WORKING CAPITAL IN FAMILY FARMS. FINDINGS FROM FADN IN 2004-2018

Abstract

The aim of this article is an analysis of the level of net working capital, calculated on: an individual farm, the length of a cycle in days, share in assets, within the framework of management efficiency in EU agricultural farms included in the FADN database in 2004-2018. Data contains basic information on the situation of approximately 8,430 production and economic types in the EU in the abovementioned period. Firstly, the analysed objects are divided into four classes on the basis of the length of the NWC cycle expressed in days (negative value, up to half a year, more than half a year but less than a year and more than a year). The centres of gravity in these categories are estimated for selected production, economic and financial information with the use of the Gretl programme. The relationship between a relation of the NWC to assets and management efficiency is also estimated. A statistically significant and positive relationship is demonstrated in the case of three of four analysed classes. Therefore, the relation of the NWC to assets has an impact on the evolution of farm management efficiency. The factor differentiating the strength of that impact is the length of the net working capital cycle on the holding. It allows to formulate the concluding remark that as negative NWC can hardly be identified and the vast majority of farms maintains it within a 1 year period, the situation of agricultural farms can be assessed as safe in the management of the NWC.