LABOUR INPUT IN POLISH AGRICULTURE AGAINST SIZE OF AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS – SPATIAL ANALYSIS*

The aim of this paper is to present the analysis of spatial diversifi cation in the labour input in agriculture on the basis of these selected indicators: annual work unit (AWU) per 100 ha agricultural acreage; number of people per AWU; and comparison of labour input to EU-15 standards (LI-EU). Agricultural holdings have been categorised by size into three groups: 0–10 ha (small), 10–20 ha (average), and over 20 ha (large). Labour resources were subject to a comparative study of the density rates of AWUs per 100 ha agricultural acreage in Poland and the EU (EU-15). The analysis covered all of Poland with consideration of the administrative division into sixteen voivodeships (tabular analysis) and 314 poviats (townships and country districts together, including regional offi ces of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARiMR); cartographic analysis). The results of the Agricultural Census of 2010 were used in the study. It demonstrated a signifi cant spatial diversifi cation in labour input in agriculture in general and in each holding size group. Predominantly, the diff erences are related to historical and political factors. The analysis corroborated agrarian overpopulation in south-east Poland