Background

Building upon the groundwork laid by the "Mainstreaming of the National Land Consolidation Programme" (MAINLAND) project, the European Union and FAO launched the follow-up project, "Enhancing Land Consolidation in North Macedonia" implemented from August 2022 to January 2026. 

In the ongoing project, the focus is on further enhancing land consolidation policy and scaling up the land consolidation interventions on the ground, with the Macedonian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy leading the way.

Project objective

The "Enhancing Land Consolidation in North Macedonia," project’s primary goal is to assist the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy in further enhancing land consolidation in North Macedonia. This involves improving the national policy, institutional, and regulatory framework concerning land consolidation. The project will support the implementation of the National Land Consolidation Programme through the execution of land consolidation projects in Dabjani (Municipality of Dolneni) and Chiflik (Municipality of Cheshinovo-Obleshevo), which will also include the construction of essential agricultural infrastructure.

Expected impact

The project supports North Macedonia's National Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development 2021 – 2027, through:

• Increased competitiveness of the agricultural sector
• Enhanced economic stability
• Improved incomes and livelihoods from agriculture
• Reduced area of abandoned land
• Better sustainability of natural resource management.

Added value 

The project brings significant value by creating positive changes for both the local project areas and the broader community. Key benefits:

• Improving farm efficiency: By enhancing farm structures, the project enables increased agricultural efficiency and productivity.
• Developing agricultural land markets: Contributes to formalizing land transactions and updating land ownership data, leading to a more efficient and equitable agricultural land market and land tenure security.
• Upgrading agricultural infrastructure: Targeted improvements in agricultural infrastructure – field/access roads, irrigation, and drainage systems – designed to reduce abandoned land and enable farmers to engage in cost-effective, eco-friendly agricultural practices.
• Supporting rural livelihoods: Fosters rural community growth by stimulating agricultural investment and fostering social cohesion, particularly for young farmers.
• Gender equality: The project promotes gender equality by registering land rights in the names of both spouses after land consolidation, empowering women with land ownership.