Agency For Restructuring And Modernisation Of Agriculture Research Articles

INSTRUMENTS MITIGATING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN AGRICULTURE

Aim: The aim of the study is to identify and characterize agricultural policy instruments employed to mitigate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. It also aims to propose new and modified state policy instruments to counter the pandemic’s negative consequences in agriculture. Methods: We employed a qualitative approach using expert reviews to refine agricultural policy instruments aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifteen independent experts critically evaluated our internally formulated instrument proposals, providing in-depth feedback and assessments. These expert assessments were conducted in June-July 2023. Results: The primary entities that provide public financial support for agriculture in Poland are the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARiMR), the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS), and the National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR). The study developed and refined a range of instruments to counteract the detrimental effects of pandemics on agriculture. These tools, refined through expert insights, address key challenges such as market access, labor availability, logistical issues, and health risks in farming activities. The Integrated Agricultural Platform (IAP), Anti-Crisis Agricultural Fund (ACAF), and other state-supported initiatives constitute a comprehen­sive strategy designed not only to alleviate immediate impacts, but also to strengthen long-term resilience. Conclusions: This proactive and multifaceted approach is essential to ensure the stability and sustainability of the agricultural sector in the face of potential future health crises, including pandemics.

Prices of Means of Production in Agriculture and Agricultural Prices and Income in Poland During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Theoretical background: Agriculture is an input-intensive sector of the economy. The sector of means of production in agriculture is one of the three basic components of the food economy. The prices of agricultural inputs shape the operational costs of farms and significantly affect their income situation. Key agricultural inputs represent fertilizers, plant protection products, seeds, energy and labour force. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the functioning of food systems all over the world, including in Poland. The agricultural sector in Poland faced several challenges, including the surge in prices of means of production in agriculture. Purpose of the article: The study aims to identify and assess changes in the prices of means of production in agriculture and the impact of changes in these prices on the dynamics of selling prices of agricultural products and the income situation of farms in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research methods: The study employs various research methods, including critical literature analysis, the descriptive approach, the comparative method, verbal logic, and descriptive statistical methods. Moreover, we utilize a standardised questionnaire method utilising the CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) technique, targeting 50 experts in the field of agricultural economics, to gather their perspectives on the possibility of transferring the rise in agricultural production costs to the pricing of products sold during the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary data come from the Statistics Poland, the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARMA), and the National Bank of Poland (NBP). The research period covers the years 2017–2021, with particular emphasis on the years 2020–2021, i.e., the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Main findings: Research results show that only in 2020, the prices of goods purchased for current agricultural production decreased. However, in 2021, the costs of materials and services and other costs in agriculture, including wages, increased at a record pace. The demand-side causes of such cost increases were increases in money supply and agricultural income. Supply-side causes were shaped by commodity prices and wages. In Poland, the prices of goods and services purchased by farms were less variable than the prices of goods sold. The data analysis did not reveal significant relationships regarding the dynamics of the prices discussed. Such a conclusion is also confirmed by the results of a questionnaire survey directed to experts in agricultural economics. The responses concerning the possibility of transferring the increase in production costs to the prices of sold products during the pandemic years varied. In the years 2017–2021, the income situation of Polish farms was variable. In 2020, increases in income from production factors, operating surplus, and farmer’s income, and their decreases in 2021, were inversely correlated with changes in production costs in agriculture.

Towards Green Agriculture and Sustainable Development: Pro-Environmental Activity of Farms under the Common Agricultural Policy

Growing environmental and climate problems in the contemporary world necessitate the search for efficient solutions, including changes in agriculture, which has been reflected in the new package of reforms of the EU climate policy, called the European Green Deal (the EGD). Agriculture and rural areas play an essential role in the attainment of the EGD goals, and one of the prerequisites for an effective implementation of the EGD assumptions is to recognize the mechanism underlying the activity of agricultural farms in the scope of pro-environmental measures implemented under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This article presents an endeavour to make a multidimensional evaluation of the spatial diversification in such activities, using Polish farms as an example. Compared to other EU member states, Poland is a country where agriculture remains a substantial sector in the national economy. This research is based on data from several institutions, including the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARMA), responsible for the allocation of funds from the EU budget and for providing support to the development of agriculture and rural areas. The level and structure of the absorption of funds from the CAP underwent analysis, including three pro-environmental measures of the Rural Development Programme: organic farming (OF), agri-environment climate measure (AECM), and afforestation and creation of forest areas (ACFA). In order to achieve a holistic approach to these measures, an innovative analytical model was developed. It can be applied to analyses on a regional, national, and European level, and it is based on several novel indicators, as well as advanced statistical and spatial analyses. The research demonstrates that the pro-environment activities of farmers are characterized by a significant geographical diversity. The most active in soliciting payments from the CAP were agricultural farms with a high level of pro-environment internal characteristics of agriculture (IPEAF = 30.1%, with national average = 11.6%). With regard to anthropogenic determinants, relatively higher values of the IPEAF indicator were found in the municipalities with a lower level of socio-economic development (12.1%) and those located in northern and western Poland, within the borders of the former Prussian Partition (18.6%), characterised by higher farming culture. The research results imply that the effectiveness of the up-to-date solutions needs to be improved, also by taking into consideration the endogenous conditions and potential of individual territorial units. The research results also prove the expediency of implementing the European Green Deal. Conducting an analysis of the pro-environmental activity of farms, taking into account both the applications of the current CAP financial perspective and those resulting from follow-up activities regarding the previous perspective, is an innovative approach to the issue.

Importance and challenges for agriculture from High Nature Value Farmlands (HNVf) in Poland in the context of the provision of public goods under the European Green Deal

The study aims to identify and characterise the organisational and economic features of agriculture in Poland in areas (communes) with different saturation of agriculture from High Nature Value farmlands (HNVf areas) with exceptionally high natural value. It is also important to determine whether the potential changes in agriculture in communes with a particularly large share of them do not harm the natural environment and limit the possibility of providing society with public goods. The delimitation of the three scenarios of HNVf areas was designated in the country at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2018. HNVf areas of moderate, high, and exceptionally high natural value were designated. To achieve the purpose of the study, data from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARMA) for 2016 and 2021 and data from the Polish Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) for 2018-2020 was obtained. It was established that in Poland, the share of HNVf areas currently ranges from 12.5 (exceptionally high natural value) to 27.1% (moderate-high nature value) of the total UAA. Compared to other areas, HNVf areas with exceptionally high natural value are characterised by agriculture with a high level of extensive production. Farms from these areas obtain, e.g. lower total costs incurred per 1 ha of UAA, often lower productivity of production factors and lower income per 1 ha of UAA.

A regional analysis of agricultural potential and farmers’ interest in the CAP’s rural development program in Poland

The main aim of the article was to establish and present the relationship between the production potential of agriculture in Poland’s voivodships and the utilization of funds from selected Rural Development Programs (RDP) 2014-2020. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union has Rural Development as the “second pillar” with the objectives of enhancing the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry; ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and climate action; and overall development of rural economies. The materials for the paper are based on data connected with the resources of production factors in Polish agriculture as well as data on EU agricultural funds in Poland under RDP 2014-2020 made available by the Polish Central Statistical Office (GUS) and the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARMA). The analysis showed that the diversification of the agricultural production potential of the different regions in Poland had an influence on the activity of farmers in applying for RDP measures. Based on the regional absorption of funds, there should be a wider range of conditions required to access selected EU programs in order to strengthen farms in areas with lower production potential.

Organisational and economic characteristics of agriculture in Poland from areas especially predisposed for the delivery of public goods

The aim of the study is to assess the organisational and economic characteristics of agriculture in Poland from areas (communes) especially predisposed to provide public goods. The delimitation of these communes was carried out on the basis of the agricultural production area valorization index (APAV) established by the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute (IUNG – PIB) in Pulawy. Production potential of agriculture in these communes were obtained from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARMA). In addition, data from the Statistics Poland (GUS) and Polish FADN were used. It was stated that farms from these communes in comparison to farms from other communes were characterised by, among others, lower total costs per 1 ha of UAA, lower productivity of factors of production and income per 1 ha of UAA. The operating subsidies received were of great importance to them, without which they would often suffer losses.

Mapping of EU Support for High Nature Value Farmlands, from the Perspective of Natural and Landscape Regions

Decoupling economic growth from the exploitation of natural resources, protecting vulnerable ecosystems, restoring habitats and species, and supporting areas used for organic farming are, along with achieving climate neutrality, key tenets of the European Green Deal (EGD)—the EU’s new sustainable economic strategy. One direction of activities to implement several of these goals simultaneously is the provision of financial support for agricultural activities aimed at protecting valuable plant and animal habitats and species. This study aims to present research results that include an analysis of the spatial diversification of EU support for nature value habitats in Poland against the background of physico-geographical regions. To date, no such studies have been conducted; instead, analyses of the spatial differentiation in how selected forms of EU funding are taken up in Poland and other European countries have mainly referred to regional or local territorial divisions, and not to regions distinguished based on natural environmental features. Payments from Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funds to support farms using nature value habitats were selected for the analysis. The analysis employed data from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARMA), as a disburser of EU funds for agriculture in Poland; the data related to two packages (No. 4 and 5) of Agri-Environment-Climate Measures (AECM), which constitute one of the measures of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014–2020. The spatial and statistical analyses not only supported a general description of EU support for the protection of nature value habitats in Poland but also allowed a detailed evaluation of the distribution and areal coverage of nature value habitats subsidised by RDP funds to be presented, and a comprehensive assessment of the scale of support for the natural habitats covered by the programme.

Who applies for afforestation subsidies? Analysis of the age of beneficiaries of the Rural Development Program from 2004–2018

Abstract In Poland, the afforestation rate is slowing down from year to year. An analysis of the demographic structure of land owners suitable for afforestation may contribute to a better recognition of trends and needs in order to increase the effectiveness of National Programme for the Augmentation of Forest Cover implementation, and thus increase interest in RDP activities. The aim of the study was to verify whether interest in afforestation among farmers is the same across the country in different age groups. The data presented in the publication come from the resources of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR). The data covered the years 2004–2018 and were sorted by: voivodships (16), age group of beneficiaries of subsidies (4 groups), year of submitting the application (15 years) and the number of applications submitted. Beneficiaries were divided into four age groups: up to 30 years old, 31–40 years old, 41–60 and older than 60 years. Interest in afforestation changed in the period after Poland’s accession to the European Union. In recent years, there has been a significant decrease in the number of applications for afforestation subsidies submitted. There are also significant differences between the voivodships in the number of applications submitted. Farmers from eastern and southern Poland are more active in submitting applications for afforestation, and will reduce the so-called Recovered Territories in the western, northern and north-eastern part of Poland. Most afforestation in the entire analysed period is carried out by farmers aged 41–60 years. In the initial period, more applications were submitted by farmers of age over 60 years. In recent years, however, young farmers, that is, up to 40 years, are more interested in afforestation, than other groups. To increase interest in afforestation, more support should be directed to young farmers who, as part of farm specialization, may receive additional incentives for afforestation of land that is less useful to them.

Impact of legislative changes on agricultural property trading

This paper attempts to describe selected elements regarding the situation on the agricultural property market and the assumptions of the policy in this respect in Poland. Particular attention was paid to legislative changes related to agricultural property trading. Statistical data from the Property Market Analysis and Monitoring System (AMRON), the Central Statistical Office, the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR) and the National Center for Agricultural Support, were used. The purpose of the study was to attempt to assess changes in land prices in Poland after systemic transformation. Attention was also paid to the issue of changes in the conditions for purchasing a property after the entry of the amended provisions of the Act on shaping the agricultural system came into force. An attempt was made to answer the question whether the introduced restrictions caused the prices of agricultural properties in Poland to change in spatial terms

Contribution of Polish agrotechnical studies on Cannabis sativa L. to the global industrial hemp cultivation and processing economy

Summary Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) attracts increasing interest of growers, in relation to both industrial and medical purposes. Construction is the most promising area of the economy for hemp, and specifically, the fast-growing production of insulation and bio-composite materials. The most significant factors affecting the final yield of hemp seeds and biomass include: climatic factors, i.e. influence of weather conditions that determines the content of cannabinoids in plants; genetic predisposition of the variety used as well as agrotechnical factors. The article provides information on the botanical characteristics of fiber hemp, hemp cultivation area, Polish monoecious varieties of industrial hemp, hemp's agricultural requirements, including: the demand for macroelements (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium); choice of soil, pioneer crop, and field preparation; sowing timing and density; harvest time; water conditions; heat and light requirements for hemp. The review article is focused mainly on the results of studies carried out at the Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants, data of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR), Research Centre for Cultivar Testing (COBORU), European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA), published in 2008 - 2018.

Zmiany na rynku śliwek w Polsce w latach 2010–2016 ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem śliwek regionalnych z oznaczeniami geograficznymi ChOG

Celem opracowania jest przedstawienie sytuacji na rynku śliwek w Polsce na tle zmian światowych po stronie podażowej w latach 2010–2016, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem sytuacji na rynku śliwek regionalnych mających oznaczenia geograficzne. Określono kierunki zmian w powierzchni upraw, produkcji owoców i plonu w Polsce na tle tendencji w sytuacji światowej i UE-28. Przedstawiono specyfikę, skalę i uwarunkowania produkcji oraz kształtowanie się cen śliwek regionalnych mających chronione oznaczenie geograficzne (ChOG). Główne tendencje na rynku światowym określono na podstawie wielkości z lat 2010–2016 zawartych w publikacjach FAO, dane krajowe natomiast pochodziły z GUS, ARIMR, GIJHARS, badań własnych w latach 2010–2017 oraz ze Stowarzyszenia Producentów Owoców i Warzyw w Ujanowicach.

Możliwości kształtowania kapitału społecznego na obszarach wiejskich województwa kujawsko-pomorskiego w oparciu o środki z Unii Europejskiej

Artykuł podejmuje problem pełniejszego wykorzystania możliwości kształtowania kapitału społecznego na obszarach wiejskich województwa kujawsko-pomorskiego, poprzez absorpcję środków z Unii Europejskiej w ramach Programu Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich w perspektywie finansowej 2007–2013. Wyodrębniono osiem działań PROW, które zdaniem autorów oddziaływały na wzmocnienie kapitału społecznego i dokonano analizy przestrzennej ich absorpcji w odniesieniu do potencjału ludnościowego badanego obszaru. Stwierdzono, że działania skierowane na wsparcie różnicowania działalności gospodarczej na obszarach wiejskich oraz na rozwój mikroprzedsiębiorstw istotnie korelowały ze sobą i były wykorzystywane najczęściej w gminach o najwyższym wskaźniku absorpcji pomocy dla młodych rolników. Rozkład przestrzenny wskaźnika absorpcji działań osi LEADER także są istotnie powiązane ze sobą. Wykazano, że największy wpływ absorpcji środków z PROW na kształtowanie kapitału społecznego na obszarach wiejskich widać w gminach powiatów żnińskiego, inowrocławskiego oraz w północno-wschodniej części województwa w powiatach golubsko-dobrzyńskim, wąbrzeskim, grudziądzkim i brodnickim.

ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM “YOUNG FARMER” IN THE LUBELSKIE VOIVODESHIP IN THE YEARS OF 2007-2016

The aim of the research is to present the implementation of the program Facilitating the start of young farmers under the Rural Development Program in 2007-2013 and the state of implementation of the program Bonuses for young farmers in the years of 2014-2016 in the Lublin voivodeship as part of RDP 2014-2020. The research material were data provided by the Lubelski Regional Branch of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR) based in Elizówka, Lublin. In the Lubelskie Voivodeship, 6,849 applications were submitted, which constituted 12% of all applications for support submitted, and 5,371 contracts were signed. The largest number of applications for support was submitted in the Bialski poviat – 1,128. The Lublin poviat, with the result of 665, ranked second in terms of the submitted applications. The following places were taken by the poviats of Radzyń, Parczew, Chełm, and Hrubieszów. The average age of beneficiaries ranged from 21 in the Radzyń poviat to 26 in the Tomaszów poviat. The new recruitment was characterized by a higher age of beneficiaries submitting applications, both at the level of voivodeships and at the level of poviats. In 2007-2013 in the Lubelskie Voivodeship, the average area of the farm taken over was 13.8 ha. At the level of the Lubelskie Voivodeship, the largest farms were established in the poviats of Parczew and Chełm. The majority of beneficiaries submitting applications in the Lubelskie Voivodeship in both editions of the program had secondary education.In the years of 2007-2016, field crops and mixed production were the main types of production in most farms.

PRODUCERS GROUPS AS THE FORM OF INTEGRATING OF FARMER

In frames of the study given to the Agricultural Market Agency (ARR), Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARiMR) and The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was described a degree of integration of Polish farmers, In the form of producer’s groups, under the account of individual provinces and direction of conducted activity. They proved that a goods-ness of households, market conditioning and available forms of the support were a substantial condition for the development of cooperation – for example action ,,Forming groups of farming producer’s as part of the Rural Development Programme (PROW).

THE AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL AREAS OF THE POMORZE REGION

Polish accession to the European Union resulted in the emergence of new instruments of supporting the development of sustainable agriculture and rural areas. The aim of this paper was to show the implementation of agri-environmental program in Pomerania region (Pomeranian and West Pomeranian voivodeships) in 2004-2015. The article presents the current state of, structure and spatial diversity of agri-environmental program implementation, by district, in region. Studies have shown that Pomerania region is one of the biggest areas in Poland, where agri-environmental program was implemented.Taking into account the financial support of the surveyed rural areas, significant intraregional variation is evident. The smallest number of beneficiaries and the lowest amounts of realized payments are characterized by districts with the highest agro-ecological potential in the region. Similarly, most applications for agri-environment payments filed users farms located in the counties of potentially the least favorable conditions for the development of high-productive agriculture. At the same time they received the highest financial support. For the purposes of the analysis, the source material was used - The Central Statistical Office (CSO) data, the reports on activities of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARMA) data as well as the literature on research issues taken. The study method was used descriptive statistics and comparative analysis, and the results are in graphical and tabular form presented.

Bayesian estimation of seroprevalence of small ruminant lentiviruses in sheep from Poland

In Poland, no systematic survey of ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) infection was performed, neither at the national nor at the regional level and only limited knowledge exists on the prevalence of SRLVs among sheep. The aim of the present study was to establish the true prevalence of SRLVs infection in sheep from Poland at the animal and herd-levels. The blood samples used for this study were the fraction of samples collected by Veterinary Inspection during an official sampling for the national monitoring program for brucellosis. Under this program the animals and herds were randomly selected using the data available from ARMA (Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture). The sampling unit was the herd and the target population included at least 5% of sheep, over 6 months old, from each of 16 voievodships (provinces) of Poland. Two-stage cluster sampling design was performed in this study offering the possibility to determine the prevalence of SRLVs infection, when only a fraction of herds and a fraction of animals in the herds are tested. In total, 8233 sheep serum samples coming from 832 herds were tested by indirect ELISA. 1474 (17.9%) samples were positive and 261 (31.4%) herds with at least one seropositive animals were identified. The overall true prevalence estimated by the Bayesian framework was 9.3% (95% CI 6.8, 11.3) and 33.3% (95% CI 26.5, 38.2) on the animal and herd level, respectively. Large variation in the animal and herd prevalence between the voivodships was observed. True prevalence on the herd level varied from 0.0% (95% CI 0.0, 0.0) to 71.6% (95% CI 67.6, 75.9) whereas true prevalence on the animal level ranged from 0.0% (95% CI 0.0, 0.0) to 55.3% (95% CI 50.0, 61.2). The true prevalence of SRLVs infection at animal and herd level increased according to herd size as was proved by posterior probabilities (POPR).

LABOUR INPUT IN POLISH AGRICULTURE AGAINST SIZE OF AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS - SPATIAL ANALYSIS*

The aim of this paper is to present the analysis of spatial diversifi cation in the labour input in agriculture on the basis of these selected indicators: annual work unit (AWU) per 100 ha agricultural acreage; number of people per AWU; and comparison of labour input to EU-15 standards (LI-EU). Agricultural holdings have been categorised by size into three groups: 0-10 ha (small), 10-20 ha (average), and over 20 ha (large). Labour resources were subject to a comparative study of the density rates of AWUs per 100 ha agricultural acreage in Poland and the EU (EU-15). The analysis covered all of Poland with consideration of the administrative division into sixteen voivodeships (tabular analysis) and 314 poviats (townships and country districts together, including regional offi ces of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARiMR); cartographic analysis). The results of the Agricultural Census of 2010 were used in the study. It demonstrated a signifi cant spatial diversifi cation in labour input in agriculture in general and in each holding size group. Predominantly, the diff erences are related to historical and political factors. The analysis corroborated agrarian overpopulation in south-east Poland.

Ocena wsparcia rolnictwa ekologicznego przez instytucje z otoczenia rolnictwa

The purpose of this article is to assess the scale and nature of institutional support in the opinion of farmers engaged in organic farms in the Lublin region (NUTS 2). The following development was established on the basis of surveys conducted on a group of 30 producers of organic food from the Lublin region between the 4th and the 22nd of February 2013. The respondents were asked to assess the level of institutional support offered by the institutions to organic farmers. The highest in the rank were Agricultural Advisory Centres, certification bodies and the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARMA). On the other hand, Local Action Groups, District Offices, Chambers of Agriculture, ecological associations and clusters were ranked as the least helpful to the organic farmers. The farmers expected to receive both financial and non-financial support (marketing, sales promotion).

Use of remote sensing in control of good agricultural and environmental conditions on agricultural farms

In the frame of EU common agricultural policy, applicant farmers shall receive subsidies for agricultural production. A producer receiving payments is required to meet the basic requirements for the maintenance of all farmland in good agricultural conditions consistence with environmental protection. Since 2009, applicant farmer is obliged to comply with standards adopted by Poland in the so-called cross-compliance requirements. Member States shall determine at the national level for Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC). Compliance with these standards, to maintain good agricultural practice is controlled selectively in the annual inspection campaigns conducted by the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARMA). One of control method is Control with Remote Sensing (CwRS), method that involves the determination in satellite or aerial images boundaries of areas subject to subsidies. Experience in the use of remote sensing, however, indicate the potential for the use of processed satellite or air orthophotomaps not only for cropping delineation but also to verify certain elements of agricultural practices. During the CwRS routine, one could indicate a possible non-compliance issues directly on the image and thereby optimize the process of control. The studies indicated which of the requirements to maintain land in good agricultural conditions might be monitored with CwRS. The results of the series of experiments showed that both kind of aerial and satellite orthophoto can be consider as equivalent materials. Features or phenomenon spread over a large area or occurred point-wise are detectable in image easier than during field inspection. Also wherever access or visibility on the ground is limited due to the morphology complexity, road network, etc., orthophotomap provide better angle of view. Nevertheless, the ratio benefit/cost for managing the entire control on national level should be checked against the efficiency of field control.

The Content of Tetrahydrocannbinol in Polish Cultivars of Fibrous Hemp in 2004–2011

Following Poland access to European Union, cultivation and processing of fibrous hemp has been subjected to subsidies and legal regulations of the EU. The criterion for the subsidy is the content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) below 0.2% in dry green matter. The control of THC content in fibrous hemp is a responsibility of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARMA). The control of THC content in 2004–2011 has been carried out by the Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants based on agreements signed with ARMA. Controls covered at least 20% of hemp area eligible for direct payments to agricultural land. The results showed that the THC content in hemp was below the 0.2% for any of selected hemp producer.