Theoretical background: Agriculture is an input-intensive sector of the economy. The sector of means of production in agriculture is one of the three basic components of the food economy. The prices of agricultural inputs shape the operational costs of farms and significantly affect their income situation. Key agricultural inputs represent fertilizers, plant protection products, seeds, energy and labour force. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the functioning of food systems all over the world, including in Poland. The agricultural sector in Poland faced several challenges, including the surge in prices of means of production in agriculture. Purpose of the article: The study aims to identify and assess changes in the prices of means of production in agriculture and the impact of changes in these prices on the dynamics of selling prices of agricultural products and the income situation of farms in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research methods: The study employs various research methods, including critical literature analysis, the descriptive approach, the comparative method, verbal logic, and descriptive statistical methods. Moreover, we utilize a standardised questionnaire method utilising the CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) technique, targeting 50 experts in the field of agricultural economics, to gather their perspectives on the possibility of transferring the rise in agricultural production costs to the pricing of products sold during the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary data come from the Statistics Poland, the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARMA), and the National Bank of Poland (NBP). The research period covers the years 2017–2021, with particular emphasis on the years 2020–2021, i.e., the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Main findings: Research results show that only in 2020, the prices of goods purchased for current agricultural production decreased. However, in 2021, the costs of materials and services and other costs in agriculture, including wages, increased at a record pace. The demand-side causes of such cost increases were increases in money supply and agricultural income. Supply-side causes were shaped by commodity prices and wages. In Poland, the prices of goods and services purchased by farms were less variable than the prices of goods sold. The data analysis did not reveal significant relationships regarding the dynamics of the prices discussed. Such a conclusion is also confirmed by the results of a questionnaire survey directed to experts in agricultural economics. The responses concerning the possibility of transferring the increase in production costs to the prices of sold products during the pandemic years varied. In the years 2017–2021, the income situation of Polish farms was variable. In 2020, increases in income from production factors, operating surplus, and farmer’s income, and their decreases in 2021, were inversely correlated with changes in production costs in agriculture.

The resilience of economic and social systems to shocks is one of the fundamental goals of sustainable development. One such event that seriously disrupted the global economy was the COVID-19 pandemic. It posed a direct threat to people’s health and lives and also caused an economic crisis. One of the effects of the crisis was the loss of stability in agricultural production with the resulting threat to food security. The foreign trade channel played a vital role in the mechanism of pandemic transmission to the agricultural sector in the world and Poland. This article aims to assess the significance of changes in international trade in agri-food commodities conducted by Polish entities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research period covers the years 2017–2021, focusing on the years 2020–2021, the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such a research period allows comparative analyses during the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods. The following research methods are used in this study: a critical analysis of the literature, the descriptive approach, the comparative method, and verbal logic and descriptive statistical methods. The data used in this article come from the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and cover Poland’s foreign trade turnover according to the International Standard Trade Classification (SITC) used by the United Nations Statistics Department. The COVID-19 pandemic period did not cause a drastic collapse in Polish foreign trade. Short-lived blockages in the flow of goods, which appeared in Q2 2020, resulted in a 14% drop in the value of Polish exports. Already in Q3 2020, foreign trade turnover returned to pre-pandemic levels. In Q2 2020, the value of the exports of agri-food goods decreased by only 3%. For other commodity groups, the export values were 7–40% lower. Agri-food trade proved more resilient to pandemic shocks than trade in non-agricultural sectors. The foreign trade crisis affected the imports of goods more than exports.

Aim: The aim of the study is to identify and characterize agricultural policy instruments employed to mitigate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. It also aims to propose new and modified state policy instruments to counter the pandemic’s negative consequences in agriculture. Methods: We employed a qualitative approach using expert reviews to refine agricultural policy instruments aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifteen independent experts critically evaluated our internally formulated instrument proposals, providing in-depth feedback and assessments. These expert assessments were conducted in June-July 2023. Results: The primary entities that provide public financial support for agriculture in Poland are the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARiMR), the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS), and the National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR). The study developed and refined a range of instruments to counteract the detrimental effects of pandemics on agriculture. These tools, refined through expert insights, address key challenges such as market access, labor availability, logistical issues, and health risks in farming activities. The Integrated Agricultural Platform (IAP), Anti-Crisis Agricultural Fund (ACAF), and other state-supported initiatives constitute a comprehen­sive strategy designed not only to alleviate immediate impacts, but also to strengthen long-term resilience. Conclusions: This proactive and multifaceted approach is essential to ensure the stability and sustainability of the agricultural sector in the face of potential future health crises, including pandemics.

The main objective of the study is the quantitative characteristics of the business cycle in agriculture in Poland in 1991-2016. The first part of the article is devoted to the theory of cyclical fluctuations in the agriculture. The second part includes an empirical analysis. The investigation of...

CEL NAUKOWY: Celem artykułu jest rozpoznanie, omówienie i ocena sposobów oraz zakresu oddziaływania państwa na rolnictwo w Polsce, aby wspomóc gospodarstwa rolne w związku z pandemią COVID-19. PROBLEM I METODY BADAWCZE: Głównym problemem badawczym jest identyfikacja pomocy podejmowanej przez państwo w stosunku do rolnictwa w związku z kryzysem pandemicznym oraz wskazanie wielkości i kierunków wsparcia polskich producentów rolnych. Metodyka badawcza opiera się na analizie literatury przedmiotu, zastosowaniu metody opisowej, porównawczej, logiki werbalnej oraz metod statystyki opisowej. PROCES WYWODU: Proces badawczy składa się z następujących części: analiza skutków pandemii COVID-19 dla rolnictwa w literaturze przedmiotu, przedstawienie wyników badań dotyczących poziomu państwowego wsparcia sektora rolnego w Polsce, prezentacja sytuacji dochodowej gospodarstw rolnych w pierwszym roku pandemii oraz dyskusja. WYNIKI ANALIZY NAUKOWEJ: Gospodarstwa rolne w Polsce generalnie dobrze poradziły sobie w niekorzystnych warunkach wywołanych pandemią COVID-19. Największe problemy wystąpiły w pierwszej fazie kryzysu. Polscy producenci rolni mogli korzystać z wielu programów i instrumentów oferowanych przez państwo. ARiMR realizowała pomoc z programu współfinansowanego ze środków UE oraz programów w ramach pomocy krajowej. W związku z kryzysem COVID-19 w latach 2020–2021 łączne wsparcie Agencji dla gospodarstw rolnych wyniosło 1,8 mld zł, tj. 3,4% całych jej wydatków. WNIOSKI, INNOWACJE, REKOMENDACJE: Poziom wydatków dla rolnictwa w Polsce, związanych z szokiem wywołanym przez SARS-CoV-2, był znaczący. Zrealizowane wsparcie generalnie należy ocenić pozytywnie. Zostały złagodzone skutki kryzysu. Natomiast należy bardziej wiązać wsparcie z sytuacją ekonomiczno-finansową rolników. Trzeba też pamiętać, że pomoc państwa, poprzez wzrost podatków, długu publicznego i/lub inflacji, jest kosztowna dla społeczeństwa.