Not used land capacity of russia and a possibility of food self-sufficiency

Issue № 6, 2018, article № 1, pages 4-16

Section: Agrarian policy: problems and decisions

Language: Russian

Original language title: НЕИСПОЛЬЗУЕМЫЙ ЗЕМЕЛЬНЫЙ ПОТЕНЦИАЛ РОССИИ И ВОЗМОЖНОСТИ ПРОДОВОЛЬСТВЕННОГО САМООБЕСПЕЧЕНИЯ

Keywords: UNUSED AGRICULTURAL LAND, WITHDRAWAL OF AGRICULTURAL LAND FROM TURNOVER, SUITABILITY OF LAND FOR AGRICULTURAL USE, VALUABLE PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURAL LAND, LAND POTENTIAL, FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY, DAIRY FARMING

Abstract: Considering present geopolitical situation it is necessary for Russia to achieve food self-sufficiency, which requires an involvement of unused agricultural land into agricultural production. To reach that objective it is necessary to evaluate the potential of unused land in the country and estimate the degree of food self-sufficiency. Areas of unused valuable productive agricultural land, which should be returned to production, determined as a result of classification of land by it suitability for agricultural use. State food self-sufficiency rate is determined for basic food products considering the standards of its consumption. The possibilities of the dairy farming were calculated. It is one of the weakest industries. There is necessary capacity by involvement of unused valuable agricultural land into production with intermediate input level. As a result for European part of Russia it is possible to reach up to 85‰ of required production capacity (for now it is about 60‰) engaging only valuable unused land (which is only 20‰ of unused land in that area), and, for sure, to exceed the existing amount of import. The most part of unused land falls on the non-chernozem zone of Russian Federation and development of livestock industry within that area should serve as a source of growth of rural territories, which are in desolation for now.

Authors: Polunin Gennadii Andreevich, Alakoz Valerii Vladimirovich, CHerkashin Kirill Igorevich