SPATIAL DIFFERENTIATION OF THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON AGRICULTURE IN SELECTED EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

Abstract

The article aimed to assess the direction and strength of the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic on agriculture in six of the most important for EU agriculture countries. A comparative analysis of the agricultural activity indicators was the research method. The Eurostat was the data source. The analysis covered different years from 2016-2023. For some indicators the period is shorter because not all data have been available for 2022 and 2023. The research shows that the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the agriculture of the EU countries. The immediate adverse effect occurred in the animal production sector in the form of stopping animal sales as meat processing companies had severe problems with workers’ infections and quarantines. In the plant production sector the effects appeared in the second and third years of the pandemic. In general, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture took the form of an absolute decline in the value added by this sector or a reduction in its growth rate. The effects of the pandemic are at least medium-term, as the pandemic has triggered or accelerated phenomena limiting the availability of labour in agriculture. The effects of the pandemic varied significantly between countries. The pandemic most affected Italy’s and France’s agriculture and also hurt agriculture in Poland. Agriculture in Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany was quite resistant to the pandemic influence.