The research targets define the tasks of preserving and maintaining stability in the domestic market and self-sufficiency in food in the long term. This is especially relevant in the context of determining new trends in the development of agriculture and searching for effective forms of management in the new conditions. Digitalization is a kind of technological solution to the social problems of agricultural production, including the production and sale of food, the welfare and development of rural areas, and the control of the environmental impact of various farming methods. The introduction of digital technologies, first of all, will have a positive impact on the development of the farming sector, as it will allow farmers to manage land, animals and agricultural personnel more effectively. The next trend in the spatial development of rural areas is agglomeration forms based on the creation of associations in the form of cooperatives, associations or unions. When forming and developing a modern village, large cooperatives created by leading farmers become real competitors for large private companies and agricultural holdings. The study was based on the analysis of statistical data for the Saratov region. As a result, the identified trends in the transformation of agriculture should contribute to the revival of the village, solving its social problems, maintaining a healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle, and developing regional markets (including organic products).
The relevance of the research topic is determined by the need to ensure food security of the state and improve the efficiency of agriculture in modern conditions. In assessing the potential, an integrated approach was used that combines resource, resource-efficient and effective approaches. To determine the level of agricultural potential, a methodology was developed, which was tested on the materials of regional statistics of Russia. Based on the analysis and synthesis of scientific papers on this issue, as well as using correlation analysis, a system of 17 indicators was formed. These indicators characterize the land, labour and stock components of the potential. With the help of cluster analysis methods, a classification of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation is obtained, and then a typology of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation by the level of agricultural potential is developed. A comparative analysis of the level of agricultural potential, taking into account the production specialization of the regions of the Russian Federation, was carried out. It has been revealed that particularly significant agricultural regions of Russia have medium and low levels of agricultural potential. For agrarian regions with low and medium levels of industry potential, directions for increasing the efficiency of potential use have been proposed.
Meeting the growing food needs of the population is one of the priorities for the development of the agro-industrial complex at the present stage. The degree of processing of agricultural products has a decisive influence on the level of development and financial capabilities of agricultural enterprises. The article analyzes the volume of production, cost and financial results from the sale of agricultural products in collective farms of the Irkutsk region for 2008 and 2018. The study focuses on the analysis of the cost of agricultural products and their impact on the financial results of agricultural enterprises. Based on the study, it was concluded that it is necessary to develop, strengthen and improve production, improve the quality of products. For this industry, investments in product processing and infrastructure facilities are urgently needed. The development of agricultural production is possible only with technical modernization at all stages of food production.
The article updates the necessity of formation, rational application and development of human capital at the following levels: human, organization, industry and country. Based on an analysis of various sources, the authors propose a model of the structure of the organization's human capital. The main problematic features of human capital management in the agrarian sphere (the outflow of the population to urban settlements, low living standards in rural areas, features of technological processes, etc.) are generalized and argued. The author's approach to the management of human capital in the agrarian sphere is presented on the basis of the paradigm «Knowledge» - «Human capital» - «Enrichment of labour» - «Sustainable development of the agrarian sphere». Elements of human capital, such as conceptual approaches and management models based on the special role of man in an organization, the main purpose, objectives, specific approaches to the diagnosis and evaluation of the value of human capital, features, principles and methods of managing the process have been revealed. In the agrarian sphere, the management of human capital should first of all be carried out by means of competent implementation of management functions at different levels of management within the organization, taking into account the manifestation of external and internal factors (the economic and geographical position of the organization, the motivational structure, the basic characteristics of the staff, its qualifications, health, etc.).
A deterrent to the development and promotion of mushroom farming in Russia is the lack of centralized production of substrate and developed technologies for its preparation, effective technologies for growing fruit bodies in various cultivation facilities, both specialized and adapted. The production of mushrooms in modern structures of protected soil is a capital, energy and knowledge-intensive industry. Increasing the production of cultivated mushrooms is possible only with technically correct and economically feasible solutions and actions, with the use of specialized cultivation facilities and developed technologies, readiness for strict observance of technological discipline, for the introduction of possible technical and technological innovations. The introduction of the latest technologies and equipment complexes (machine and automated equipment systems) is inevitably associated with risk. Production risks were most sensitive to changes in production volumes and sales, material and labour costs, prices and quality of products, which ultimately affected production efficiency. But risks can be managed both at the state level and at the level of mushroom farming.
The article considers the prerequisites, principles and features of state support for innovation and investment activities in the industry. The main directions of state support of development of horticulture and nursery, creation of industrial infrastructure for the storage of fruits and their processing are preferential short-term and long-term lending; compensation of part of expenses on creation of breeding and nursery centers, the construction of lines on the commodity part of fruit production; reimbursement of part of the cost of planting orchards and berry fields, creating an irrigation system, installing a hail net, trellis, caring for young plantings and uprooting fruit plantations older than 20 years; the use of import customs duties. Based on the analysis of capital expenditures in horticulture, it was determined that agricultural producers spend 62.9‰ of their investments on intensive gardens and 24.9‰ on conventional plantings. The positive impact of the increase in the amount of state support on the increase in the area of intensive orchards and fruit production in them has been established. To achieve food independence – the level of self-sufficiency in fruits and berries of at least 60‰, provided for in the Doctrine of food security of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to increase the area of laying gardens almost twice. Further development of horticulture will be facilitated by improving and increasing state support for the industry, its differentiation depending on the type of garden and the density of plantings per 1 hectare, and reimbursement of 30-35‰ of the direct costs incurred for the construction of production infrastructure for horticulture. State support should encourage the development of intensive gardening.
The article presents materials that reveal the main aspects of the development of pond fish farming in southern Russia. It is shown that the created mechanism of state support for entrepreneurs, the adopted set of rules in fish farming, have a positive effect on the volume of fish produced. However, due to an increase in anthropogenic pressure on water bodies, the natural food supply for fish and animals is reduced, the oxygen content in water is reduced, which contributes to the growth of pathogenic organisms and the formation of the effect of “flowering ponds”, which cannot but affect the results of economic activities of ponds households. The data presented in the article confirm the synergistic effectiveness of the use of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in pond fish farming as a live feed for fish larvae, substances for saturating water bodies with oxygen, and a structural element of zooplankton. With sustainable public-private partnerships, pond fish farming can strengthen the regional economy, and the introduction of microalgae can improve the composition of live feed and ensure the biological stability of water bodies in southern Russia. Strengthening the economic base of pond entrepreneurship creates a platform for the formation of a new regional cluster; provides an introduction to aquaculture products in a healthy diet. To determine the synergistic effectiveness of the application of microalgae nationwide, it is necessary to strengthen the dynamics of ongoing research.
The article analyzes the world trade in flour, as well as the role of Russia in the world export of this product. It is revealed that the volume of consumption of flour and its supply in the world is increasing, while production in Russia is decreasing. The reason for the decline is that the domestic market is fully covered by Russian flour production, and its export becomes unprofitable due to the high cost of production. Turkey and Kazakhstan, which are the world's leaders in the export of flour, have a cost price 1.5 times lower than the Russian one. Therefore, domestic agricultural producers choose a more effective channel for selling grain for export by entering into a direct contract with foreign flour-milling enterprises. The article shows the scheme of grain sales from an agricultural producer to a Turkish Elevator on the example of the Novosibirsk Company "Novosibirsk grain products". The novelty of this scheme for the industry is that Novosibirsk elevators conclude futures contracts with farms for the supply of grain in the future at an average annual price, and an advance of 30‰ is paid. This allows farmers to have confidence in the future and the means to carry out sowing work. Then the grain is sent by rail to the seaport, and then through the conclusion of various supply contracts (FOB, CIF, CPT) – to Turkish flour mills. It is suggested that one of the most promising directions for the development of the flour market may be the creation of joint Russian-Turkish flour-milling enterprises based on tolling schemes in Turkey.
The assessment of the consumption of basic food products over a long period of time, as well as the average per capita monetary income of the population of Kostroma Region is conducted. The population has begun to consume more vegetables; consumption of bread and bakery products, potatoes, milk and dairy products, meat and meat products as well as eggs and egg products has decreased in comparison with the Soviet period of 1990, when food consumption structure was approaching rational food standards. The dynamics of agricultural production in the agricultural sector of Kostroma Region is analysed. The decrease in agricultural land has led to a massive overgrowth of them with tree-shrub vegetation. Violation of cultivation technologies of crops has led to a decrease in their yield, a decrease in production and degradation of arable land. Despite the fact that the dynamic of growth of cow productivity in dairy cattle breeding is observed over the years, gross milk production tends to decrease due to a decrease in the number of cow dairy herds. In conditions of limited resource opportunities, the task of stabilising and increasing the volume of production of competitive agricultural products can be ensured only with targeted implementation of large-scale innovation activities. The organisation of highly efficient agricultural production will provide the population with food products of own production, increase the level of income and improve the quality of life of workers in the agricultural sector.
To date, there is no universally accepted methodology for assessing the technical and economic level of agricultural machinery. The scientific literature does not present examples of these calculations for specific brands of agricultural machinery. The authors of this article propose the economic methodology of data envelopment analysis for these purposes, which in this article is used to assess the technical and economic level of agricultural unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). 35 brands of UAVs of various manufacturers have been ranked according to their technical and economic level. With regard to the assessment of the technical and economic level of machines, the basics of the applied data envelopment analysis methodology are set forth, and its difficulties and ways of their resolution are discussed. The only input when calculating the technical and economic level is the retail price of a specific brand of the machine in a particular market. Technical characteristics of the machines act as outputs. To calculate the technical and economic level, a non-oriented SBM model with variable returns to scale is used—a type of data envelopment analysis model. When assessing the technical and economic level of agricultural UAVs, the following technical characteristics were taken into account: flight duration when spraying pesticides, payload, spray width, flight speed, and a number of airscrews.