The Ukrainian Agri Council considers it a remarkable achievement that the original version of Bill 2178, drafted and proposed by the Goncharuk government in the interests of agrarian latifundia owners, transnational financial speculators that was leading to the destruction of medium and small-scale agrarians, was dramatically reduced.

Key provisions of the draft law 2178-10 approved by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine meet the requirements of medium and small farmers, approved by members of the UAC last summer.

1. The concentration of agricultural land in one hand is reduced from 214 thousand hectares up to 10 thousand hectares.

Although, UAC proposed setting a maximum permissible concentration of 5,000 hectares.

2. In full accordance with the proposals of the UAC, only from 2024 it will be allowed to buy agricultural land only for citizens of Ukraine and legal entities founded by citizens of Ukraine, as well as the state and territorial communities.

3. Foreign natural and legal persons will be entitled to buy agricultural land only if such a decision is approved in the All-Ukrainian referendum.

For its part, the UAC proposed to amend the Constitution of Ukraine, which would prohibit foreigners from owning land in Ukraine for agricultural purposes in Ukraine. To make such changes, it is also necessary to hold an All-Ukrainian referendum, at which a decision will be approved.

4. The circulation of agricultural land will begin in the second half of 2021, which will allow both the state and farmers to prepare for the implementation of this reform, and not from October this year, as originally proposed.

5. From 1 July 2021 to 1 January 2024 a transitional period is established during which the right to acquire land ownership is granted exclusively to natural persons - citizens of Ukraine, with a limit of up to 100 hectares of land per natural person.

An absolutely identical proposal was submitted by UAC, but for a period of 3 years and with a land concentration of no more than 500 hectares per individual.

6. In view of the current economic crisis, it is forbidden to sell agricultural land in Ukraine and around the world for the purpose of state and communal ownership.

However, it should be noted that absolutely all of the changes above were made to the bill only after the country was overwhelmed by mass protests by agrarians, as well as the economic and political crisis caused by the widespread spread of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19.

At the same time, it is quite obvious that lobbyists of agrarian oligarchs will not leave attempts to amend the legislation or to create "loopholes" using cheap foreign financing in order to buy huge tracts of land, create land latifundia in Ukraine and squeeze out middle and lower ones small farmers from the land they cultivate.

Today, Ukrainian farmers face new challenges - the struggle for holding an All-Ukrainian referendum, as well as counteracting the introduction of a "liberal" land market, despite the propaganda that its supporters will surely launch.

The all-Ukrainian referendum should finally enshrine that the Ukrainian agricultural land should belong exclusively to the citizens of Ukraine.