New landowners will be given the chance to regularly review the land lease they have to pay but it cannot be set above the market rate, according to a bill submitted by Fidesz lawmaker Balázs Győrffy, head of the farm chamber. The proposal affects companies that rent farmland from the state at below the market rate, which is currently at around 2,000 forints per golden crown (a measure of the land’s size and quality).

The state leased land for 1,600-1,800 forints per golden crown after 2010, as against some lease contracts at 580 forints signed between 2002 and 2006, Lázár said. If certain tracts of land are not sold at the upcoming auctions, the government will decide about these in early January, he said.

The opposition Socialists said they had warned in the past that the government would cite the EU as an excuse for why foreigners would be allowed to buy Hungarian farmland, and Lázár repeatedly denied this. Socialist deputy leader Zoltán Gőgös said in a statement that “contrary to all of Lázár’s claims so far” foreigners will now be given the opportunity to acquire state-owned farmland in Hungary.

Lázár told his weekly press briefing on October 8 that the reason for the state farmland sales scheme was to prevent foreigners buying Hungarian farmland, and he told the October 15 briefing that Hungary must fight against foreigners’ land acquisitions, the statement said.

Source www.hungarymatters.hu - Visit Hungary Matters to sign-up for MTI’s twice-daily newsletter.