Diversification of agricultural activity in the territorial breakdown of Lubuskie Province

Abstract Research background Each type of administrative unit, including cities, towns and villages, plays a different role in the regional economy. In the case of rural areas, their most important function is agricultural production. Purpose This paper offers a contribution to the discussion on the review of the agricultural development strategy for Lubuskie Province. It attempts to present selected characteristics of the agricultural sector in a cross-section of municipalities of Lubuskie Province against the background of the general features of the agricultural sector in the region. Its purpose is to draw the attention of regional authorities and institutions to the heterogeneity of agricultural development within its territory. Research methodology The research was conducted using a principal component analysis as one of the methods of the graphical presentation of multivariate data. Data from the National Agricultural Census 2020 was used in the analysis. Results The results of the research corroborate the hypothesis of the existence of significant differences in the agricultural sector in the area of the examined rural and urban-rural municipalities in the region, and the need for differentiation of the measures used by the regional authorities to support agriculture in its territorial cross-section. Novelty The paper presents the results of a research on the heterogeneity of the development of the agricultural sector in the municipalities of the examined region. Such an analysis has never before been carried out for the province under consideration.