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Abstract
Factor and cluster analysis are used to analyse the attitudes and perceptions of
agricultural households in five EU New Member States towards farming,
commercialisation, and barriers to and drivers for an increased integration in
agricultural markets. The contribution of unsold output to the total household
income is valued. A stepwise linear regression is employed to detect important
variables explaining the degree of agricultural market integration of farm
households. The analysis indicates that subsistence farming is of utmost
importance for the rural poor, and particularly in Bulgaria and Romania. The
proportion of consumption from own production, manual cultivation techniques
and distance to an urban centre negatively affect output sales. Rural development
policies targeted at rural physical and market infrastructure might relieve some of
these constraints.