Regionalne Możliwości Skupu I Przetwórstwa Mleka Z Gospodarstw Rolnych W Polsce

The spatial specialization of milk production in Poland has been an ongoing process for many years. This specialization is associated with the concentration of processing activities, whereas the consumption of milk is not regionally determined, but instead directly reflects the number of consumers. The main objective of this study was to examine the regional capacity for milk procurement by processing entities, its consumption by local populations, and how these factors compare with regional production capabilities. The analysis draws on data from 2005 and the years 2018-2022 provided by the Central Statistical Office, covering milk production, consumption, and processing volumes at the voivodeship level in Poland. The analysis confirms the concentration of milk production in three voivodeships: Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Wielkopolskie. However, it also provides new insight into the situation of milk producers in these regions. In both the Mazowieckie and Wielkopolskie voivodeships, the volume of milk purchased by local dairies was lower than the volume produced by farms, implying that a portion of the milk had to be sold to processors located in other voivodeships. In contrast, the Podlaskie Voivodeship was in a relatively favorable position for milk producers: the production volume was lower than the volume of milk purchased by dairies but still exceeded local consumption. A comparison of the data from 2005 and 2018 indicates that only in the Lubuskie Voivodeship was there a shift in the milk producers’ position within the “comfort matrix” – from a state of relative discomfort to a more favorable position in the “milk producer’s comfort zone”.