The article is devoted to the problem of unused agricultural land and a rapid decrease in soil fertility. Various estimates of the acreage of unused land are analyzed from the standpoint of reduction of different groups of agricultural plants. Although the main part of the unused land belongs to the state, the efforts of the government focus on taking away the unused lands from their owners. The reasons that urge owners not to use their land are under consideration and the lack of effect of the forcible land requisition has been justified. The inefficiency of the acting rules of land withdrawal is proved. The experience of implementing the procedure of withdrawal confirms this conclusion. Proposed changing of the land tax creates economic incentives for land using and at the same time drastically changes the negative trend of the land fertility decrease.