The Department’s tasks include primarily undertaking activities related to agricultural management in a broad sense, and, in particular, analysis of the current state of agriculture in the region, cooperation with scientific institutions, higher education schools, farmers’ self-government and organisations working in the agricultural environment in the scope of directions of its development. Employees of the Department handle matters related to planning and programming the agricultural development and its environment in line with the strategy of the Wielkopolska Region. The Department’s tasks include also preparing studies for the Regional Assembly of the Wielkopolska Region, Agriculture and Rural Development Committee of the Regional Assembly of the Wielkopolska Region, Board of Directors of the Wielkopolska Region in cooperation with scientific units. Employees of the Department handle also matters related to, among others, hunting and fishing management, animal protection, flora preservation, seed production, promotion of traditional food products, and renewable sources of energy.

Moreover, the Department implements tasks related to issuing permits for domestic wholesale of alcoholic beverages with alcohol content of over 18% as well as crop zoning and issuing permits for purchasing of poppy seeds and fibrous hemp. Moreover, the Department deals with examination of requests regarding notification of damage occurred in crops and agricultural produce caused by wild game, that is: boars, elk, deer, hallow deer and roe deer in the areas not included in the game shooting districts, outlining borders of game shooting districts and their categorisation.

The Department keeps inhabitants of rural areas informed about possible activities towards agriculture and village modernisation, and tries to create non-agricultural income-earning opportunities for them. In order to activate the inhabitants of these areas, the Department carries out different contests, such as the "Wielkopolski Rolnik Roku" (Farmer of the Year in Wielkopolska) and a contest for the best agri-tourism facility in Wielkopolska; it also coordinates tasks related to the activity of the Network of Regional Culinary Heritage in the Wielkopolska Region.

The Department is also responsible for examination of matters related to changes in the use of agricultural land and forests for non-agricultural and non-forestry purposes in the procedure of local area development planning, in accordance with the provisions of the Farm and Woodland Conservation Act.

Within the Department, projects such as EcoWaste4Food, which aims at preventing food waste, and C-Track50 aimed at supporting solutions for reach maximum possible carbon-neutrality by 2050.

Every year, the Department provides grants to water companies for irrigation and drainage works, as well as carries out assessments of rational fisheries management. It also undertakes activities supporting bee-keepers from the Wielkopolska Region, among others, by subsidising the purchase of foundation necessary for maintaining bee colonies in good health. The Department is responsible for implementing a self-government programme called “Wielkopolska Odnowa Wsi” (Village renewal in Wielkopolska) the purpose of which is to activate inhabitants of rural areas and enhance the quality of life in rural areas. The programme supports creating, at the village level, formalised (associations) or non-formalised structures consisting of representatives of inhabitants in the form of so-called village renewal groups and encourages to involvement in the implementation of undertakings concerning own village, based on bottom-up development strategies.

Moreover, the Department carries out tasks associated with the revitalisation of the Polish section of the International Waterway MDW E70.

Contact
al. Niepodległości 34
61-714 Poznań
secretariat - room 564
Phone No.: +48 61 626 65 00
Fax No.: +48 61 626 65 01
e-mail: dr.sekretariat@umww.pl

Director
Szymon Wdowczyk

Deputy Director
Dominika Kobierska

Deputy Director
Paweł Zbierajewski