Implementation of quality improvements and innovations in agricultural enterprises

Abstract

This article deals with the implementation of innovations and quality improvements into operations of mainly small and medium-sized enterprises and family farms in the Czech Republic. The aim is to improve the competitiveness of production in internal, European, and global markets, as well as in the context of optimising the settings and recommendations for new subsidies within the Common Agricultural Policy for the forthcoming programming period. The dependence of the use of various forms of innovation in relation to financial crises was investigated, as well as the general (proactive vs. reactive) attitude to innovation, and also mutual operation with Local Action Groups (LAGs) as another source of support. Due to the structure of the obtained data, a general linear model (GLM) was used for the evaluation. Using the methods of advanced statistical testing, the two most important aspects of the implementation of innovations in agriculture enterprises were identified from the obtained data. These two key aspects are: cooperation with the LAG and the use of consultants for processing project applications. Thus, other factors, the size of the farm, the existence of financial problems and the length of farming are not statistically significant. This contribution is intended to help public administration bodies that have a power to set the support conditions for the Rural Development Programme.

Keywords

• agribusiness
• consultants
• farming
• local action groups
• new approaches