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The paper aims to evaluate the implications of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict for the strength and nature of the integration of Ukrainian grain markets with world markets. The empirical research is based on the theoretical foundations of spatial market integration and the spatial market equilibrium model. According to them, changes in the integration of Ukrainian and world wheat, corn, and barley markets are evaluated via fluctuations in trade flow volumes, changes in trade costs and price co-movement. To analyze trade implications, monthly trade flow volumes, trade shares, and trade concentration measures during the conflict were compared with expected values assuming no war. To evaluate the implications of the conflict for trade costs, the authors analyzed differences between Ukrainian and world grain prices. Relying on the weekly price series, the price co-movement was assessed using the autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL) and Granger instantaneous causality test. The results show that the strength of the integration of Ukrainian grain markets with world markets has deteriorated due to the conflict. It is confirmed by the decrease in the grain export volumes from Ukraine, the increase in price differences, and the lack of significant price transmission between Ukrainian and global grain markets since the war outbreak in February 2022. Moreover, the nature of the market integration has changed. One can observe a growing role of the European Union countries in the Ukrainian grain export share and changes in the Ukrainian grain export concentration. Such behaviour is in line with the theoretical foundation of the spatial market equilibrium model and theory of international integration.
</abstract>

PhD, DSc, Warsaw University of Life Sciences

PhD, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

Integration of Ukrainian Grain Markets with Foreign Markets During Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

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The article examines trends in changes in relations among three production factors (land, labor, and capital) in agriculture in the selected European Union countries. For the purpose, the assumptions regarding the direction and the mechanism of changes in the relations were verified empirically. It was assumed that the basis of the mechanism is the ratio of changes in factor productivity to changes in the prices (remuneration) of these factors. Trends in production factors were verified empirically using agricultural economic accounts as well as statistics on labor and land inputs in agriculture collected by Eurostat. The trends in changes in the relations among production factors correspond to the capital-intensive stage of growth in agriculture. A strong trend of decline in the labor factor in agriculture was demonstrated along with the reduction of land in the EU agriculture. The changes were accompanied by diversified involvement of the capital factor in agriculture. With a constant increase in the volume of agricultural production, there is a corresponding increase in the productivity of the production factors. The increase is the smallest in the case of the capital factor, because it performs not only a growth function, but also is a substitute for the decline in other factors. An increased productivity of the production factors is related to an increase in their remuneration reflected by an increase in their prices. The deviations from capital-intensive growth in agriculture observed in the empirical study indicate other factors influencing the remuneration of production factors in agriculture.
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Department of Agricultural Holdings Accountancy

Department of Agricultural Markets and Quantitative Methods

Changes in Production Factor Relations and their Determinants in Agriculture in Selected European Union Countries

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The aim of the study was to identify the degree of implementation of the user innovation (UI) model in selected food processing industries in Poland and it was achieved through the following research objectives: (1) to identify the sources of information used in the course of innovation processes by innovative enterprises – divided into external and internal sources, (2) to determine to what extent users (consumers in particular) are involved in the course of individual stages of the innovation process, and (3) to compare the degree of consumer involvement in the course of innovation processes with the innovation level of innovative enterprises. Primary data was obtained through an interview method (a survey employing the CAWI method), conducted among 215 micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises in the meat processing, juice production, and milk processing industries. The time scope of the survey was 2018–2019 and the survey was conducted in mid-2021. Approximately two-thirds of innovative enterprises use information from consumers during the innovation process and consumers are involved to a different degree in its respective stages. Most often enterprises engage consumers during the stage of innovation impulse, creating and testing prototypes. A significant share of innovative enterprises uses information from consumers during the innovation process. The companies that reported the highest number of innovations were, to a large extent, those that involved consumers at more stages of the innovation process. The application of the UI model assumptions can be considered as conducive to shaping innovativeness of the analyzed food processing industries.
</abstract>

PhD, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof. of University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

Implementation of the User Innovation Model in Micro-, Small-, and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Food Processing Industry

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The aim of the research was to determine the costs and profitability of traditional and innovative potatoes cultivation in Poland. The experimental field trials of selected potato varieties in various variants were carried out between 2021 and 2022. The applied variants of experiments included potatoes cultivation according to traditional and innovative methods, i.e. in commercial conditions (high intensity of inputs and costs, including fertilization with mineral fertilizers and synthetic plant protection products) and in the absence of fertilization and plant protection, or only with the use of interaction with beneficial microorganisms. For economic calculations, there were applied methods of profitability of potatoes production for the evaluation of various production variants, calculation of production costs and assessment of production profit. The research material consisted of the results of field experiments carried out as part of the international PotatoMETAbiome project for 11 potato varieties and six variants of the experiment in fields located in the north of Poland. Based on the research, it was found that the average potatoes production costs in 2021 and 2022 decreased for traditional variants and increased for innovative variants. In 2021, the lowest production costs were for the variant without fertilization and plant protection products and innovative variants. In turn, in 2022, the lowest production costs were for traditional variants, i.e., with fertilization and protection, and without fertilization with protection, as well as with fertilization and without chemical protection, and without fertilization and without chemical protection. In all years under consideration and for all variants, potatoes cultivation was profitable. The potatoes production profitability ratios during the years under analysis decreased for innovative variants, while they increased for variants with intensive production. It was found that an innovative strategy of potatoes production with the use of beneficial microorganisms may be an economically justified alternative to changing production, market, and political conditions.
</abstract>

PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof. of Warsaw University of Life Sciences

Differentiation of Profitability of Traditional and Innovative Potatoes Cultivation in Poland

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The main goal of the analysis is to determine the efficiency of various types of pig farming. The article presents a drastic decline in the number pigs and pig farms in Poland in recent years. The effect of the changes was reduced self-sufficiency in the production of live pigs. In terms of a decline in the domestic supply of live pigs, there was an increase in imports, mainly of weaners for further fattening. In addition to the dominant closed live pig production system, an open and mixed production system can also be distinguished. Imported weaners constituted the basis for the open farm system, which was conducted in two ways: at farmer’s own cost and contract rearing. The study material consisted of data from Statistics Poland and Farm Accountancy Data Network. The tabular analysis method and correlation indicators were used. The analysis of the efficiency of live pig production under a closed and open farm systems showed that the most effective was a closed system on a larger scale (sales of a minimum of 400–700 fattened pigs per year). The open farm system at farmer’s own cost provided higher income than contract fattening, which guaranteed satisfactory income. However, the open system at farmer’s own cost requires producers to have their own capital to purchase weaners and feed. Obtaining higher income involves greater risk. It was concluded that contract fattening is advisable for producers who have buildings suitable for fattening but who do not have their own funds and are not willing to take risk.
</abstract>

Department of Economics of Agricultural and Horticultural Holdings

Efficiency of Live Pig Production Depending on the Type of Rearing

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 378 (2024): Issue 1 (March 2024)

Volume 377 (2023): Issue 4 (December 2023)

Volume 376 (2023): Issue 3 (September 2023)

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Volume 374 (2023): Issue 1 (March 2023)

Volume 373 (2022): Issue 4 (December 2022)

Volume 372 (2022): Issue 3 (September 2022)

Volume 371 (2022): Issue 2 (June 2022)

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Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej

 The quarterly Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej / Problems of Agricultural Economics is the oldest and most representative journal in Poland dealing with agri-food economics and related disciplines. Since its beginning, it has been the main forum for presenting the key scientific and research findings, fuelling scientific disputes, forming new theories and concepts of practical solutions, conducting discussions around the methodology of scientific research. Published articles are dedicated to the fields of agricultural economics and policy, food industry and trade, rural areas development, globalization and regionalization, sustainability, environment protection, bioeconomy, climate changes, innovations and digital technologies, risk management and insurances, as well as finance and marketing.   The journal reaches out to many foreign research centres to serve as an important tool for exchange of information on current directions in research between the Polish and international readership. With contribution from leading international scholars, the journal promotes new developments in research and methods of analysis.     Preference is given to original articles that test, extend or build strong theoretical frameworks while empirically investigating the issues. All empirical methods, including, but not limited to, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed ones, are welcome.     The journal publishes full-texts of papers in Open Access. All papers are made available under the Creative Commons CC BY (Attribution) international license. The papers available on the website from 2014 are in Polish and English. Since 2016, the primary version of the journal has been the online English version. The website www.zer.waw.pl features full texts of papers published from 2009 as well as other selected archival issues.     The Publisher of the journal – Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics National Research Institute – is a member of Crossref; therefore all articles published in the journal are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Moreover, the Editorial Team uses the Crossref Similarity Check.     The journal is indexed in the following databases: Web of Science (Emerging Sources Citation Index), CABI, ERIH Plus, Agro, BazEkon, CeON, CEJSH, SIGŻ, AgEcon Search, SSRN, and ICI Journals Master List.     According to the Communication from the Minister for Education and Science dated 1 December 2021 concerning the list of scientific journals and materials from international conferences, the journal Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej / Problems of Agricultural Economics scored 40 points.     There is no charge for submitting to the journal.     NOTE: Polish authors are requested to submit their manuscripts in both Polish and English.   Archiving   Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.   Plagiarism Policy   The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 