Selected Factors of Fibrous Plant Production in Poland

Abstract

The paper presents issues linked with the Polish sector of fibrous plants in terms of economic and production conditions. The author analyzes the situation of flax and hemp producers in which industrial plants have traditionally been cultivated in Poland. He determines the cause of significant reduction in the cultivation area of these plants in the total volume of crops, despite beneficial climatic and soil conditions prevailing in Poland. The paper also presents the economic conditions of the processes linked with agriculture of fibrous plants with special reference to globalization phenomena and current situation in the European Union. Further the paper shows the results of the study carried out among the farmers working in Wielkopolska region of Poland. Their responses indicate that the cultivation of fibrous plants is a marginal form of agricultural activity and it is believed to be difficult and the demand for the produce is not guaranteed. The farmers also would welcome higher economic effectiveness of these crops that could result from agricultural policy instruments, i.e., subsidies to the production of the fibrous raw materials. The paper concludes with the description of the perspectives for the development of this sector of agriculture and possible nontextile applications of the flax and hemp, e.g., in biomedicine, construction, and energy production.