TRANSFORMATIONS OF DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURES RELATED TO THE POPULATION INVOLVED WITH PRIVATE FARMING DURING THE POST-WAR PERIOD IN POLAND

The aim of this work is an attempt to follow through such transformations in order to determine whether and up to what extent this population shall be further able to fulfill the role of a stimulator within the process of population reproduction for to assure some surplus in continuity of generations within the whole population of the country. And secondly - whether the resources of man power could be reproduced if we assume that because of modernization and technicization of agricultural production the volume of man power should diminish? In order to realize the aim of the research work first of all the results of censuses from the periods 1921 - 1931 and 1950 - 1988 as well as of the micro-census from 1995 were used. An evolution of demographic structure of the researched population has been observed. Movements of migration proved to be an important factor of deformation of these structures; such movements were of most intensity during the period of parallel and very prompt industrialization and urbanization of the country. The movements in question have been stopped after 1989. Such a constant migration has caused not only visible aging of the population of farmers but also - a lack of wives for young farmers. Characteristic standards of reproduction process in Poland respectively to countryside and town do show a decreasing tendency. A level which does no more assure simple continuity of generations within the countryside milieu has been observed only in 1995. A decrease in number of children and migration of young people to the town milieu has caused an increase of the rate of the elderly. Concentration and deconcentration trends dominated evolution processes of agrarian structure. Respective changes for private farms during three periods have been presented. The research work showed that the rate of amelioration of the structure of these farms was rather poor. Our agriculture is still characterized with the smallest extent of soil concentration in Europe. Within the period of the last century important changes have occurred in relation with the ratio of the population that earns its living in agriculture and the other. A proportion of professionally active people has sharply decreased in relation with professionally passive people. Growing phenomenon of performing double job has been observed, as far as private farming in Poland is concerned. Because of their great number of children the countryside population of Poland has been up to the present a reservoir of man power and, as such, contributed to fill up all lacks in this respect in urbanized areas. A maintaining of this phenomenon shall depend on the fact whether young people find enough good conditions for to stay in the countryside, i.e. in the agriculture and respective processing industries. A possibility of creating much more large farms is here a good chance for it could turn into reality