The paper presents competitiveness and efficiency of the Polish fruit farms against similar farms from selected European Union countries. The analysis covered farms specialising in fruit trees and bushes covered by FADN monitoring in 2007FADN monitoring in -2009FADN monitoring in and 2011FADN monitoring in -2013 Competitiveness of the researched fruit farms was determined by competitiveness index calculated as a ratio of farm income to costs of using own factors of production: land, labour and capital (as in: W. Kleinhanss). Whereas effectiveness was described by the index of productivity of land, assets and labour.Competitive abilities were demonstrated by Polish fruit farms with eco-

The paper aims at assessment of functioning of farms from gminas (municipalities) of high natural values at the background of farms from other gminas in Poland. The gminas for which the Natural and Tourism Value Index (NTVA), established by the institute of soil science and Plant Cultivation -state research Institute, amounted to at least 35.6% out of 100% possible to be achieved were considered as gminas of high natural values. The comparative analysis took into account the production potential of farms, production organization, costs incurred, productivity of factors of production, farm income per 1 FwU, share of operating subsidies in farm income and the net investment rate. The analysis was carried out using the data of farms keeping accounting for the Polish FADN in 2015 and data of the institute of soil science and Plant Cultivation -state Research Institute. It was recognized that farms from areas of high natural values and keeping accounting for the Polish FADN in 2015, for instance, provided payment for the owner's and his family members' labour costs at above the parity level and saw possibilities for further development for themselves.

The study's main objective is to determine the predisposition and challenges of agriculture to provide environmental public goods to society in areas particularly facing natural or other specific constraints (ANCs) established within their current delimitation in Poland. Its organisational features, economic situation, and the degree of interest in measures specifically serving the protection of the natural environment under the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) EU were indicated. Statistically significant factors determined farmers' willingness to participate in these measures. It turned out that farms from ANCs communes with particularly difficult conditions significantly contribute to the total production potential of agriculture in Poland. However, compared to farms with better natural conditions, they are characterised by a lower income per 1 ha of utilised agriculture area (UAA) and a higher share of subsidies, including those for participation in environmental measures, which were implemented to a greater extent. Based on the logistic regression model, it was found that in ANCs communes with particularly difficult conditions, the most important factor of farmers' greater willingness to implement environmental measures was their higher level of education. On the other hand, this inclination was negatively affected by the higher income adjusted for operating subsidies per 1 ha of UAA.

The article presents the competitiveness and efficiency of Polish vegetable farms against the similar farms from selected European Union countries. The analysis covered farms specializing in growing vegetables, straw­berries, flowers and ornamental plants, mushrooms and nurseries covered by the FADN monitoring system in the years 2007-2009 and 2011-2013. The competitiveness of the researched vegetable farms was determined by the competitiveness index calculated as the ratio of farm income to the cost of using own factors of production: land, labor and capital (according to W. Kleinhanss). Competitive abilities were demonstrated by Polish vegetable farms with economic size of EUR 50-100 and 100-500 thousand of SO and area, respectively of 8.6 and 10.2 ha of UAA. These abilities were also demonstrated by Hungarian and Romanian farms of EUR 25-50 thousand of SO, French and German farms of EUR 100-500 thousand of SO as well as Italian and Spanish farms of EUR > 500 thousand of SO. Fully competitive were German farms of EUR > 500 thousand of SO and the Hungarian farms of EUR: 25-50, 50-100 and 100-500 thousand SO.

This article presents the development capacities of farms in groups divided according to the level of income from farm per unit of work of a farmer and farmer's family members. According to the income criterion, farms were separated into: