Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: S. Buchta Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agriculture and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Faculty of Law, Department of International and European Law, University of Trnava, Trnava, Slovak Republic Author-Name: T. Buchta Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agriculture and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Faculty of Law, Department of International and European Law, University of Trnava, Trnava, Slovak Republic Title: Impact of the investment grants from the European funds on the development of agriculture and rural areas Abstract: The article describes the impact of the Sectoral Operational Programme Agriculture and Rural Development and the Rural Development Plan 2004-2006 on the rural development in 2004-2007. In addition to the implementation analysis of these programming documents, the article also describes territorial distribution of direct subsidies and state aid over the monitored period of 2004-2007. A summarized overview is given for the drawdown of all types of subsidies and their proportionate amounts. The evaluation of all subsidies has shown that most of them were paid to the Northern and Eastern parts of Slovakia, due to the agroenvironmental and direct payments (mostly LFA). The article also describes, in quantitative terms, the social and economic impact of investment subsidies from the Sectoral Operational Programme Agriculture and Rural Development and the Rural Development Plan 2004-2006, based on the monitoring indicators of result and impact. The comparison of the socio-economic development of the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of investment subsidies from the SOP and RDP has shown a faster growth in income of the beneficiaries, as well as a faster growth of labour productivity. Also, the subsidies significantly helped to reduce the decrease in employment and/or helped to maintain the employment in agriculture. Keywords: Sectoral Operational Programme Agriculture and Rural Development, Rural Development Plan, project (investment) measures, direct subsidies, state aid, territorial distribution of public sources, rural development, socio-economic impact of investment grants on rural development Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 59-66 Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/584-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/584-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200902-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:2:id:584-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Z. Chrastinová Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agriculture and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Author-Name: V. Burianová Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agriculture and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Title: Economic development in Slovak agriculture Abstract: The article discusses economic development of Slovak agriculture in the period after the accession of Slovakia to the EU and after adopting the CAP. It evaluates agriculture as a whole and its contribution to the national economy, as well as the economic performance of the individual legal forms of business and production sectors. The results achieved by agriculture in 2004-2007 suggest that the income within the sector (except of 2005) has improved also due to the inflow of the EU subsidies. On the other hand, despite the growing aid the production output is shrinking, wages stagnate and the employment is falling. This suggests that the CAP should be changed after 2013, especially as regards the ways of subsidy payments. Economics of the individual products are largely affected by input prices, realisation prices, as well as by the volume of direct subsidies, namely in the plant production - the subsidies for crops grown on arable land, and in animal production - the subsidies per 1 Big Cattle Unit. Keywords: agricultural economics, profit/loss, product sectors, subsidy, profitability Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 67-76 Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/580-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/580-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200902-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:2:id:580-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Š. Buday Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Z. Federičová Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Author-Name: R. Vajcíková Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Title: Diversification of farm business Abstract: One of the measures of the Sectoral Operational Programme Agriculture and Rural Development is focused on the diversification of agricultural activities. The analysis of the measure showed the greatest interest in financial support among the subjects aimed at agritourism and rural tourism. The field of tourism dominates also among the number of the approved projects. The share of other diversification activities is very low. The analysis of other profitable activities in the Farm Structure Census and Farm Structure Survey by the type of activities shows that the total number of agricultural enterprises with other profitable activities decreased in 2005 compared to 2001 and 2003. The total amount of agricultural enterprises with other profitable activities in the Slovak Republic reached 3 219 in 2001, 4 465 in 2003, and 2 066 enterprises in 2005. In 2005, the number of the enterprises increased in the field of craft industry, wood processing, fishery, generating energy from renewable resources and contracted work. Keywords: sustainable rural development, diversification of rural economy, other profitable activities, Sectoral Operational Programme, agritourism, rural tourism Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 77-83 Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/583-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/583-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200902-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:2:id:583-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: D. Matošková Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Author-Name: J. Gálik Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Title: Selected aspects of the internal and external competitiveness of Slovak agricultural and food products Abstract: The article describes the competitiveness of Slovak agricultural and food products after the accession of the Slovak Republic into the EU. The analysis has shown that even despite the increased subsidization and full liberalisation of trade, the competitiveness of our products still needs to develop. The main reason behind this is the poor efficiency of production and the lack of innovation activities. Most agricultural commodities are profitable only because of subsidies. Processing industry is the main contributor to the worsening deficit of trade balance. Specific commodities with good sales potential in the EU market include cereals, malt, wheat flour, dairy products, live cattle and sheep meat. Keywords: competitiveness, efficiency, prices, costs, EU, foreign trade, balance, market segmentation Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 84-93 Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/579-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/579-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200902-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:2:id:579-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: S. Krížová Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Title: Selected food verticals and their impact on prices of food products Abstract: The article deals with the analysis of food market on the level of consumer prices structure, through the identification of margins in the selected food verticals and through the analysis of consumer behaviour associated with changes in prices and income of population. The article also discusses the factors which may affect the current growing trend in prices of food in the SR and worldwide and subsequently, the reduction of gap between the Slovak and the EU prices. Keywords: price, margin, dairy products, bread, food expenditures Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 94-101 Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/581-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/581-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200902-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:2:id:581-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: M. Brodová Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Title: The agrienvironmental programme in Slovakia, in 2004-2006 Abstract: Main objective of the agrienvironmental measures is to support the environmentally acceptable farming methods, the application of soil protection methods, as well as the protection and maintaining of biodiversity in agricultural landscape. The project measure Agrienvironment and animal welfare conditions in the 2004-2006 programming period was the one that attracted the highest number of applications. The total area of land farmed in compliance with the requirements under the agrienvironmental measure represented about one fifth of the total area of agricultural land in Slovakia by the end of 2006. The largest portion of the area has been farmed by legal persons. The article presents the evaluation of the selected data in a questionnaire survey among businesses involved in the agrienvironmental programme, mostly related to the structure of land fund, employment, motivation, production and diversity of farm coverage. Keywords: agrienvironmental programme, questionnaire survey, production, sales, landscape coverage of a farm Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 102-109 Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/582-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/582-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200902-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:2:id:582-AGRICECON