Farms Typologies and Their Impact on the Development of Rural Areas in Moldova

Abstract For Moldova’s agriculture are characterized the existence of many small family farms and only a small number of corporate holdings (limited liabilities companies, agricultural production cooperatives etc). Most of individual farms, small by size produce only for own family consumption and cannot find their way to the market place. The accentuated poverty makes rural economy to flow more and more to a natural subsistence economy, isolating itself from the market economy. The goal of this paper is to delimitate different types of farms based on selected indicators and to appreciate their level of development. Differences in farms levels of development are appreciated through cluster analysis. The research includes the analysis of farms survey data. This research was carried as a part of the Academy of Sciences project “Sustainable rural development in Republic of Moldova in the context of EU accession”. In the project were surveyed 938 individual farms from nine districts across the country. As a result, we distinguish three types of farms: natural, family and market household. The cluster analysis allows to characterize the farms level development, to determine the main priority directions, and to elaborate measures for the individual farms further sustainable development.