The first majority-based land consolidation plan adopted in Egri, North Macedonia

The Land Consolidation Assembly with qualified majority of landowners in the village of Egri (Bitola Municipality) on 29 January adopted the plan for re-allotment of agricultural land – thus becoming the first majority-based land consolidation project in North Macedonia.

The land consolidation process concerns 336 ha of agricultural area targeting 214 farmers. The re-allotment plan considers decrease and re-shape of 874 land parcels into 260 land parcels with an average size of 1.30 ha (compared to 0.38 ha average before consolidation)

Goce Angelovski, a farmer from Egri, owns 15 small parcels, with an average size of 0.4 ha and distant from each other, which are now consolidated in three regularly shaped parcels with an average size of 2 ha and better access for the agricultural mechanisation.

Following the adoption of the re-allotment plan for Egri, the registration process for the newly formed land parcels in the Real Estate Cadastre will be initiated along with preparations for investments in agricultural infrastructure improvements in the land consolidation area (including access roads, irrigation and drainage systems). Agriculture infrastructure investments of approximately EUR 360 000 will be covered by the EU-funded MAINLAND project, including construction of new access roads, construction of new and rehabilitation of existing drainage channels, as well as upgrades to the existing irrigation system.

According to FAO Land Tenure Officer Morten Hartvigsen, “The results from the land consolidation in Egri are also an excellent example for successful land consolidation in an international perspective.” He believes that Egri will serve as a model for the ongoing implementation of nine other land consolidation projects under the MAINLAND project, as well as for the future projects to be implemented under the National Land Consolidation Programme in North Macedonia.

7 February 2020, Skopje, North Macedonia