AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY – TRANSFORMATION EXPERIENCESAND NEW CHALLENGES

Abstract

The aim of this article is to identify the challenges facing public advisory services, resulting from the expectations offarmers and rural inhabitants and to present the most important steps which should be taken to address these challenges. Themain problem faced by Polish farmers is primarily the improvement of competitiveness that can be achieved by increasing(economical, environmental and social) efficiency. Agricultural advisory centers must work closely with science andagricultural education to effectively support farmers. In view of the new challenges facing advisory services, there is a needfor an integrated agricultural information system. The development of such a system is necessary for the advisors to movefrom providing information and supporting farmers in raising EU funds to actions aimed at improving production efficiency.

Keywords

• economic transformation
• agricultural advisory
• farm competitiveness
• cooperation with science