Przeobrażenia rolnictwa polskiego w latach 2003-2013

It has been 10 years of Polish membership in the European Union, and the acquisition of Polish agriculture rules of the Common Agricultural Policy. Such an anniversary induces us to reflect on the changes taking place in agriculture. The aim of the study was to: a) show the amount of funds paid to farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy and the sources of their origin, b) the presentation of changes in agriculture in terms of: inputs, crop area and production of major crops in total and per capita, livestock farming and the production of major animal products in total and per capita, productivity (land, labor and fixed assets), marketability and profitability (land and labor), self-sufficiency in the production and consumption: basic cereals, potatoes, cow’s milk, hen eggs, and meat and offal. As the base period for comparison one adopted the years 2001-2003, i.e. three years before the Polish accession to the European Union, and the last period is 2011-2013, due to the availability of validated statistical data. In agriculture, there are variations in the cultivation of various crops, animal husbandry and productivity of plants and animals caused by natural factors and economic considerations. There are also variations in the prices of means of production and the production itself. The adoption of three-year periods allows for the elimination of annual fluctuations and provides a more comparable performance. Poland moving to a market economy in the nineties of the twentieth century did prepare its whole economy to join the EU, especially in rural areas and agriculture. With the adoption of the EU there were Polish institutions and legal solutions allowing for the adoption of appropriate management and financial support directed to the country and to agriculture. This support contributed to the need to increase investment in agriculture also from national resources (co-financing). Finally, funding for agricultural production increased from less than 9% in the pre-accession period to 60% in 2009-2010. Appropriations for direct payments and complementary targeted at farmers account for about 61% of all funds directed to rural areas by the EU. In addition, Poland obtained without tariff barriers an access to the EU market, resulting in increasingly higher volumes of products and an increase in trade surplus. Obtained funding for farmers, the organization of the agricultural market and legal infrastructure stimulate multiple transformations in Polish agriculture, and the main ones are: –– Changes in the factors of production; reduction of arable land resources and the increase in capital assets and the change of their structure (reducing the share of buildings and structures and increase the share of machinery, equipment and means of transport). Labor resources have a high degree of stability to the amount due to the low possibility of their use in non-agricultural activities, while changes to the structure of these resources: increase the participation of young people, women and those with higher education. –– Changes in acreage of individual crops, harvest and production of plant products per capita. These changes are shaped by the market: demand and profitability of production, –– Changes in the size of herds of livestock (cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, poultry) and meat animal production. Here, too, very much evident operation of the market: demand and profitability of production. –– Increased economic efficiency: increase in productivity of all factors of production, –– Increased food self-sufficiency: food self-sufficiency ratios improved with increasing trade flows in agricultural products abroad. In conclusion, after encompassing Polish agriculture in the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU, there were a lot of structural changes in the factors of production, the organization of production, management efficiency and food self-sufficiency.