports about irregularities in the land allocation process, including “complex relations with churches.” However, the minister did not want to reveal what specific irregularities were involved and what the inspection would cover.
At this stage, I would not like to talk about it, because these are specific, very important administrative decisions – said the interlocutor from the Opole radio station.
Farmers are waiting for land
The whole issue comes down to the fact that the leases left by Top Farms should, at least in large part, be in the hands of farmers. Meanwhile, the process is slowing down, not to say that it is stuck. Farmers can’t wait for the tenders, and the current activities of the Opole KOWR in this regard are highly controversial among them.
We will make every effort to ensure that this land is distributed in a transparent and fair manner, while also observing the state’s obligations and agreements that have been concluded so far – assured Deputy Minister Nowak in a broadcast on Opole radio.
Director of KOWR in the prosecutor’s office
The deadline for expiring the 25-year land lease agreement for Top Farms Głubczyce ended last year. Because the company did not agree to the statutory exclusion of 30 percent of the area, it had to return over 9,000 hectares of land to the State Treasury.
Top Farms first donated 560 ha of land to state resources, which was to be distributed to local farmers last year. Last June former director of KOWR, Henryk Kuriata, lost his position when he reported to the prosecutor’s office that there were irregularities in the tender for the lease of 19 plots in the Głubczyce district. He claimed that as a result of changing the rules relating submitted offers to real estate put up for tender, some farmers would be favored in tenders. However, the KOWR management in Warsaw did not find any mistakes and fired the director. However, the case was taken up by the prosecutor’s office.
Who is the land from expired contracts for?
PiS’s idea to enable the transfer of land from leases taken from companies to sole-shareholder companies of the State Treasury also aroused huge controversy in the Opole region. However, they could lease them back to other entities. In the Głubczyce district, this idea was perceived as an attempt to leave the land to the existing tenants.
Farmers also protested sharply when it came to light that KOWR was considering transferring 2,600 ha to church parishes in the Opole and Lower Silesia regions. Applications for land allocations submitted by churches also concerned land near Głubczyce – including expired leases of the Top Farms company.
A matter to be clarified
– We are talking about land of very good valuation classes, the granary of Silesia, the province. Opole, hence the atmosphere on this issue is very heated – admitted a guest of Radio Opole from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Adam Nowak also declared that doubts regarding the distribution of expired leases for Top Farms will be clarified within a few weeks.
– The matter is extremely delicate – said the minister. – We know that there is a great hunger for land in the Opole Voivodeship, because farmers want to develop their farms where the conditions are so good. Therefore, farmers will certainly be informed after the final decisions. I can assure you that this will be done without preferring anyone because of their beliefs or views, he added.
And to make things more interesting, just a few days ago the Opole KOWR presented farmers with plans for the allocation of land that returned to the State Treasury.
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