Productive and economic factors affecting the development of mountain meadow organic farms in the years 2004-2009

Abstract

Studies performed with the method of steered interview were carried out in 2004– 2009 in 9 organic meadow farms in mountain areas and in 32 farms in lowland voivodships. The mean area of agricultural lands (AL) in studied farms was 46.14 ha in 2009 and ranged from 3.01 ha to 305.80 ha. Productive (yields and animal stock) and economic (standard gross margin per ha of AL and per full-time employed person) results were related to natural, agricultural and economic characteristics. A hypothesis was formulated that it is possible to produce ecologically allowable, socially accepted and economically effective healthy food in organic mountain farms. Analysed factors included: the area of agricultural lands (AL), cow stock, milk efficiency, farmers’ age and the value of fixed assets in zl per ha AL. Low to medium level of investment in fixed assets and relatively low level of direct costs of plant and animal production was noted in studied farms. Incomes from agricultural production in studied mountain farms were medium to low; higher from animal (cattle and sheep) than from plant production. Gross margin both per ha AL and per full-time employed person was medium to low in relation to all farms in the country. Generally, the costs of agricultural production in studied organic farms were not always compensated by incomes. They were only compensated by the state and EU subsidies. It was concluded that in both lowland and mountain organic farms the production of high quality food is possible providing a definite level of subsidies.