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Modern agriculture development possibilities are highly dependent on many factors, including those which are related to the parameters of land spatial structure (including parcels fragmentation and parameters related to their shape). In particular, unfavourable shape of parcels in combination with their small sizes is the most common reason for non-profitability of agricultural production. It is one of the major causes of land abandonment. South Poland is the area of high diversification in terms of the landform, soil quality and spatial structure parameters. It is one of the regions in Europe where the phenomenon of land fragmentation is the most common, significantly affecting the disappearance of its agricultural function. The data which allow a comprehensive study of the differentiation in parcel parameters (which affect the cultivation costs) are included in cadastral datasets, generally stored in CAD files or GIS databases. Appropriate data analysis allows identifying areas with particularly unfavourable conditions for agricultural production. The article presents the results of the analysis carried out in chosen parts of southern Poland (the province of Malopolska). The analysis is aimed to calculate selected indices, related to the shape and size of land plots correlated with the farm income opportunities. The study included over 1800 villages from the region and more than 4 million parcels, for which geometric data were obtained and analysed. The results can be used at many stages of the planning process at the local and regional level considering the limitations of agricultural development caused by spatial parameters of the parcels in the area.
