RESEARCH PAPER
ECONOMIC VIABILITY BY FARM SIZE OF ESTONIAN FAMILY FARMS
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Estonian University of Life Sciences
Submission date: 2019-11-21
Final review date: 2020-01-02
Acceptance date: 2020-02-18
Publication date: 2020-03-16
Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej / Problems of Agricultural Economics 2020;362(1):14-28
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ABSTRACT
Small farms are subject to a wide range of influences on their viability including
economic, policy and regulatory drivers as well as internal farm household
drivers of change. Small farms have experienced a decline in numbers compared
to large farms. The main task of the paper is to determine the share of viable
farms of different size groups in Estonia, exploring the factors that are associated
with economically viable farms. For determination of the share of viable farms of
different size groups the opportunity-cost-based approach is used. Farm viability
is estimated by using the data from the Estonian Farm Accounting Data Network.
The results indicate that the economic viability of Estonian farms has slightly
increased, but the share of viable farms has decreased. Smaller farms’ economic
viability is declining, many of them are economically vulnerable. Smaller farms’
capability to survive and develop by using the available resources is lower compared
to larger farms.