Regional diversification of the effects of support for agricultural producer groups in Poland

Abstract

The aim of the article is the analysis of quantitative data describing groups of agricultural producers operating under the conditions of Poland's membership in the EU. Their number was analyzed according to the creation periods, i.e. in the years 2004-2013 and 2014-2017, the type of activity broken down into plant products and animal products, paid out amounts under measure 142 - Agricultural Producers Group [measure 142] of the Rural Development Programme. The voivodship dominating the market in terms of absorption of support and the degree of market concentration were determined using the Herfindahl-Hirschman index [HHI]. In terms of region, the phenomenon of significant diversification of farmers' participation in horizontal integration processes within agri-cultural producer groups was observed. Most groups of agricultural producers were established in the Wielkopolskie voivodship, and the least in the Małopolskie voivodship, where it is the most fragmented in the country. High activity of farmers in establishing agricultural producer groups implied obtaining high amounts of support from EU funds. Farmers from the Wielkopolskie, Dolnośląskie and Opolskie voivodships achieved a dominant position on the market in the absorption of funds as part of the 142 PROW action among all voivodships in Poland. In total, they acquired nearly half of all funds [47%]. The degree of market concentration in terms of absorption of EU funds determined using the Herfindahl-Hirschman index was moderate, as it amounted to 1220. It was therefore a level that did not threaten the competition processes in applying for EU support for agricultural producer groups.