Investment and innovation: Creating the future on farms in the Ciechanów district

Innovation on farms is a requirement of the modern market. Innovative activity is extremely important in the modernisation of Polish agriculture, it is associated with the introduction of changes, the dissemination of any novelties, the improvement of existing states, in order to increase production efficiency, reduce its costs. Innovations in agricultural holdings focus mainly on the purchaseof new equipment and agricultural machinery, the use of more efficient plant varieties, the adaptation of plant protection products or the selection of appropriate animal breeds to the prevailing conditions and the appropriate management of water consumption. The main objective of the research was to identify and characterise the innovations implemented and how they are managed on farms. The research tool was a survey questionnaire. A pilot survey was conducted in 2023 among 52 farm owners in the Ciechanówdistrict. The results showed that for a large proportion of respondents, innovations implemented on farms are associated with improving the farm’s capabilities and increasing its competitiveness on the market. In addition, innovative activities enable an increase in production, which can result in higher income on a given farm. The main reasons indicated by respondents forimplementing innovative solutions on farms are the desire to introduce more efficient solutions, increase farm income and reduce farm costs. The most frequently implemented innovation in the surveyed farms was the purchase of new machinery and equipment. When characterising the number and type of innovations implemented by farmers, special attention had to be paid to factors that discourage or prevent the use of the solutions in question on farms. Nearly one-third of respondents indicated the high cost of implementing innovations and the low level of government support as a key external barrier. Innovation in the agricultural sector, especially the purchase of new machinery and equipment, is often characterised by the need for high financial outlays. Innovation is a factor that allows for better production results, which is very important in the context of decreasing natural resources on the one hand and increasing food supply on the other. The surveyed farmers running farms in the Ciechanów district showed a pro-innovation approach. Farmers are constantly seeking modern solutions to enhance the quality of work on farms and their development.