Economic expansion revaluates continuously the economic and social role of agriculture. Population explosion in the world generates continuously growing demand on foods and industrial raw materials. Supply of increased demand is supported by R&D, at the same time using results of it polarizes the economies. In the agriculture the technical development (i.e. development of technical, technological and biological basis of production, chemicalization, education of human resources) produces potential for increasing efficiency of production. The first period of technical development serves characteristically the supply of quantitative demand, but after it reached the equilibrium of supply and demand, then qualitative development becomes aim. Development releases labour, which can be positive or negative externalities for society. Later on demand of sustainability appears, with its ecological, economical and social aspects. Based on experiences of Hungarian model realized in the 1970s and 1980s, the paper examines how technical development is realizable successfully in the frame of segmented farm structure, how competitive and efficient farming could be done in this structure, keeping in mind in advantages of large farms. The paper analyses the competitiveness of virtual large-scale farms (which are based on cooperation and coordination of small farms), and confirms their efficiency with model examinations. Research was supported by the K 63231 theme of the Hungarian Research Fund (OTKA).