Horizontal Integration of Farmers on the Example of Agricultural Producer Groups in North-East Poland

Abstract

Increasing horizontal integration in agriculture, by creating groups of agricultural producers, may accelerate the modernization of Polish agriculture and increase its competitiveness. The aim of the research was to find out about the state and conditions affecting the functioning of agricultural producer groups in North-East Poland in the years 2000-2021. As part of the research, data on the characteristics of the groups were analyzed, i.e. their specializations, scope of activities, personal composition, and legal forms. Moreover, the amount of financial aid obtained from RDP was defined. The article uses information contained in legal acts, literature on the subject, as well as secondary data from the ARMA. Based on the research, a short duration of the created groups has been noticed. Out of 170 entities created, 24 of them were active at the time of the study, with a total of 3,142 members. Most of them collaborated in dairy groups in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (1940).