Cattle Herders Could Lose Pasture

The Parliament's Agriculture Committee prepared a draft law on the privatization of public pastures. Cattle herders do not like the initiative because they do not have enough money to purchase the land from the government. If they lose pasture, they will have to kill off their herds and move elsewhere.

Amendments to the law on "Privatization the Agricultural Lands" have been completed. The discussion of the draft law was heated in the Agricultural Committee. MP Jumber Patiashvili expressed his concern about the draft law. He said that the adoption of the law will cause a rise in food prices and that the mountain regions will be abandoned. "I reject the idea of the privatization of public pastures. It will cause serious problems for cattle herders. They already have economic difficulty as it now stands, but privatization will only damage them even more. Not many of them will be able to buy the land from the government, and those who are able to will not allow the herders to continue rent-free. Thus, the herders will be in the most difficult of economic situations. If the principal goal of the state is to keep the people in the villages, such amendments will not be effective at all."

Neither does Marina Molodini, representative of the Parliament’s majority, appreciate the initiative. She said in her conversation with the Human Rights Centre that pastures cause serious problems in her district. And, if they are privatized, then the cattle herders will not remain in the villages.

According to Molodini, "Dusheti Region has had problems with pastures for a long time. Our region used the Kizlari pasture for winter. Since the relationship with Russia has been strained, Russia seized that territory. As for accessible pastures, well-connected people now own them. That is why the peasants must pay rent to use the pasture for a singe cow. It is too difficult for the residents in the mountainous regions. If we want to keep the region, we should take into consideration that land, pasture and cattle are the most important things for the mountain people. If we cut this lifeblood for them, believe me, the mountain will soon become deserted and a terrible emigration will ensue."

Parliamentary opposition also criticized the initiative. Davit Saganelidze, member of the "Rights" Party, said that it was unclear to him why the majority has introduced the legislation in such a hurry. "In general, I support the idea of privatization, but everything cannot be privatized. Pastures belong to a category of public property that cannot be sold, because they should be for general usage…

Pavle Kublashvili, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Regional Governance and Self-Government, calls the amendments logical and approved. He claimed that the peasants will not have problems regarding the changes. "The draft law aims to privatize the pastures as well as other categories of agricultural plot. Amendments are logical and approved in the case of privatizing the leased out pasture. The lands are leased out for 49 years and thus, it is like a private property. So, the parliament should adopt the law."  Kublashvili claims that the amendments will not deal with the pastures for general usage. He said that additional amendments should be proposed and hopes that peasants will not have any problems.

As for the farmers, they say that nothing will keep them in the mountain if pastures are sold. Cattle herder Badri Tuashvili said, "Can you tell me where should I take my twelve cows and how should I feed them? If the pastures are privatized, those big wigs will buy them, and then they will start extorting money from us.”    

Eka Gulua