THE DAY’S POLL

Serhiy TKACHENKO, farmer (Cherkasy oblast, Zvenyhorod rayon):

There is no doubt about the timeliness of the edict (and I wish to thank personally Ivan Tomych, President of the Farmers’ Association of Ukraine, for his active efforts to this end). Yet the document is not enough. It is important to have it implemented at the local level. Sharing the land, currently underway, shows that the process does not go smoothly everywhere. At certain collective farms their managers still keep the certificates in their strongboxes, although the papers should be in the farmers’ possession. Another breach of the law is that land lease agreements are not properly legalized, meaning that people can’t use the land of collective agricultural enterprises.

The edict is to be carried out within three months. The deadline is unrealistic. The edict is very important to the farmers, meaning that we will finally have an opportunity to buy the plots we work, and there should be no fear that all those rayon or village executive committee’s commissions will sabotage the process, taking plots away from farmers, allegedly because those farmers can’t cope with the task. The current situation in the agrarian sector is rather trying for the producer: diesel fuel, gasoline, seed, spare parts, and everything else is expensive. Strictly speaking, one may ask all right, why aren’t you people sowing? And then take away our plots, despite the fact that at the collective agricultural enterprises vast fields are not even plowed, let alone sowed. And so the attitude to the private tenant (not owner, not yet) remains biased. Yet there are quite a few examples of fruitful cooperation and mutual assistance between farmers and CAE. The situation is such that combining efforts is the best way to survive.

Yakiv HRYNIUK, chairman, Rosiya [Russia] Collective Agricultural Enterprise, Krasyliv rayon, Khmelnytsky oblast:

Kuzmyn, our village, met the President’s edict making the land private property calmly, without emotion. The document does not stipulate anything particularly new. People that have their shares of the land will continue to have them, and Rosiya’s board will continue leasing these plots. So far nobody wishes to withdraw. After all, what is one supposed to do with those two hectares? Even the most prosperous farmers do not seem fascinated by the idea of driving their own tractors. Apart from the tractor they also need various trailers, harvesting, and other attachments. It is possible that Rosiya is not a typical example. We are still afloat, paying wages and have not accumulated too many debts. In the neighboring Kostiantynivka rayon there used to be an agrarian firm called Pole [Field], at the village of Rashtovka. Things got so people took away what cattle was still alive. They say the manager turned out the smartest. He got hold of the bull and now charges a stud fee of ten hryvnias per cow. Well, the cows are satisfied anyway. What happened in Rashtovka could happen wherever people haven’t been paid for years. The edict’s deadline is July 1, 2000, too little time left for raising an effective landowner.

Ivan YEMETS, Deputy Chairman of the All-Ukraine Council of Collective Agricultural Enterprises:

It is true that the edict is geared to raise agricultural output. There are, however, several aspects that worry the All-Ukraine Council. Here one must avoid all revolutionary changes. Instead, it would seem best to wait until the end of the agricultural year, sum up the results, hear the collective farm board’s and audit commission’ report, and only then place the CAE reform issue on the agenda of a general meeting. If a collective farm’s members decide to work after handing their land and property shares over to an individual farmer or to a limited liability partnership or cooperative, no one will have a right to say no. Regrettably, not all managers of enterprises are well informed about the legislation, meaning that a lot of work has to be done filling this gap. It is important that the farmers make up their minds during the meeting, deciding on the line of business and who they are to trust with their destiny, the former or a new up-and-coming manager.

Yet even this is not enough. Today’s agricultural production is unprofitable and there are objective reasons why. To make this edict effective there must be an agricultural production development concept worked out nationwide, having it in black and white that the state must secure less expensive technological supplies to the countryside.