Znaczenie płatności bezpośrednich w funkcjonowaniu wybranych gospodarstw województwa mazowieckiego

The paper aims to present the meaning of direct payments in agricultural farms in Mazovia region. Empirical studies have been carried out in the group of 65 farmers. Most respondents (37%) shown vocational education, mostly agricultural. About 87% of respondents with vocational education led to the farms of 20 ha. In turn, higher education predominated among those with higher household spectrum. Producers of the area of 5 hectares, said that their financial situation after the EU integration has not changed. A different situation has been observed among larger farms, with an area exceeding 20 hectares. The way of use of direct payments was dependent on the surface of the farm. Owners of small farms spent more of payments on current consumption, while the larger the households’ size (> 10 ha) the more often they have used it for the current assets or fund investments.