The number of farmland sale advocates is growing / Photo from UNIAN
Three-quarters believe that the launch of the sale of agricultural land in Ukraine should be decided at a national referendum.
Only 19% of Ukrainians support the sale of farmland, while 73% of those polled are against this initiative, the rest are undecided, according to a survey conducted by the Rating sociological group.
The number of supporters of the launch of the farmland market has gradually been growing since 2012, head of the group Oleksiy Antypovych said.
"In 2012, there were 9% of those who supported farmland sale, now it is 19%. The number of supporters has been growing slowly. At the same time, the share of opponents has not virtually changed: it was 77% in 2012 and it is 73% now," he said.
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According to the findings of the poll, a relatively high level of support for the launch of the farmland market is seen among younger and wealthier respondents, owners of plots of land who process it on their own. But even in such categories, the share of opponents is not below 60%.
The sale of farmland to foreigners is supported even by a smaller number of people – only 13% vs. 81%, who are against it.
More than 40% of Ukrainians say the sale of agricultural land to foreigners poses the biggest risk related to the launch of the market.
According to Antypovych, Ukrainians will not be ready to sell their land until there are guarantees that the land remains in the ownership of Ukraine.
"We can clearly say now that Ukrainians are against the sale of farmland, and above all, against the sale of the land to foreigners. If mechanisms are legislatively introduced to retain the land in state or private ownership, but in Ukraine, then it will be possible to communicate with citizens on this subject," he said.
Also, according to a survey, 74% of Ukrainians believe that the launch of the sale of agricultural land in Ukraine should be decided at a national referendum.
The survey was conducted among 2,000 respondents aged 18 years and older in areas controlled by Ukraine. The period of the survey is September 28 through October 1, 2019. The margin of error does not exceed 2.2%.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said that the Cabinet of Ministers saw the launch of the farmland market in Ukraine in 2020 as its task.