FINANCIAL RESOURCES FROM EUROPEAN UNION PROGRAMS IN THE OPINION OF THE SURVEYED FARMERS OF THE POMERANIAN VOIVODESHIP

Abstract

The aim of the research was to find out about farmers’ opinions on financial support from the European Union. The development of rural areas and agriculture in Poland significantly accelerated after Poland became a member of the European Union on May 1, 2004. Pre-accession programs made it possible to prepare the agricultural sector for future EU membership, and the subsequent financial perspectives brought a number of programs allowing for the financing and development of the agribusiness sphere, including individual farms. The article presents the results of the research carried out by the survey method using the survey technique carried out in May 2021 among 60 farmers running farms in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. The surveys were collected using the Microsoft Forms available to respondents via social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). The research has shown that European Union funds had a significant impact on the development of farms in the voivodship under study. The financial support was obtained mainly by farms larger than 10 ha, in most cases for purchasing agricultural machines and tractors, and the value of investments usually exceeded 100,000 PLN. It was found that the complexity of the procedures made it difficult to access financial resources, which was why farmers often used the services of agricultural advisors.