Mechanization of individual farms in Opole province

Abstract

The present study carries out a quantitative and qualitative analysis of equipment in selected individual farms in Opole Province. Moreover, the subject of the analysis is the degree of yearly utilization of equipment as the well as the forms of use. The investigations were conducted in June 2007 on 70 selected individual farms located in Opole Province. A questionnaire was employed to collect source materials. The analysis used descriptive statistics methods as arithmeti-cal means and variability coefficient. The level of equipment in tractors of all area groups of farms is satisfactory. However, because of their age the machines are often technically and technologically obsolete. It applies especially to the smallest farms. Yearly utilization of tractors and combine harvesters is adequate only among the largest farms. In the remaining farms the utilization is low, which is the result of the crop structure and small utilization of the machines outside the farm.