In order to structural and ownership changes in agriculture, Polish Parliament passed the Act on the Management of Agricultural Real Estate of the State Treasury dated October 19, 1991. That Act resulted in establishment of Agricultural Property Agency of the State Treasury. According to later Act on Formation of Agricultural System dated April 11, 2003 the Agricultural Agency of the State Treasury has been transferred into Agricultural Property Agency (hereinafter called APA) with additional function regarding the control of private land market and improvement of agricultural land structure.

APA is a trust organisation authorised by the state treasury to perform ownership rights in state agriculture with obligation of taking over the property of liquidated state-owned farms, and other agricultural real estate belonging to the state treasury. The property taken over by APA creates the Agricultural Property Stock of the State Treasury.
APA continues the process of restructuring and privatisation of agricultural property of the state treasury, particularly in the field of property distribution (sale, lease and transfer to entitled bodies).

On July 16, 2003 the Act of 11th April 2003 on the Formation of Agricultural System came into force and enabled APA to counteract excessive concentration of agricultural property and support the management of private farms by farmers with appropriate vocational qualifications or experiences. APA has pre-emption (sale contract) or buyout right (other contracts transferring the ownership rights) for purchase of agricultural land on the private market (applicable in the cases defined by the Act). APA also performs ownership rights in crop and animal breeding companies established on the basis of APS and acknowledged by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as particularly important for national economy. APA exercises ownership rights from shares in relation to 59 plant and animal breeding companies (including horse studs).

Prepared by
Dr Andrzej Zadura
Plenipotentiary of APA President for Foreign Cooperation
e-mail: azadura@anr.gov.pl
and
Magdalena Zawadzka
Chief Specialist in Department of Analyses and Prognoses
e-mail: mzawadzka@anr.gov.pl