Changes in agricultural land prices during the privatization of the sate-owned agricultural sector in Wielkopolska region and in Poland

Przedstawiono ceny ziemi rolniczej w okresie prywatyzacji państwowego sektora rolnego w Polsce i Wielkopolsce (lata 1999-2008). W analizowanym okresie ceny ziemi wzrastały, najsilniej od 2002 roku, to jest przed akcesją do UE. Wzrost był silniejszy w Wielkopolsce niż średnio w Polsce i dotyczył bardziej gruntów dobrych i średnich, niż słabych. Dynamika zmian cen wykazała silną korelację z wskaźnikiem dochodu rolniczego. Poprawy struktury agrarnej należy upatrywać bardziej przez dzierżawy niż sprzedaż gruntu.In this publication changes in the agricultural land prices in a period of privatization of the state-owned agricultural sector are presented for Poland (in the years 1997 - 2008) and for Wielkopolska (in the years 1999 - 2008), after the new administrative division. For that period, the price of agricultural land in Wielkopolska has increased much more rapidly (by 240%) than in the whole country (by 151%). A much stronger increase in land price has occurred since the year 2002, just before the Poland accession to the EU. Over the whole analyzed period, prices of the agricultural land from the resources of State Treasury were lower than prices of the land traded between farmers. The land price was affected most by a soil quality. The respective prices paid for good quality arable land were higher by 117% and for land of average quality were higher by 60% compared to the weak soils. It was identified the significant correlation between the changes in agricultural land prices and the index of agricultural income. Increasing prices of agricultural land and a present fall in macroeconomic indexes indicate to the slowing down changes in the agrarian structure in the nearest future. Taking into account the changes both in the land and rental prices it is justified to expect a wider popularization of the land lease. This should be included into a framework of the state agricultural policy