EN
After the political and economic changes of the early 1990s in Hungary, a large number of privatelyowned farms were set up, which continue to be plagued by structural and efficiency problems as well as dilemmas regarding the allocation of resources, largely due to unfounded and improvisative support policies. In Western European agricultural sectors, different forms of cooperation have been established and practised for a long time and have proven adequate; on the other hand, local adaptations are repeatedly unsuccessful because of the reluctance of farmers in Hungary. The study aims at exploring the relationship between the farmers willingness to cooperate and the characteristics of the farm, and at describing the factors or traits that encourage or discourage cooperation. In addition, the paper discusses the efficiency of the currently available forms of cooperation, and assesses the feasibility of a competitive agricultural sector based on the cooperation and association of farmers.