Factor Productivity and Profitability of Horticultural Holdings in Selected Countries Specializing in Fruit and Vegetable Production in the European Union in the Period 2008-2018

Abstract

The aim of the article is a comparative assessment of the productivity of horticultural farms, taking into account their economic size, in selected EU countries that specialize in horticultural production, i.e. Greece, Spain, Italy, Poland and Romania. The concentration of production and the associated increase in the economic strength of farms, as well as the multiplicity of entities of different sizes in European Union countries made it necessary to take into account the criterion of economic strength as a factor that allows comparisons between countries. In order to achieve the objective, average factor productivity and profitability of horticultural holdings from the EU FADN database in 2008-2018 were examined in static and dynamic terms through the average annual rate of change. The conducted research confirmed that with an increase in the economic size of farms, on average, their efficiency increases, and the production of fruits and vegetables in the studied period was profitable in all countries and economic size groups. The highest land productivity was achieved by Italian farms, the lowest by horticultural farms from Romania. The highest asset productivity was recorded in Spain and slightly lower in Poland, and the lowest in Italy and Romania. The highest labour productivity was in Spanish and Polish agricultural holdings, and the lowest in Italian agricultural holdings. These results were translated into profitability of production, which was the highest in Spanish farms and the lowest in Italian farms. Sales were unprofitable only in Italian and Romanian agricultural holdings.