CHANGES IN TECHNICAL SUPPORT ON FARMS OF LATVIA

The article reveals trends in the development of the tractor fleet on the farms of various sizes in a ten-year period 2007-2016. A decrease has been established in the number of farms, the planting areas and the number of tractors on farms with sown areas below 50 ha, but these indicators are increasing on farms with areas under crop over 50 ha. The total capacity of tractors on the farms with a sown area over 50 hectares has increased by 70 %, while on the farms with an area of 50 ha it has changed insignificantly. With the agricultural sown areas increasing, the specific capacity kW.ha(-1) of tractors is decreasing, which indicates intensive use of the machinery. It is characteristic for the country that the average age of the registered tractors is 24.4 years; however, this depends on the registration peculiarities of the tractors. The farms with areas under crop over 50 hectares work with modern machines.