Anna Nowak

REGIONAL DIFFERENTIATION OF PRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL OF AGRICULTURE AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ITS USE IN POLAND

The aim of this study was the identification of spatial differentiation of agricultural productive potential and the assessment of effectiveness of its use in Poland. According to the EUROSTAT data in 2011 Polish agriculture comprised 8.35 % of agricultural area of the European Union and 20 % of the labour force of the EU agricultural sector. At the same time Poland’s share in the EU agricultural production was only 5.79 %. In order to evaluate the differentiation level of agricultural productive potential as well as the effectiveness of its use a synthetic measurement was employed that used the TOPSIS method. The research was based on the statistical data obtained form the Main Statistical Office for the year 2011. Based on the synthetic measure 4 typological groups of regions were singled out due to their productive potential. The measure used ranged from 0.27 to 0.63 and for the majority of voivodships it did not exceed the average value for Poland. The research shows that Poland is also a country that is extremely diverse as regards the effectiveness of use of production capacity of agriculture. The synthetic measures showed here a strong differentiation ranging from 0 to 0.86. Moreover, the research findings indicate that the effectiveness of productive potential in agriculture in the highest in the regions characterised by a high socioeconomic development. Keywords: productive potential, agriculture, Poland, effectiveness, TOPSIS method. Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2015.082

AGRICULTURAL TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY CHANGES IN THE NEW AND THE OLD EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERS

The aim of this study was the evaluation of agricultural total factor productivity changes between new member countries which have acceded to EU after 2004 and so-called ‘old 15’ EU members. The analysis covered the years 2007–2013. The study is based on Malmquist productivity index divided into technological change and changes in technical efficiency. The results showed a slight increase in the agricultural total factor productivity in the EU countries in the years 2007–2013 (0.1 %, which mainly resulted from a slight increase in technical efficiency in agriculture(0.4 % ), while at the same time adverse technological changes. Among all the countries of the ‘old 15’, only Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, United Kingdom and Sweden reported increased index of productivity. In the group of countries that joined the EU after 2004, the total productivity growth took place in such countries as Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Malta, Slovakia and Hungary. The reason for this increase was primarily changes in technical efficiency. Keywords: agricultural productivity, European Union, Malmquist index, Total Factor Productivity (TFP), technological change. Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2015.084

REGIONALNE ZRÓŻNICOWANIE DOCHODOWOŚCIGOSPODARSTW ROLNYCH W POLSCE W LATACH 2006-2014

Abstract Subject and purpose of work: The aim of the study is to assess the regional differentiation of the average level of farm income and to answer the question of whether during 2006-2014 there was a tendency towards convergence in this area. Materials and methods: The spatial scope of research included four FADN agricultural regions, whereas the time span covered the years 2006-2014. The numerical data used for the analyses were sourced from standard FADN results. The assessment of convergence was carried out using the coefficient of variation (sigma convergence) and the relative index of changes in the regions compared to the country (beta convergence). Results: The conducted research indicates the existence of regional disproportions in terms of average income level and average labour profitability on farms. The highest average income was achieved throughout all the years covered by research in the region of Pomerania and Masuria, and the lowest one in Lesser Poland and Carpathian Foothills. The research demonstrates that during 2006-2014 there was no convergence in the average level of income and average labour profitability of farms in the FADN regions. Conclusions: Convergence is a long-term process, so the research should be treated as an initial examination of the regional differentiation of the income situation of farms.

Wpływ wykształcenia kierownika na konkurencyjność gospodarstw rolnych

This paper is an attempt at filling the cognitive gap in the effect that human capital has on farms competitiveness. Education is the most measurable characteristic of human capital so the purpose of this paper is evaluating the effect of the manager’s level of education on the competiveness of the commercial farms. The surveys were carried out based on accounting data provided by commodity farms participating in the Polish FADN in 2010-2012. The outcomes indicate a competitive advantage of farms run by managers who completed higher education over entities run by farmers without higher education. Surveys also demonstrated a competitive advantage to the extent of land productivity, equipment of land with technical facilities and labour on farms run by managers with higher education in comparison to farms whose managers had no such education. Synopsis. Niniejsze opracowanie jest probą wypelnienia luki poznawczej w zakresie wplywu kapitalu ludzkiego na konkurencyjnośc gospodarstw rolnych. Najbardziej mierzalną cechą kapitalu ludzkiego jest wyksztalcenie, stąd tez za cel niniejszego opracowania przyjeto ocene wplyw poziomu wyksztalcenia kierownika na konkurencyjnośc towarowych gospodarstw rolnych. Badania zrealizowano na podstawie danych rachunkowych z towarowych gospodarstw rolnych uczestniczących w Polskim FADN z lat 2010-2012. Wyniki badan wskazują na istnienie przewagi konkurencyjnej gospodarstw rolnych zarządzanych przez kierownikow dysponujących wyksztalceniem wyzszym wzgledem podmiotow kierowanych przez rolnikow bez wyksztalcenia wyzszego. Badania wykazaly rowniez przewagi konkurencyjne w zakresie produktywności ziemi, technicznego uzbrojenia ziemi i pracy w gospodarstwach rolnych z kierownikiem posiadającym wyksztalcenie rolnicze w porownaniu do tych, gdzie kierownik takiego wyksztalcenia nie posiadal.