IS THE STRUCTURE OF POLISH AGRICULTURE CHANGING? A COMPARISON BASED ON THE RESULTS OF RECENT GENERAL AGRICULTURAL CENSUSES

Abstract

Structural changes in Polish agriculture are necessary. First of all, the scale is expected to increase and, hence, input efficiency. The aim of the research is to determine whether the concentration of resources and production in Polish agriculture is taking place and what is the direction. Data from two general agricultural censuses conducted by the Central Statistical Office in 2010 and 2020 were used. It was determined what main directions of changes were observed in Polish agriculture, as well as whether there is γ-convergence in terms of land resources and the production volume in area groups of farms. For each of the analyzed variables, the importance of farms with an area of more than 20 ha increased. In 2020, they accounted for 11% of the total number of farms. They owned 56% of land and were responsible for 60% of plant production and 70% of livestock production. The share of this group increased by 7 p.p. in land use, but in the sown area (except for cereals), it was an increase of 15 p.p., and in livestock production even up to 20 p.p. For the area groups of farms, a significant γ-type divergence in the use of agricultural land and in the production of cereals, potatoes and field vegetables was confirmed. In animal production, the γ-divergence was only observed in the production of sows and poultry. For other species, there has been a concentration of production, but the ranking of farm groups has not changed. In Poland, in the decade between the agricultural censuses (2010-2020), there was a significant, favorable concentration of agricultural production on farms with a larger area. These changes, however, may be too slow for a significant transformation of Polish agriculture and an increase in its competitiveness in the EU in upcoming decades. The strong fragmentation and low economic strength of farms are still the main limitations.