SIGNS OF NON-USE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND PLOTS HAVE BEEN DETERMINED

The Russian Government has adopted Resolution No. 369 dated 23 April 2012, determining the following signs of non-use of land plots in consideration of the specific nature of agricultural production or other activities related to agricultural production in constituent entities of the Russian Federation:

• no crops are grown on arable land and the land is not worked;
• no hay-making is carried out on hay meadows;
• weeds account for over 30 per cent of the grass stand on cultivated hay meadows;
• pastureland is not used for grazing;
• no perennial planting maintenance or harvesting is carried out and old perennials are not dug up;
• trees and shrubs cover over 15 per cent of arable land;
• trees and shrubs cover over 30 per cent of other agricultural land;
• tussocks and marshy land cover over 20 per cent of the plot;

Please remember that an agricultural land plot may be seized from the landowner judicially if it has not been used for agricultural production or other purposes related to agricultural production for three or more consecutive years following the landowner obtaining legal title to the land plot (Clause 4, Article 6 of the Federal Law “On Agricultural Land Transactions”). Accordingly, if any of the above signs exists, seizure proceedings may be initiated.

The Resolution comes into effect on 05 May 2012.