Polish farmers supplement farm work with full‑time jobs as low prices and drought threaten viability

Janusz Sokołowski and his son run a 100‑hectare farm near Ostrowi Mazowieckie, producing rapeseed and grains. Both also hold regular employment because the farm alone cannot sustain them; Sokołowski estimates they would need about 600 ha to live solely from farming. Despite modern equipment, they face high input costs and worry about an upcoming dry spring.

Agnieszka Markiewicz‑Piętka manages a 20‑hectare family farm near Namysłów while working in a corporation. She reports grain prices around 750 zł per tonne and rising fertilizer, pesticide and seed costs, compounded by recent drought and spring frosts that weakened crops. Both farmers say the extra income is essential, yet they remain committed to keeping their farms for family and regional stability.

These cases illustrate a broader challenge for Polish cultivators, who must combine agriculture with other employment to offset low market prices and climate‑related risks.