The conditions for agriculture in Ignalina district are not good because of poor soil, the lie of the land and other natural factors.
These disadvantages in country-side areas have been mitigated by various means. Since about 2005 the land tax and rent have been reduced, the costs of insemination of livestock and crop spraying are covered from the municipality budget. In all the smaller municipality territorial units (in Lithuanian called “seniunija” (sgl.)) there are functioning agro service stations, where agriculture specialists are working.
A notably support of agriculture started with the support from the European Union and when our district was labelled as a zone of disadvantageous farming. Every year the number of registered farmers is growing; more and more farmers are getting engaged in ecological farming.
The most important thing following of that is that the incomes of village inhabitants have markedly increased, stress decreased, trust in the state institutions and their own future have also increased. Our land is advantageous for ecological farming and development of animal husbandry. One more good thing is that in Lithuania LEADER + Programme started functioning. According it, big opportunities to village people, though their communities, to get a support for solutions of their social, cultural and infrastructure problems have appeared.
