International Study Seminar – Day 9
Monday, March 17, 2014
– written by Jared Brown, Spencer Janssen, & Bryan Blau
Today was St. Patricks Day back home, but here in Poland we were visiting with farmers and learning about how food is produced and distributed here in Poland. First we met with a larger farmer outside of Warsaw. Tomasz Stolarzcyk manages a farm that is 100% owned by the Polish government. The government had originally thought that it would sell the land to private farmers with in 20 years but since then land prices and food values have increased significantly and they have kept the farms under government ownership. The farm is split into 3 different divisions. One side of the farm has 570 dairy cattle, and the average cow produces around 8,000 liters of milk per year. This farm also has 300 head of Limousine beef cattle. Another division of the farm has 160 breeding horses. The horses are Anglo-Arabian breed that are used mainly for Military events and also jumping and riding competitions. The last division of the farm is a fish farm where they raise Carp on 560 hectares of ponds. Overall the farm had 2600 hectares of arable farm land. One interesting thing we have heard several times is that farms don’t receive government subsidies, however the farms do receive direct payments, which we would consider a subsidy. We had lunch next door to their horse farm in a former Royal Residence at which Napoleon had once stayed.
Learning about the distribution operation at the Bronisze market near Warsaw.
From the farm we traveled to the Bronisze Market which is a fruit wholesaler and distribution center. There were produce brokers in side huge warehouses that were buying and selling produce from all over the world. Also outside were local farmers that were there to sell their own goods to both supermarkets and restaurant food buyers. From May through October, the market mainly distributes Polish goods and the rest of the year most products are imported. The market ownership is split in to shares, of which the Polish Government has 50-60% of the shares and other farmers and wholesalers own around 22%. The market has been open for 15 years and today is open 24/7. Every day the market brings together nearly 2,800 sellers and 1,000 buyers to trade food products. The market operates on a cash only basis. Many of the farmers might show up to the market and will not leave for over 24 hours until all of their produce was sold. The Bronisze Market was like nothing that we have seen in the US. The size and scope of the market was hard to put in to words. It was a very eye opening day here in Poland.
One of the many produce vendors set up at the Bronisze market.
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