RESEARCH PAPER
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CONDITION OF FARMS IN POLAND AND CZECHIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
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1
Poznań University of Economics and Business
2
Mendel University in Brno
3
Institute of International Politics and Economics
Submission date: 2023-10-09
Final review date: 2023-10-28
Acceptance date: 2024-01-12
Publication date: 2024-03-26
Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej / Problems of Agricultural Economics 2024;378(1):30-49
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ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the functioning of the entire economy. However, the strength of
the impact was not uniform across sectors, with some affected more severely and others only slightly.
Due to its importance, agribusiness is of particular interest. Therefore, the aim of the publication is to
assess the economic and financial condition of farms in Poland and Czechia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study covered the 2017–2021 period. The economic and financial condition was established on the basis of the following volumes and values of indicators: total output, prices of products and
inputs, export and import volumes, productivity, profitability and debt ratios. The study includes data
from national statistics and the FADN agricultural accounting system and concerns two EU countries,
mentioned above. Chain indices were used to show trends, while the financial analysis includes selected
productivity, profitability, and debt ratios. Calculations were carried out for average values of farms
and divided into economic size classes. The results indicate that the agricultural sector was not particularly
vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in terms of changes in output, which was mainly
influenced by weather factors. What did change were the higher prices of agricultural raw materials
and inputs (fertilizers, fuels, feed) in 2021. In Poland the growth dynamics of the prices of sold products
surpassed that of inputs, in Czechia the proportions were reversed. This translated into the values of
financial indicators. In general, they improved in Poland, while in Czechia 2021 turned out to be less
favourable financially. Comparing different economic classes, in Poland the results for small farms
were relatively good, in Czechia the larger entities fared better under the crisis conditions.