ECONOMY
The chief potential of the Ostrów District lies undoubtedly
in its situation. It lies in the south-west part of the Wielkopolska region,
bordering on the Dolny Śląsk region and the districts of Krotoszyn, Pleszew,
Kalisz and Ostrzeszów. Through it run communication routes of vital importance
for the economy of the area and of the country, the road and rail routes from
Poznań to Katowice, from Wrocław to Łódź and Warsaw.
The chief advantages of the district include
the large number of business-related institutions
the ready support of local government authorities for investors and entrepreneurs
the support for local community and economic initiatives
the high level of economic activity
the well developed provision of banking facilitates
the wide range of opportunities for investment on offer
the natural beauty of the area
A further strength of the district is
the large number and variety of schools
the well-qualified workforce
the high level of awareness of civic responsibility
Because of its natural features and state of
industrialisation, the Ostrów District has both an agricultural and industrial
character. Farmland covers 62,2% of its area and forest 27,9%.
Within the locality more than 11.000 business units are in operation:
37,6% are concerned with trade and repairs,
14,2% with industry and construction,
4,3% with agriculture, fishing and forestry,

1 – trade and repairs
2 – remaining
3 – industry and construction
4 – agriculture, fishing and forestry
The main types of industry are those:
producing foodstuffs,
machinery,
precision instruments,
building materials,
timber products,
railway carriages.
The area has an excellent infrastructure, having water and telephone systems throughout, and most localities are building their own sewage systems.
In addition to the steadily developing industrial potential,
agriculture plays a very important role in Ostrów District. It provides the
market with all basic products and at the same time constitutes a sold resource
for the food industry and the processing of farm products, supplying, for
example, dairies and poultry processing plants.
There are over 71,000 hectares of farmland in the Ostrów District, that is,
about 62% of the total area. The chief crops are grain, potatoes, maize and root
crops.
A significant role is also played by the raising of cattle, pigs and freshwater
fish and the production of eggs for consumption. For many years the Ostrów
District has been prominent in the raising of poultry.
The local government authorities are trying to create the
best possible condition for potential investors. With regard to the high level
of agriculture in our area, the development of the food and agriculture industry
has without doubt the best chances of success.
Investment in the sphere of services, production and trade are also highly
desired.
The district’s special quality is its natural environment with extensive forest,
clean air and country parks.
The main economic centre of the district is the town of
Ostrów Wielkopolski. At present it is a well developed industrial centre,
chiefly concerned with the production of foodstuffs and means of transport,
machinary and precision instruments, building materials and timber (the plywood
factory, Sklejka Eko).
Ostrów Wielkopolski is an attractive place for both national and foreign
investments. After the administrative reforms in 1998 the town became the second
largest in Wielkopolska from the point of view of population.
Its advantages include :
the situation of the town
the proximity of the markets
the good climate for investors and a good technical infrastructure
the cost of services is lower than in other towns
All of these factors have achieved for the town a high
ranking for attractive investment possibilities, as judged by well-known
institutions and professional journals.
In the western part of the Ostrów District there are rich deposits of natural
gas, exploited by the denitrification plant Zakład Odazotowania Gazu “Krio” in
Odolanów, one of the few plants in the world producing quality high-methane gas,
a bi-product of which is liquid helium and anaerobic nitrogen of a high quality.
The localities of Nowe Skalmierzyce and Raszków have good soils and are
agricultural in character. In the rest of the area sandy soils predominate.
Extensive forest areas are found in the Sośnie and Przygodzice localities, with
excellent conditions for the development of all forms of tourism.