TYPOLOGY OF FAMILY TYPE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS: A CASE STUDY

This study describes the typology of family agricultural systems from the western part of Romania. Fourteen family agricultural farms from Arad County, Romania, are taken in the study, whose areas range between 0.34 ha and 25 ha, with an average of about 22 ha. The main crops within these farms are grain maize, followed by wheat, oats, sunflower and rapeseed and, on smaller areas, fodder, vegetables and triticale. Because the structure of the crops is very diverse - the largest area is 12.60 ha and the smallest one is 0.07 ha , these agricultural holdings are not financially profitable because they do not allow farmers to practice intensive agriculture: soil works are performed with non-performing machines, a lot of time and fuel are lost with these works, and yield is low, which leads to decreased production and increased costs of establishment, maintenance and harvest. In conclusion, a solution for the efficiency of this agricultural system is an association of farmers and the merging of these lands, taking into account that family farming system is quite common on the territory of Romania.