Poland

Poland is medium-sized, Central-European country with a total surface of 3 127 000 km2 and population of 38.5 million, occupying 6th place in the EU-28, both in terms of population and area. Poland borders 7 countries, including 4 EU member states (Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania) and 3 from outside the European Union (Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine).
Polish agri-food sector includes agriculture, forestry, hunting, fisheries and food industry and accounts for 6% of the national gross added value, providing employment to 20 % of the population. Agriculture is the fourth largest sector of economy in Poland.
Poland has gained the significant position of a producer and exporter of agri-food products on a European and global scale, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. The global production of agricultural sector reached a value of 123 billion PLN in 2014, and was 65% higher than in 2005. The global value of agricultural production places Polish agriculture at the 7th place in the EU.
Poland is the largest EU producer of apples, poultry meat, carrots, white cabbage, triticale, blackcurrant and champignons. Moreover it is the second largest European producer of rye, oat, strawberries and the third largest producer of cereals, sugar beets, rapeseed, onions and potatoes. Poland is also a significant producer of cheese, butter, tomatoes and tobacco. Value of global agri-food production was 343 billion PLN.
More than one-fourth of total Polish agri-food production is directed to export. Agri-food product exports increased three times over last 10 years. The dominant items in the Polish agri-food export are: meat and its products (20% share in the total value of the agri-food export), fresh and processed fruit and vegetables (16%), dairy products (8%), cereals and cereal products (10%), sugar and confectionery (8%). Poland exports as much as 90% of the production of beef and veal, 79% of the production of processed fruit and 59% of the production of processed vegetables.
The combination of excellent quality raw materials with modern production technologies and the continuously improved quality control system are a reason for which Polish food products are gaining wide recognition among consumers all over the world. Polish food is present on all continents, in more than 70 countries of the world. Poland supplies tasty and safe food, produced from the highest quality raw materials in compliance with the strictest sanitary standards.
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Poland