422,000 hectares of agricultural land sold to foreign natural and legal persons

The area of agricultural land exploited by foreign natural and legal persons was 422,000 hectares at the end of 2018, with 793 people utilizing these lands, according to data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR).

In terms of country of origin, most people who have bought land were from Italy – 194, Germany – 80 people, France – 33, Austria – 31 people, the Netherlands – 28, Spain – 23, Belgium – 17, Denmark – 16 and Greece – 10 people, etc.

As regards the sale of agricultural land in Romania, the operational data of the Ministry of Agriculture, according to the procedure provided by Law no. 17/2014, shows that 154,076.23 hectares were sold last year, a level almost similar as in 2017, respectively 153,927.46 hectares. Last year a total of 149,546 offers were filed, and in 2017 – there were 149,767 offers, capital.ro reports.

MADR statistics in recent years show that in 2014 were sold 58,875.14 hectares of agricultural land, in 2015 – 172,353.79 hectares, and in 2016 – 144,350 hectares.

In 2019, until April 30, some 48,746.67 hectares of agricultural land were sold, the number of offers being 50,304.

Currently, at Parliament level, there is a legislative initiative that will regulate the sale of agricultural land in Romania, aiming at amending and completing Law no. 17/2014. The initiative has been submitted to the Standing Committee of the Chamber of Deputies as decision-making chamber, in view of exercising parliamentary control and finalizing the parliamentary procedure.