agriculture and food economy in poland

programme, whose implementation was commenced in 2002 and the
completion was shifted from 2004 to 2005, is targeted at inhabitants of villages
and small towns.
Actions and supportive measures funded from the WB loan and co-financed
from the Polish national budget totalling Euro 300 million comprise the following:
- granting micro-loans to create new jobs
- financing programmes of reorientation/and retraining of the workforce
- financing school education in rural areas
- co-financing construction of rural infrastructure
- co-financing creation of local and regional administration
Appropriate ministries and local self-governments are engaged in the
Programme implementation.
Agricultural Advisory Services
AGRICULTURAL POLICY
State agricultural advisory services financed from the national budget are an
important element of aid for farmers, by providing advice to farmers and inhabitants
of rural areas on a wide scale, free of charge. Agricultural Advisory Services played a
particularly important role during preparations for the EU membership
referendum, for accession to the EU and right after accession. Agricultural advisors
were main providers of information on rules applicable to agriculture following
accession and a necessity of complying with specific sanitary and veterinary
requirements in agricultural production. Along with paying agencies’ staff, advisors
helped farmers fill in applications for direct payments and prepared farmers and
inhabitants of rural areas to be able to draw on Structural Funds aid.
In Poland advisory services operate within two structures:
- Voivodship Advisory Services Centres (ODRs) together with field units
reporting to voivods and financed from voivodship budgets
- National Advisory Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NACARD) including two divisions and seven regional centres, reporting to
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and financed from the
MARD budget.
Overall, 5 315 staff are employed in ODRs and NACARD, of whom 2 992 field
advisors, 1 048 specialists and 322 management staff. Agricultural Advisory Centres
cooperate with research and scientific units, national and regional institutions as
well as agricultural organisations and companies working for the benefit of
agriculture and rural development. Dissemination of information useful for farms’
operations as well as enhancing farmers and rural areas inhabitants’ qualifications,
enabling them to benefit from state aid and external funds takes various forms, such
as direct contacts with farmers, training courses, seminars, agricultural fairs,
exhibitions and other promotion events, website, advisory centres’ publications,
bulletins, magazines, leaflets, posters, video cassettes, etc.
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