The National Land Fund Management Organisation (NLF) has begun publishing tenders for the leasing of state-owned land.

The measure is an important step towards the realisation of the Government's land policy guidelines, including that we should preserve and protect our joint treasure, our land, and that the state make use of national resources in the interests of the public good. The main goal of the tender is the support and reinforcement of small and medium-sized family businesses and farms involved in animal husbandry.

In the interests of the above, the NLF gives procedural preference to local producers who make a living from agricultural activities, and make the keeping of livestock a condition of leasing land. The Government and the Ministry of Rural Development have kept their promise according to which the most important precept of land use is open tendering.
Applications may be lodged by family-run farms, small licensed producers, individual entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Applicants' place of residence or business address may not be more than 20km away from the arable land in question, and they may not own or rent land from the state or anyone else in excess of a total of 1200 hectares.

Winners of the tender will have the opportunity to lease the arable land in question for a period of 20 years.
The initiation of the procedures by the Government and the Ministry of Rural Development is also designed to ensure that in Hungary, only those have access to land who do in fact wish to work on it, and areas of potential useful land do not fall into the hands of speculators.

Applications must be lodged at the regionally applicable office of the National Land Fund Management Organisation within 45 days after their publication.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)