Poland plans agricultural reforms for land leases and subsidies

The National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR) is planning a significant reform regarding the lease of state-owned agricultural land. The proposed changes aim to shift the evaluation criteria for tenders away from previous land usage and toward documented production data. Under the new system, priority will be given to farmers who can demonstrate real production, sales value of agricultural products, and expenditures on production through ARiMR documentation. The reform intends to reward young and actively professional farmers who are systematically expanding their operations.

Simultaneously, the Ministry of Agriculture is proposing changes to support mechanisms for small farms. To fund new eco-schemes, such as low-emission cattle production, the ministry plans to reduce basic income support and payment rates for small farms by approximately 16 EUR/ha. While this change aims to allow small farms to access eco-scheme payments and increase environmental ambition, some agricultural experts have expressed skepticism regarding the practical feasibility and sense of these new requirements for smaller operations.