Number and structure of farms in polish agriculture and in selected EU member states between 2005 and 2013

The purpose of this study was to confirm the changes in the number and structure of farms in Poland, as well as in selected EU countries between 2005 and 2013. The selection of countries was intentional, taking into account the following criteria: level of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and EU ‘seniority’ (older and newer states). A decrease in the number of farms was observed, along with the polarization process present in their structure, consisting in the occurrence of two leading farm groups: large commercial farms, being the main source of agricultural family income, and semi-subsistence or even substantial subsistence farms being the source of additional income. This cluster of farm groups was defined as auxiliary. Their share in the overall number of farms was dependent on the level of GDP per capita. In countries with high levels of GDP (Belgium, the Netherlands), it was lower and amounted to approximately 11%, while in the countries with a low level of GDP (Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania), it went beyond 30%. In all countries, except for Bulgaria and Romania, the level of intensity of production organization in auxiliary farms was lower. This was also the for in the production volume per hectare of arable land.