Wybrane aspekty analizy porównawczej gospodarstw ekologicznych i konwencjonalnych w zakresie ekonomiki i organizacji chowu bydła

The paper reports on the results of study based on a survey in a sample of 61 ecological and 53 conventional agricultural holdings. Comparative analysis of these farms with regard to economics and organisation of cattle breeding is refereed to 1997. The outcomes of the analysis show that cattle breeding processes in both selected types of farms are very similar, particularly when cattle feeding, reproduction, and adopted production technology are taken into consideration. Insignificant differences were noted in volume of milk and beef production but value of this output was higher in ecological holdings as a consequence of much higher prices for products of ecological farms origin. Generally, large ecological and conventional farms applied modern technologies of production. On the contrary, in small agricultural holdings there dominated extensive forms of production. Because of low incomes achieved by these households they used traditional, in complex methods of production. Difficulties with putting products on the market constituted the main problem which faced ecological agricultural holdings. These obstacles were caused by long distance of the market (large towns) and lack of well developed distributive network that limited consumers' access to healthy food.