Influence of Subsidies on Technical Equipment and Efficiency of Family Farm

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of subsidies on the technical equipment of holdings. The level of technical equipment of holdings, considering the amount of subsidies, economic size and income, in the period before and after receiving subsidies, shows a growing tendency. The greatest changes were noticed in the group of holdings with subsidies within 100–150 thousand PLN (number of tractors of a power over 50 kW – an increase by 450% pcs100 holdings-1). In all the studied groups, the highest increase (by about 200%) was noted in the number of tractors with a power over 50 kW. An increase in in the economic size (ESU - Economic Size Unit) and in the level of generated income has a significant influence on the level of mechanization of holdings. The efficiency of support technical equipment is considerably higher in groups of holdings with the highest values of the criteria of division than in groups with lower values of the division criteria. The evaluation of the relationship between received funds and the technical modernization of the holdings under study, in the context of sustainable development, allows us to conclude that social sustainability is present in small holdings.