TYPOLOGY OF TOBACCO-BASED FARMING SYSTEMS AT THE FARM LEVEL IN SOUTH-EASTERN POLAND

The aim of this paper is to analyse the diversity of the farming systems in tobacco farms within south-eastern Poland. The studied 151 tobacco farms are located in three provinces of Poland, i.e. Lubelskie, Podkarpackie and Mazowieckie. 15 diagnostic variables which characterize farming systems were selected for analyses. For multivariate evaluation of farm diversity and their grouping, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis based on 5 PCs were used. The farms were divided into five clusters which reflected five major types of farming systems in tobacco farms within the studied area. They were distinct mainly for farm size, utilization of the new agricultural know-how and technology, cattle density, fertilization, and also for the contribution of tobacco production to the farm incomes.