2010 Agricultural Reform Act

The 2010 Agricultural Reform Act was a controversial piece of economic legislation passed by the government of Stoyan Vasilis. It fundamentally restructured the farming sector of the Divine Republic by shifting federal subsidies away from small family collectives and toward large-scale agro-industrial firms.

Drafted with the guidance of the Council for Growth and Agriculture, the Act was framed as a necessary measure to increase crop yields and export efficiency. However, in practice, it accelerated the corporate consolidation of land in Ravna Skrad and Pologradska, benefiting the state-run National Grain Trust (NGT) and the private giant Maj Holdings at the expense of independent farmers.

The legislation was fiercely opposed by Northern Power, who labeled it “The Enclosure Act.” It is cited as a primary driver of rural resentment in the north, contributing to the radicalization of the agricultural base in District IV.

Background

Since the 1970s, Kresimirian agriculture had relied on a system of small-holder subsidies. By 2010, the Council for Growth argued that this system was inefficient. Internal reports suggested that Kresimirian wheat was becoming uncompetitive in the Kruhlstutt market due to the fragmented nature of production.

Stoyan Vasilis, himself a farmer from Viskogorje, faced a difficult choice. While he sympathized with rural traditions, his “Modernization” agenda required higher export revenues to fund infrastructure projects. He ultimately sided with the technocrats, arguing that “Sentimental farming cannot feed a modern state.”

Key Provisions

1. The Efficiency Threshold: Subsidies were restricted to farms over a certain acreage. This disqualified nearly 60% of the family farms in the mountainous north, effectively forcing them to sell to larger entities.
2. Mechanization Grants: Massive tax breaks were offered for the purchase of heavy machinery (manufactured by GradnjaMC), which only large firms could afford to maintain.
3. Standardization: The Act mandated the use of specific high-yield seed strains licensed by the NGT, banning many traditional heirloom varieties used in local “heritage” farming.

Parliamentary Passage

The vote was acrimonious, splitting the rural vote.

• The “Efficiency” Coalition:
  • Blue Dawn: Supported the bill to strengthen the NGT and state revenue.
  • Vjetrusa (Corporate): Senator Bran Maj voted in favor, as the Act allowed his Pologradska Agro-Trade division to buy up bankrupt small farms for pennies on the Krejt.
• The “Smallholder” Opposition:
  • Northern Power: Leader Syv Iric delivered a filibuster, accusing the government of “social engineering” and “clearing the land for the oligarchs.”
  • Sons of Kresimir: Tihomir Bran voted against, arguing that the destruction of family farms undermined the traditional Kresimirian way of life.
  • Vjetrusa (Populist): Senator Misko Maretic broke with Bran Maj to vote against, aligning with his rural base.
    • CRF: Opposed the bill on free-market efficiency grounds.

The Act passed 10-8.

Impact

The Act achieved its economic goals: wheat production rose by 15% by 2015. However, the social cost was high.

• Rural Depopulation: Thousands of small farmers in the north sold their land and moved to the cities, swelling the ranks of the urban poor in Bistrica and Novi Otonik.
• Political Shift: The anger generated by the Act helped Northern Power consolidate its grip on the rural north, as former Blue Dawn voters felt betrayed by Vasilis.