The government has decided that the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (RVB) may sell some of its farms and associated yards to the farmers who currently lease them. This concerns some 130 farms, mainly located in Flevoland. The associated agricultural land remains the property of the government and therefore remains under lease.
Since 2021, the farms in question have been in the hands of the RVB. In recent years, substantial investments have been made in the maintenance of the buildings. Now that the maintenance backlog has been largely eliminated, many of these farms are in a saleable condition.
Farmers who run their own business, have a successor who is a co-tenant or want to continue farming for at least another twenty years themselves, are given the opportunity to purchase the farm. Not all farms are eligible for sale. For example, the RVB holds approximately forty farms for exchange in future area developments, for example in housing projects in Almere Oosterwold. Farmers who have to leave their business there can then be offered a lease farm elsewhere.
Farmers' interest groups, including LTO Nederland, have been advocating for sales to existing tenants for some time now. Ownership gives farmers more security and better financing options, which benefits business operations and sustainability. According to the RVB, leasing will also remain possible: if farmers choose not to buy the farm, the lease agreement will remain in force and the RVB will take care of the maintenance.