Katalin Rácz

The characteristics of small farms and their development opportunities in Hungary

Magyarorszagon a mezőgazdasagi kisuzemek az elmult evtizedekben a mezőgazdasagi termelői kor legnagyobb letszamu es egyben legnagyobb visszaesest elszenvedő csoportjat jelentettek. Ezek a tulnyomoreszt onellatasra termelő, vagy felig onellato gazdasagok napjainkban is jelentős szerepet jatszanak a videki haztartasok jovedelmenek kiegesziteseben, de a mezőgazdasagi termeles jelentős reszenek előallitasaban is. Kutatasunkban e jellemzően nem piaci arutermelessel foglalkozo, nem professzionalis, 4000 euro STE alatti mezőgazdasagi kisuzemek helyzetet es jovőbeni kilatasait vizsgaljuk, bemutatjuk főbb okonomiai, szociologiai parametereiket, azonositjuk tipusaikat, lehataroljuk az arutermelőve fejleszthető kisuzemek koret, valamint javaslatokat fogalmazunk meg a fejlesztesuket elősegitő eszkozrendszerre vonatkozoan. Eredmenyeink szerint a kisuzemek gazdalkodasat alapvetően gazdasagi aktivitasuk hatarozza meg: a főallasu vallalkozok profitorientaltan, magas eszkozlekotes es raforditas mellett, hatekony munkavegzessel allitanak elő jelentős jovedelmet, mig a mezőgazdasagi es nem mezőgazdasagi alkalmazottak, nyugdijasok es szocialis juttatasokbol elők gazdalkodasat kisebb raforditasok es eszkozlekotes, alacsonyabb termelesi ertek es jovedelem, valamint kevesbe hatekony munkaerő-lekotes jellemzi. Vizsgalatunk ugyanakkor arra is felhivta a figyelmet, hogy a nem profitorientalt mezőgazdasagi tevekenysegből is szamottevő fogyasztasi alap keletkezik, amely a nyugdijas es szocialis juttatasokbol elő haztartasok jovedelmenek jelentős reszet, akar harmadat is elerheti. A kutatas eredmenyei szerint a 4000 euro STE alatti gazdasagok vezetőinek csak kisebb hanyada – nehany ezer, jellemzően vallalkozoi hatterű, fiatalabb korosztalyhoz tartozo, kepzettebb es arutermelessel mar korabban is foglalkozo gazdalkodo – eseteben realis celkitűzes a főallasu arutermelőve valas. E vallalkozoi szemleletű reteg annal is inkabb alkalmas erre a szerepre, mivel az elmult időszakban a KAP-teruletalapu tamogatasok mellett a termelesi infrastruktura fejleszteset lehetőve tevő palyazati forrasokhoz is hozzafert. A kistermelők tulnyomo resze eletkori, egzisztencialis okokbol es a vallalkozoi-profitorientalt attitűd hianyaban nem alkalmas a főallasu arutermelőve valasra. Fejlesztesuk videkfejlesztesi es tarsadalompolitikai szempontbol is kivanatos, de csak olyan komplex programok formajaban kepzelhető el, amelyek a rendszeres kiegeszitő jovedelemszerzest lehetőve tevő termelest kisleptekű fejlesztesekkel, termeles-koordinacioval, szaktudassal, folyamatos mentoralassal segitik. = The Hungarian small agricultural farms had suffered the biggest setback both in terms of human and economic performance between the circle of agricultural holdings in the last decades. These predominantly subsistence or semi-subsistence farms are playing an important role by supplementing the rural household incomes and also producing the significant part of agricultural production nowadays. In our research, we examined the situation and future prospects of small self-employed farms under EUR 4000 SO which are typically not engaged in market production and are not professional. We are going to present the major economic and social parameters of small farms, identify their types, border the circle of farms develop to market-oriented entities as well as draw up proposals in reference to the tools promoting their development. Based on the research results, small-scale farming is basically determined by economic activity: the full-time entrepreneurs produce substantial income on a profit-oriented way, with high asset deposition and expenses, and with effective work; while agricultural and non-agricultural workers, pensioners and people living from social benefits produce increasingly low production value and income with decreasing expenses and asset decomposition under less efficient labour contracting. Our analysis, however, has also drawn attention to that significant, even HUF 400-500 thousand consumer base per holding derives from the non-agricultural activity, which can reach up to 30 per cent of incomes to the pensioners and households living from social benefits. This additional income is significant but it cannot be expected without help from outside and resources that people living from social benefits in the disadvantageous rural areas are going to step on the path of self-farming. The primary reason of that is the lack of expertise and resources which would allow to become market-oriented farm. The results of the research show that by a minority of farm leaders under EUR 4000 SO – a few thousand farmer having typically entrepreneurial background belonging to the younger age group, more educated and has already dealt with market production – could be a realistic objective to become full-time market-oriented farms. These farms with entrepreneurial approach are more suitable for this role because they had access next to CAP single area payments to tender resources for development. The majority of small farmers are not suitable for full-time production because of existential reasons and the absence of an entrepreneurial and profit-oriented attitude. It would be important towards the success of the present semi-subsistence farms to become marketoriented actors if the RDP would construct a preferential loan and it is necessary to have access to other rural development measures (supports) as well. Their development is desirable from rural development and socio-political points of view but it is conceivable only in the form of complex programs, which enables regular supplementary income with small-scale projects, production coordination, expanding expertise and ongoing mentoring support.