POLISH FOREIGN TRADE OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD PRODUCTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

In the research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic situation in agriculture, the demand and supply channels are distinguished. They indicate how restrictions on economic activity translate into the volume and structure of production and the demand for agricultural products. The aim of the research was to identify and assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Polish agriculture through the transmission channel of foreign trade. The research period covered the years of 2017-2022. The primary research tool used was time series indicator analysis. During the pandemic, changes in foreign trade were limited only to short-term disruptions, which intensified in the first wave of COVID-19 (2020, second quarter). Trade in agri-food products turned out to be more resistant to shocks caused by the pandemic compared to trade in non-agricultural sectors. Therefore, disruptions on foreign markets did not significantly affect the production and economic situation of Polish agriculture. In the second quarter of 2020, the value of exports of agri-food goods decreased by 2.8% compared to the previous quarter. As it comes to other groups of goods, export values were lower by 7.2-40.1%. At the same time, the value of imports of agri-food goods was lower by 6.1% compared to the previous quarter. Imports of other goods collapsed much more severely as decrease in the value of imported goods ranged from 8.4 to 47.4%.