Original scientific paper
OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE OF CROATIAN AGRICULTURE — THE RESTRICTIVE FACTOR OF AGRARIAN PRODUCTION
Pavle Mihalj
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The ownership structure is one of the determining factors in the development of all agricultures; Croatia’s is not an exception to this rule. In the long run, the ownership structure is undoubtedly going to determine the direction of the development of the market-oriented Croatian agriculture. The process of building the ownership structure appropriate to the market economy is neither simple not fast, let alone cheap. An overnight change in the ownership structure is neither possible nor prudent. The existing ownership structure of Croatian agriculture is the result of a century and a half long historical development. Socioeconomic and political factors exerted a strong influence on the process of the ownership structure’s formation. Today Croatia has an “atomized” estate of only 2.9 hectares. A century ago the average size of estates was 8 hectares. This fragmentation is a direct result of the agrarian reform and colonization in the second Yugoslavia when the land maximum was reduced to 10 hectares. The existing — very unfavorable structure — should be in the transitional period gradually adapted to the family economy as the basis of future development, which will be market-oriented, cost-effective, and profitable.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
32243
URI
Publication date:
6.12.1998.
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