When global grain markets crashed in 2022, Polish farmer Maciej Brzozowski knew he had to make some changes on the farm. The ‘perfect storm’ of war in Ukraine, prolonged drought and the rising cost of production made selling wheat on the open market completely unviable. Instead of exiting the industry, Brzozowski shifted gears, diversifying into poultry production to use his grain as feed rather than selling it. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER INDUSTRY NEWS 26 Melanie Epp Adapting to the market Polish farmer pivots to livestock amid lower commodity prices “Three years ago, when the war started and wheat prices dropped drastically, it just wasn’t profitable anymore,” Brzozowski says. “Now, instead of selling cereals, I feed them to our broilers.” Each six-week poultry cycle uses about 900 tonnes of feed, 200 tonnes of which comes from his own crops. This move turned grain from a breakeven business into a source of value on the farm. “Thanks mainly to the animal husbandry, I can still stay afloat,” he says. “We wouldn’t have all these machines if it hadn’t been for the animals,” Brzozowski adds, gesturing to a John Deere sprayer and a fairly new 7R 310 tractor. At the time of the interview, a new 8R 340 was being transported across the Atlantic in a shipping container from the U.S. to Poland. His shift mirrors broader trends in Poland, where cereals form the raw material basis for both the milling and animal feed industries. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Poland harvests 34–35 million tonnes of cereals annually, of which wheat accounts for approximately 12–13 million tonnes. Much of the cereal produced in Poland goes toward sustaining its poultry and pig sectors. PRECISION FARMING, RISING COSTS Brzozowski farms 480 hectares (1,186 acres) and relies heavily on modern systems and automation. Using John Deere's Operations Center platform, he develops his work plan remotely, scheduling and monitoring fieldwork from his home office. Once a task is set up, the system transmits detailed instructions—including route, depth and implement settings—directly to the tractor operator’s cab. In the event of an error, Brzozowski receives a real-time alert directly on his smartphone.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQzODE4