In several districts of Krasnoyarsk Kray, approximately 300 hectares of land were seized from landowners.
**In the Krasnoyarsk region, hundreds of hectares of unused farming land have been reclaimed by the regional government following inspections by the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor). The owners were allegedly mandated to use this land for agriculture, yet they neglected it.
A specific parcel of land in Berezovsky region, measuring 17.01 hectares, will be seized from its owner by court order, according to the local Rosselhoznadzor.
Back in 2020, Rosselkhoznadzor inspectors discovered that the land had become overrun with weeds and trees, and it was apparent that livestock were neither grazed nor hay cultivated.
At the time, the owner was fined. They were also issued numerous orders to address the issue, but these orders were disregarded.
In February 2021, Rosselkhoznadzor submitted the inspection materials to the regional State Property Management Agency to seize the land and auction it off. A year later, the court issued its ruling.
To date, from the beginning of this year, Rosselkhoznadzor has seized approximately 6 parcels spanning a total of 297.9 hectares in Karazulsky, Ilyinsky, Berezovsky, Kazachinsky, and Sukhobuzimsky districts due to agricultural neglect.**
It is worth noting that data on similar land seizures in Khakassia, a neighboring region in Siberia, also plagued by agricultural abandonment, is scarce and difficult to come by.
In a potential sign of changing attitudes towards land stewardship in Russia, some local communities have begun taking matters into their own hands by organizing volunteer efforts to help revitalize abandoned farmlands. These efforts have been met with varying degrees of success, suggesting that a multi-faceted approach, involving both government action and community engagement, may be necessary to address the issue effectively.
Photos: local Rosselkhoznadzor
- Despite the increasing number of land seizures due to agricultural neglect in the Krasnoyarsk region, data on similar cases in neighboring regions such as Khakassia, also struggling with the issue, remains scarce.
- In the environmental science community, climate change and deforestation are key topics of concern, with the increasing number of abandoned farmlands posing a threat to the environment.
- The 2020 inspection by Rosselkhoznadzor revealed that the neglected farmland had become overgrown with trees, highlighting the need for sustainable management of the region's farming resources.
- In the annual report on the financial status of the Krasnoyarsk region, the revenue generated from the auction of seized farmlands should be included, as it contributes to the overall development of the region's agricultural industry.
- The news of government action against agricultural neglect, along with the emergence of community-led initiatives to revitalize abandoned farmlands, serves as a reminder of the importance of collective responsibility in the stewardship of the planet's resources.
