The Development of Agriculture in Czechia After the Collapse of the Eastern Bloc in European Context

Abstract

In 1989, the fall of the Communist regime in Central European countries also changed the political situation in former Czechoslovakia. The process of transition from the Communist, centrally-controlled economy to that based on market principles was started. The transformation of economy and society in Czechia as well as other post-totalitarian states was quite a unique process. After 1989 the agricultural sector changed especially in the production structure—the amount of livestock was reduced, the number of employees decreased significantly and many legislative changes were enacted. The structure of agricultural holdings changed deeply. The changes of Czech agriculture, which had been started during the period of transition of economy and society, continued also during the period of European integration. In Central European countries agricultural sector has had a long tradition. In some of them, such as Hungary and Poland, the agricultural sector has played an important role in the employment of their inhabitants and has had a major economic significance. On the other hand, the importance of the agricultural sector in Czechia and Slovakia has weakened. Attention will also be paid to the question of how the transition of agriculture of Central European countries, with all its changes and specific features, has influenced the future development of the agricultural sector and integration into the European agriculture.