Farm producer groups in the development of rural areas in Pomerania

Abstract

Large competition from the foreign agriculture forced the Polish farmers to associate themselves in producer groups. The experiences of many countries leading in the development of the agrarian sector of economy show that one of the important ways to achieve competitive advantage of a farm, which will guarantee it a firm position on the market, is group cooperation. Functioning in a group, allows its members (the farmers), not only to take part in the production of goods, but also in the ensuing stages on their processing and turnover.

In the following article depicted is the horizontal integration status of agricultural holdings of Pomerania Region. The article also discusses the quantitative development of the agriculture producer groups, their spatial system and breakdown due to chosen legal form and business structure.

In the Pomeranian 48 farm producer groups arose the after integration with the European Union. Most of them, was localized in regions of intensive agriculture with high quality of agricultural producing space. The legal form most commonly chosen when creating a group was a limited liability company (74,5%). In business structure the first place was taken by groups producing grain and oilseeds (54,1%), the second place simultaneously the producers of poultry, animals and swine, milk and potatoes, fresh or chilled (8,3% respectively after).

Should hope that this group organization form springing from the authentic rural cooperatives will help to solve if not all, then at least some of the problems facing Pomeranian agriculture. Moreover, a group of agricultural producers will have an influence on the further development of rural areas of Pomerania.