Ministry of Agriculture (Lithuania)
| Žemės ūkio ministerija (in Lithuanian) | |
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| Ministry overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 11 November 1918 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Lithuania |
| Headquarters | Gedimino 19, Naujamiestis, 01103 Vilnius |
| Employees | 287 permanent employees (January 2022)[1] |
| Annual budget | €1.157 billion (2022)[2] |
| Minister responsible | |
| Website | zum |
| Map | |
| 54°41′15.6″N 25°16′38.9″E / 54.687667°N 25.277472°E | |
The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublikos žemės ūkio ministerija) is a government department of the Republic of Lithuania. Its operations are authorized by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, decrees issued by the President and Prime Minister, and laws passed by the Seimas (Parliament). Its mission is to prosecute state policy realization and coordination in ranges of land, food, fishery, village development, agriculture.[3] The current head of the Ministry is Kęstutis Navickas.
History
The ministry was first established on 11 November 1918, as the Ministry of Agriculture and State Assets (Lithuanian: Žemės ūkio ir valstybės turtų ministeriją) of the Republic of Lithuania.[4] Its first minister was Juozas Tūbelis. It was renamed to the Ministry of Agriculture on 21 June 1924.
Corruption scandals
Lithuania’s Ministry of Agriculture, along with its affiliated agencies and state-owned enterprises under the Ministry’s supervision, has been involved in multiple corruption scandals,[5][6][7][8][9] including a record-breaking bribery case in 2025.[10][11][12]
Ministers
| Ministry of Agriculture and State Wealth | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Minister for Agriculture and State Wealth | Office | Political Party | Cabinet [13] | Prime Minister | ||
| Start Date | End Date | Duration | |||||
| 1 | Juozas Tūbelis (1882-1939) |
1918-11-11 | 1918-12-26 | 45 days | Nationalist Union | #1 | Voldemaras |
| 2 | Juozas Tūbelis (1882-1939) |
1918-12-26 | 1919-03-05 | 69 days | Nationalist Union | #2 | Sleževičius |
| 3 | Aleksandras Stulginskis (1882-1939) |
1919-04-12 | 1919-10-07 | 178 days | Christian Democratic Party | #4 | Sleževičius |
| 4 | Juozas Tūbelis (1882-1939) |
1919-10-07 | 1920-06-19 | 256 days | Nationalist Union | #5 | Galvanauskas |
| 5 | Jonas Pranas Aleksa (1879-1955) |
1920-06-19 | 1922-02-02 | 1 year, 228 days | Independent | #6 | Grinius |
| 6 | Jonas Pranas Aleksa (1879-1955) |
1922-02-02 | 1923-02-22 | 1 year, 20 days | Independent | #7 | Galvanauskas |
| 7 | Jonas Pranas Aleksa (1879-1955) |
1923-02-22 | 1923-06-29 | 127 days | Independent | #8 | Galvanauskas |
| Ministry of Agriculture | |||||||
| Term | Minister for Agriculture | Office | Political Party | Cabinet | Prime Minister | ||
| Start Date | End Date | Duration | |||||
| 8 | Mykolas Krupavičius (1885-1970) |
1923-06-29 | 1924-06-18 | 355 days | Independent | #9 | Galvanauskas |
| 9 | Mykolas Krupavičius (1885-1970) |
1924-06-18 | 1925-02-04 | 231 days | Independent | #10 | Tumėnas |
| 10 | Mykolas Krupavičius (1885-1970) |
1925-02-04 | 1925-09-25 | 233 days | Independent | #11 | Petrulis |
| 11 | Mykolas Krupavičius (1885-1970) |
1925-09-25 | 1926-06-15 | 263 days | Independent | #12 | Bistras |
| 12 | Mykolas Krupavičius (1885-1970) |
1926-06-15 | 1926-12-17 | 185 days | Independent | #13 | Sleževičius |
| 13 | Jonas Pranas Aleksa (1879-1955) |
1926-12-17 | 1929-09-23 | 2 years, 280 days | Independent | #14 | Voldemaras |
| 14 | Jonas Pranas Aleksa (1879-1955) |
1929-09-23 | 1934-06-12 | 4 years, 262 days | Independent | #15 | Tūbelis |
| 15 | Jonas Pranas Aleksa (1879-1955) |
1934-06-12 | 1935-09-06 | 1 year, 86 days | Independent | #16 | Tūbelis |
| 16 | Stasys Putvinskis (1898-1942) |
1935-09-06 | 1938-03-24 | 2 years, 199 days | Independent | #17 | Tūbelis |
| 17 | Juozas Tūbelis (1882-1939) |
1938-03-24 | 1938-11-01 | 222 days | Nationalist Union | #18 | Mironas |
| 18 | Vladas Mironas (1880-1953) |
1938-11-01 | 1938-12-05 | 34 days | Nationalist Union | ||
| 19 | Juozas Skaisgiris (1901-1977) |
1938-12-05 | 1939-03-28 | 113 days | Nationalist Union | #19 | Mironas |
| 20 | Jurgis Krikščiūnas (1894-1947) |
1939-03-28 | 1939-11-21 | 238 days | Popular Peasants' Union | #20 | Černius |
| 21 | Juozas Audėnas (1898-1982) |
1939-11-21 | 1940-06-15 | 207 days | Popular Peasants' Union | #21 | Merkys |
| People's Commissariat of Agriculture | |||||||
| Term | People's Commissioner for Agriculture | Office | Political Party | Cabinet | Prime Minister | ||
| Start Date | End Date | Duration | |||||
| 22 | Matas Mickis (1896-1960) |
1940-06-15 | 1941-01-31 | 230 days | Communist Party | #22 | Gedvilas |
| 23 | Bronius Pušinis (1888-1967) |
1941-01-31 | 1944-01-07 | 2 years, 341 days | Communist Party | ||
| 24 | Jonas Laurinaitis (1900-1981) |
1944-01-07 | 1945-09-10 | 1 year, 246 days | Communist Party | ||
| 25 | Vladas Vildžiūnas (1909-1962) |
1945-09-10 | 1947-03-13 | 1 year, 184 days | Communist Party | ||
| 26 | Kazimieras Liaudis (1901-1989) |
1947-03-13 | 1950-07-29 | 3 years, 138 days | Communist Party | ||
| 27 | Vladas Augustinaitis (1898-1976) |
1950-07-29 | 1954-01-01 | 3 years, 156 days | Communist Party | ||
| 28 | Vladas Augustinaitis (1898-1976) |
1954-01-01 | 1956-05-10 | 2 years, 130 days | Communist Party | ||
| 29 | Vytautas Vazalinskas (1910-1984) |
1956-05-10 | 1965-04-07 | 8 years, 332 days | Communist Party | #23 | Šumauskas |
| 30 | Medardas Grigaliūnas (1925-2014) |
1965-04-07 | 1967-04-14 | 2 years, 7 days | Communist Party | ||
| 31 | Medardas Grigaliūnas (1925-2014) |
1967-04-14 | 1981-01-16 | 13 years, 277 days | Communist Party | #24 | Maniušis |
| 32 | Medardas Grigaliūnas (1925-2014) |
1981-01-16 | 1986-01-02 | 4 years, 351 days | Communist Party | #25 | Songaila |
| 33 | Juozas Bernatavičius (Born in 1969) |
1986-01-02 | 1990-01-17 | 4 years, 15 days | Communist Party | #26 | Sakalauskas |
| Ministry of Agriculture | |||||||
| Term | Minister for Agriculture | Office | Political Party | Cabinet | Prime Minister | ||
| Start Date | End Date | Duration | |||||
| 34 | Vytautas Knašys (Born in 1937) |
1990-01-17 | 1991-01-10 | 358 days | Homeland Union | #27 | Prunskienė |
| 35 | Vytautas Knašys (Born in 1937) |
1991-01-10 | 1991-01-13 | 3 days | Homeland Union | #28 | Šimėnas |
| 36 | Rimvydas Survila (Born in 1939) |
1991-01-13 | 1992-07-21 | 1 year, 190 days | Homeland Union | #29 | Vagnorius |
| 37 | Rimvydas Survila (Born in 1939) |
1992-07-21 | 1992-12-17 | 149 days | Homeland Union | #30 | Vagnorius |
| 38 | Rimantas Karazija (1936-2012) |
1992-12-17 | 1993-03-31 | 104 days | Independent | #31 | Lubys |
| 39 | Rimantas Karazija (1936-2012) |
1993-03-31 | 1994-09-26 | 1 year, 179 days | Independent | #32 | Šleževičius |
| 40 | Vytautas Einoris (1930-2019) |
1994-09-26 | 1996-03-19 | 1 year, 175 days | Democratic Labour Party | ||
| 41 | Vytautas Einoris (1930-2019) |
1996-03-19 | 1996-12-10 | 266 days | Democratic Labour Party | #33 | Stankevičius |
| Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry | |||||||
| Term | Minister for Agriculture and Forestry | Office | Political Party | Cabinet | Prime Minister | ||
| Start Date | End Date | Duration | |||||
| 42 | Edvardas Makelis (Born in 1954) |
1996-12-10 | 1999-06-10 | 2 years, 182 days | Independent | #34 | Vagnorius |
| Ministry of Agriculture | |||||||
| Term | Minister for Agriculture | Office | Political Party | Cabinet | Prime Minister | ||
| Start Date | End Date | Duration | |||||
| 43 | Edvardas Makelis (Born in 1954) |
1999-06-10 | 1999-11-11 | 154 days | Independent | #35 | Paksas |
| 44 | Edvardas Makelis (Born in 1954) |
1999-11-11 | 2000-11-09 | 364 days | Independent | #36 | Kubilius |
| 45 | Kęstutis Kristinaitis (Born in 1961) |
2000-11-09 | 2001-07-12 | 245 days | Independent | #37 | Paksas |
| 46 | Kęstutis Kristinaitis (Born in 1961) |
2001-07-12 | 2001-10-03 | 83 days | Independent | #38 | Brazauskas |
| 47 | Jeronimas Kraujelis (Born in 1938) |
2001-10-03 | 2004-12-14 | 3 years, 72 days | New Union | ||
| 48 | Kazimira Danutė Prunskienė (Born in 1943) |
2004-12-14 | 2006-07-18 | 1 year, 216 days | Popular Peasant's Union | #39 | Brazauskas |
| 49 | Kazimira Danutė Prunskienė (Born in 1943) |
2006-07-18 | 2008-12-09 | 2 years, 144 days | Popular Peasant's Union | #40 | Kirkilas |
| 50 | Kazimieras Starkevičius (Born 1956) |
2006-07-18 | 2008-12-09 | 2 years, 144 days | Homeland Union | #41 | Kubilius |
| 51 | Vigilijus Jukna (Born in 1968) |
2008-12-09 | 2014-07-17 | 5 years, 220 days | Labour Party | #42 | Butkevičius |
| 52 | Virginija Baltraitienė (Born in 1958) |
2014-07-17 | 2016-12-13 | 2 years, 149 days | Labour Party | ||
| 53 | Bronius Markauskas (Born in 1960) |
2016-12-13 | 2018-05-15 | 1 year, 153 days | Farmers and Greens Union | #43 | Saulius Skvernelis |
| 54 | Giedrius Surplys (Born in 1980) |
2018-05-15 | 2019-08-07 | 1 year, 84 days | Farmers and Greens Union | ||
| 55 | Andrius Palionis (Born in 1975) |
2019-08-07 | 2020-12-11 | 1 year, 126 days | Social Democratic Labour Party | ||
| 56 | Kęstutis Navickas (Born in 1970) |
2020-12-11 | 2024-08-05 | 3 years, 238 days | Homeland Union | #44 | Šimonytė |
| 57 | Kazys Starkevičius (Born in 1956) |
2024-08-05 | 2024-12-12 | 129 days | Homeland Union | ||
| 58 | Ignas Hofmanas (Born in 1984) |
2024-12-12 | 2025-09-25 | 287 days | Independent (endorsed by PPNA) |
#45 | Paluckas |
| 59 | Andrius Palionis (Born in 1975) |
2025-09-25 | Incumbent | 157 days | Independent (endorsed by PPNA) |
#46 | Ruginienė |
References
- ^ Lietuvos Respublikos Žemės ūkio ministerija employees (insured) on January 5th, 2021
- ^ "2021 - 2022 METŲ VALSTYBĖS BIUDŽETO ASIGNAVIMŲ POKYČIAI PAGAL ASIGNAVIMŲ VALDYTOJUS NEĮSKAITANT LĖŠŲ COVID-19" (PDF). finmin.lrv.lt. p. 54. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 February 2025.
- ^ Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania
- ^ "Lietuvos Respublikos žemės ūkio ministerija - 1918–1940 m". Ministry of Agriculture of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Investigation 'Precision': EPPO investigates possible fraud involving high-accuracy receivers for agriculture in Lithuania". European Public Prosecutor's Office. 2025-12-22. Archived from the original on 2025-12-22. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ^ "Daugiausia neskelbiamiems pirkimams išleido ŽŪM ir Ūkio ministerija". Kauno Diena (in Lithuanian). 2011-09-28. Archived from the original on 2026-01-08. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ^ "Lithuania: 27 arrested in probe into fraud involving up to €750 000 in funds for young farmers". European Public Prosecutor's Office. 2023-05-29. Archived from the original on 2025-06-22. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ^ Klimaševska, Ūla (2025-02-20). "Ministerija kreipėsi į prokuratūrą: prašo tirti galimą korupciją „Lietuvos žirgyne"". Lithuanian National Radio and Television (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 2025-02-22. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ^ "Lithuania: Searches and four detained in subsidy fraud investigation involving rural development funds". European Public Prosecutor's Office. 2025-08-14. Archived from the original on 2025-09-05. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ^ Biržietis, Dominykas (2025-12-17). "Lithuania's plant supervisory agency staff charged with large-scale corruption". Lithuanian National Radio and Television. Archived from the original on 2025-12-19. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ^ "Dėl Augalininkystės tarnybos – virš 100 kratų: rasti milijonai, 8 kg aukso, sprogmenys, narkotikai" [Over 100 search warrants at Lithuania's plant supervisory agency – millions of euros, 8 kg of gold, explosives and drugs were found]. LNK (Lithuanian TV channel). 2026-01-08. Archived from the original on 2026-01-08. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ^ "„Aušriečių" ministerijos padalinyje – didžiulės korupcijos dvokas: per kratas rasta 1,3 mln. eurų, 8 kg aukso, sprogmenys, kokainas". Lietuvos rytas (in Lithuanian). 2025-12-17. Archived from the original on 2025-12-30. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ^ A third government of the Republic of Lithuania did not have the minister for agriculture, thus, cabinets shift from second to fourth.
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