More than 70% of Ukrainians do not support sale of agricultural land

Only 19% of Ukrainians surveyed support the introduction of agricultural land sales. This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by the Rating Sociological Group.

According to the results, 73% of the respondents are against this initiative and 8% are undecided.

A relatively high level of support for the launch of the land market is among younger and wealthy respondents, unit owners who process it on their own. But even in these categories, the number of opponents of this initiative is at least 60%.

The sale of agricultural land to foreigners is supported even less - only 13%. 81% of the respondents are against it. Despite the fact that every fifth young and wealthy does not mind allowing foreign citizens to buy land in Ukraine, three quarters of the representatives of these categories are clearly against this initiative.

Also, 74% believe that the decision to introduce the sale of agricultural land in Ukraine should be made at an all-Ukrainian referendum. 17% have the opposite opinion.

58% believe that agricultural land should be state-owned, modelled after Canada or Israel. 22% do not mind the introduction of such a model of the land market, as in Italy, where croplands can be sold and bought. 20% could not choose among these examples of the land market.

The dominance of state ownership of land is favored more often by older and poorer respondents and those who do not have units, while the other model is supported by the younger, wealthier and unit owners who process them on their own. At the same time, even among the latter categories, at least half favor the Canadian or Israeli land market models.

Among the main advantages of introducing the sale of agricultural land, the respondents relatively more often chose the following: land owners will be able to dispose of it at their discretion (26%); this will contribute to the creation of new jobs in rural areas (18%); the sale of land will facilitate investment in Ukraine (14%); this will provide a fair market price for land (13%); this will allow farmers to take loans secured on land (13%). Not more than 7% of the respondents spoke about the destruction of the shadow land market, promoting the development of small and medium businesses, increasing revenues to the state budget and promoting better control of the ecology of soils, as the advantages of introducing the land market. 35% of the respondents do not see any advantages in lifting moratorium on the sale of croplands. The owners of the units that process them more often than others chose the opportunity to dispose of the land at their discretion, promoting job creation and attracting investment in Ukraine. But those who have units, but rent them out, more often said that there are no advantages in introducing the free sale of land.

Among the main risks from introducing the sale of agricultural land, the respondents most often chose the fact that land could be bought by foreigners (41%); the unit owners may be deceived when selling land (31%); at present, the introduction of a land market is dangerous due to the imperfection of the current legislation (31%); lifting the moratorium on the sale of land will allow the oligarchs to buy it (23%). 17% believe that free sale of land cannot be introduced in conditions of war, 16% see the threat of destruction of small and medium businesses in the countryside, 13% each believe that the implementation of this initiative will accelerate the extinction of villages or depriving villagers of stable income from the provision of units for rent. Only 5% see no risks in introducing a free cropland market. The threats to the sale of land to foreigners, the deception of unit owners and the imperfection of the current legislation were most often mentioned by the unit owners who personally process them.

Audience: Ukrainian population 18 years and older. The sample is representative by age, gender, region and type of settlement. Sample: 2000 respondents. Personal patterned interview (face-to-face). Non-sampling error of the survey: not more than 2.2%. Research schedule: September 28 - October 1, 2019