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Poland Agricultural Imbalances
A serious political problem developed in the
agricultural
sector during this period. Reduced domestic demand for
food, the
loss of Comecon markets, a rapid increase in imports, and
relatively good harvests led to oversupply of agricultural
products. Agricultural prices lagged behind the prices of
goods
and services purchased by Polish farmers. As a result,
incomes
fell farther than incomes in other sectors in 1990 and
1991. This
situation made farmers one of the most dissatisfied groups
in
Poland; although traditionally not politically active,
farmers
demonstrated en masse to improve their situation. In 1992
they
demanded that government policy include higher tariffs,
guaranteed minimum prices, and cheap credits to protect
them from
economic hardship.
Data as of October 1992
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