AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY SERVICES IN THE PROCESS OF SHAPING ENTREPRENEURIAL ATTITUDES.

The main aim of paper was to present the activities of agricultural advisory centres aimed at the encouragement of entrepreneurship and promotion of non-agricultural functions in the rural areas. The study involved the analysis of documents made available by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development regarding the activity of agricultural advisory units in 2017 and mass statistics data provided by the Central Statistical Office. The basic tasks of agricultural advisory centres aimed at improving the competitiveness of the Polish agricultural sector, enhancing the quality of life in rural areas and improving professional qualifications of rural residents in Poland. Under the Common Agricultural Policy for 2014-2020, special measures have been taken to encourage farmers to set up their own business. The most important activities, also shaping entrepreneurial attitudes, aimed to support the development of small family businesses in the fields of agritourism, rural tourism, educational farms, small-scale on-farm processing and marketing of the manufactured products through short distribution chains (e.g. in the form of marginal limited local business), agricultural retail trade as well as direct sales and direct deliveries including labelling of packaged food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]