The assessment of the competitiveness of the agriculture became particularly relevant after Lithuania joined the EU. Summarizing the research of the Lithuanian authors on the assessment of the competitiveness of sectors of the economy or products, it was noticed that there was a lack of the specific assessment of the competitiveness of the agricultural sectors during a certain period of time. Generally the authors, using the indicators of foreign trade, assessed the competitiveness of the agriculture and food sector or agricultural and food products in the international trade.
The aim of the research: after developing the methodology of the assessment of the competitiveness, to determine the competitiveness of the Lithuanian agricultural sectors in the EU context. The research covered 2006 and 2011. In this research, the methodology in order to assess the competitiveness of the Lithuanian agricultural sectors between the EU member states was developed, the strengths and weaknesses of the Lithuanian agricultural sectors were analyzed, the levels of the competitiveness of the particular agricultural sectors were assessed and these levels were compared to the levels of the competitiveness of the EU member states’ agricultural sectors.
Developing the methodology in order to assess the competitiveness of the Lithuanian agricultural sectors between the EU member states, the selection of indicators was the most important thing. Assessing the levels of the competitiveness of the agricultural sectors, the indicators which described the market situation were selected. These indicators were: self-sufficiency, production (sales) change, purchase price and balance of foreign trade in agricultural products. In order to determine the status of the Lithuanian agricultural sectors at the EU level in 2006 and 2011 the values of the selected indicators were compared to the values of the EU member states’ analogical indicators. According to changes of these indicators in 2011, compared to 2006, the change of the levels of the competitiveness of the Lithuanian agricultural sectors was determined.
The results of the research showed that in 2011 between the EU member states the Lithuanian cereal, poultry, potato, fruit and vegetable sectors were of a high competitiveness, pig and egg sectors were of a low competitiveness. In 2011, compared to 2006, the levels of the competitiveness of the Lithuanian potato, vegetable and cereal and poultry sectors increased most and the levels of egg and cattle sectors decreased most.
Key words: competitiveness indicators, self-sufficiency, production change, purchase price, level of foreign trade.
Gapšys, A.; Mikelionytė, D; Lukošiutė, I.; Petrauskaitė-Senkevič, L. 2013. Lietuvos žemės ūkio sektorių konkurencingumas: Mokslo studija. Vilnius: Lietuvos agrarinės ekonomikos institutas. 126 p.: iliustr., santr. angl. (online) ISBN 978-9955-481-43-0.