The relevance of the research topic lies in the high role played by the development of infrastructure in rural areas. Infrastructure issues in rural areas are given great attention by the relevant state authorities and top officials of the country. The importance of infrastructure development in rural areas, its current lag behind the pace of development of the agro-industrial complex-all this has been repeatedly mentioned by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Putin: «... the overall level of provision of rural areas with all types of landscaping, including water supply, heating, gas, and housing and communal services, is just over 34‰, while in cities it is almost 80‰», the President noted at a meeting of the State Council dedicated to the state's agrarian policy at the end of 2019. In May 2020, at a meeting on the situation in agriculture and the food industry, he reiterated the importance and need for high rates of infrastructure development in rural areas and the emergence of modern engineering networks. The aim of the research was to assess development prospects of engineering infrastructure in rural areas. Within the framework of the study, methods of comparative analysis, data comparison, and the method of constructing a trend line were used. Based on the forecast, the values of the target indicators (the level of gasification and the availability of drinking water in rural areas) were determined by 2025. In the course of the study, it was determined that, while maintaining the current pace, according to the departmental target program (DTP) «The modern look of rural areas» will not be possible to achieve the set targets for the level of gas supply (71,1‰) and water (79,5‰) by 2025, meanwhile according to «The sustainable development of rural areas» target indicators (61,9‰ and 67,3‰, respectively) are achievable. Based on the results obtained, were identified problems that have a negative impact on the achievement of the set targets.
The aim of the study is to assess and model the impact of agricultural production rates on the level and dynamics of rural unemployment in Russia. To analyze the relationship between production and unemployment, a modified Okun's model was used. Econometric analysis was carried out using panel data, the sample includes 78 regions, and the study period is 2000-2019. The results of the assessment indicate that the coefficient of elasticity is –0.13. This means that one percent increase in agricultural production leads to a 0.13 percentage point reduction in unemployment. The weak sensitivity of rural unemployment to changes in output is explained, first of all, by the declining share of agriculture in the structure of employment in rural areas. The intensification and digitalization of the agrarian economy is changing the nature of the output-unemployment relationship. In addition, the mechanism for adapting the agricultural labor market to economic changes includes not only an increase or decrease in the number of people employed in agriculture, but also a reduction in working hours, a decrease in the level or delays in wage payments. The reduction of rural unemployment will be facilitated, firstly, by ensuring the country's food independence, expanding the volume and diversifying the directions of food export. Secondly, the potential of import substitution in the domestic market has not been exhausted. Third, the expansion of the production of organic food will increase, because the demand for which increasing along with the growth of incomes of the population. Fourth, the development of non-agricultural types of employment base on the strategy of multifunctional development of rural areas. Fifth, support for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in rural areas. The data obtained can be used to develop regional strategies for sustainable development of rural areas.
The article discusses the problems of reproduction of the labor resources of the rural areas at the regional level, which affects their quantitative and qualitative characteristics. These problems are caused by a combination of economic, demographic, social and institutional factors. Based on the analysis carried out, authors present the most important modern problems of the reproduction of the labor resources of the region’s rural areas. The listed problems necessitate forecasting the reproduction of the labor resources of the rural areas as the basis for making management decisions in the field of regulation of the rural labor market and strategic planning of the development of rural areas. Proceeding from the fact that the main indicator of the state of the system of reproduction of the labor resources is employment, the article presents a forecast of the creation of new jobs in the countryside. The forecast is based on inertial, presupposing the retention of current trends, and innovative, based on the assumption of centralized goal-setting and planning of socio-economic development of the region’s rural areas, options. The forecast of possible quantitative imbalances between labor demand and labor supply in rural areas shows that both development options imply a shortage of labor resources in the rural economy of the Novosibirsk region. First of all, this will affect qualified specialists and representatives of non-agricultural professions. It is concluded that, even despite the increase in labor productivity, the rural areas of the regions of the Siberian Federal District will experience a shortage of personnel, which will reduce the pace of development. In this regard, state regulation of the rural labor market is necessary to bring its structure in line with the goals and objectives of the strategy for the development of rural areas of the region.
Improving the competitiveness of farms is possible using a diversification strategy that is widely used in developed countries. When the idea ofdiversification arises, the head of the peasant (farm) economy (P(F)E) faces a number of issues that can be resolved with support from both the state and society as a whole. Various types of diversification are possible - production of a new type of product, processing, provision of services related to agricultural activities, etc., as well as diversification of income. For an economic assessment of the effectiveness of diversification, it is necessary to keep records of current activities in P(F)E, on the basis of which to draw up plans for the future. This will reduce the risks of negative consequences in the development of new types of activities. The purpose of this study is to develop approaches to the formation of an organizational and economic mechanism for diversifying the activities of P(F)E in the Northwestern Federal District (NWFD) The study used a systematic approach, economic modeling, and analytical method. The carried out PEST analysis made it possible to identify political and legal, economic, social, technological and environmental factors that provide a number of opportunities and pose a threat to the activities of P(F)E. A model has been developed for assessing the resource provision of the development strategy of P(F)E in the Northwestern Federal District, as well as a mechanism for its implementation. The constituent elements of the organizational and economic mechanism for the development of diversification of the activities of the P(F)E Northwestern Federal District are considered. The results obtained can be used in the formation of policies for the development of agricultural production, rural areas by authorities at all levels, which will reduce the level of poverty in rural areas, as well as reduce the outflow of young people from rural areas.
The sectoral specialization by categories of farms in the districts of the Astrakhan region is analyzed. The aim of the study was to analyze agricultural specialization by branches of various categories of farms in the Astrakhan region. The Astra-Khan region is a unique territory in terms of its natural and climatic conditions. Therefore, at present, the current topic is large-scale production and development of crop and, in recent years, livestock industries, prospects for the further development of agricultural sectors: peasant (farmer) and personal subsidiary plots, small agricultural enterprises. The research methods were extensive research on the production potential and structural security of different categories of farms. Small forms of business - peasant farms, private household plots occupy more and more stable positions in the economy of rural areas of the Astrakhan region. During the analysis, the sectoral structure made it possible to assess the high efficiency of small businesses in the Astrakhan region. The results of the sectoral structure of agricultural production by categories of farms are presented. An economic and analytical interpretation of sown areas, gross harvest and productivity in crop production in small agricultural enterprises is given. It is concluded that small agricultural enterprises have the most favorable agricultural production for self-sufficiency in products and in-depth development in the Astrakhan region.
On the basis of generalization and study of statistical data and evaluation of significant criteria characterizing the level of innovation in the grain production industry, forecast scenarios of innovative and technological development of grain production in the Novosibirsk region were developed. The main ones are: the purchase of elite and original seeds, the share of foreign-selected seeds, sowing with non-grade seeds, the use of mineral fertilizers, the share of fungicides from the sown area, the share of farms working on intensive technologies, the growth rate of the number of equipment, the level of digitalization of equipment, the shortage of specialists from the real need for production, the growth of average wheat yield, the share of food grain. The method of pre-forecast studies was used, with the help of which a logical sequence of events is established in order to show how, based on the existing situation; the future state of the object of research can develop. The scenario forecasting innovative and technological development specifies alternative events and the likely timing of their occurrence. The reasons for choosing the scenario approach were the increased uncertainty, instability, unpredictability of political, social and economic events. Methodically, the research is based on the main prerequisites for the innovative and technological development of grain production and the grain market from the scenario forecast of the development of the grain market in Russia. The basic one, realistic, assumes extensive development, a low rate of yield growth while simultaneously increasing the acreage. Optimistic, due to innovative development and expanded domestic consumption, it provides a high rate of yield growth while simultaneously increasing the acreage. Pessimistic, due to stagnation, the acreage is practically not growing; the yield growth rate is low.
Ongoing acreage reduction, annual non-receipt of a significant agricultural products amounts and the constant outflow of the able-bodied rural population in the non-Chernozem regions they have become a serious problem at the state level today, requiring your permission. While at the level of agricultural organizations the process of reducing the acreage continues, at the level of peasant farms, the opposite trend is taking place, which, however, does not compensate for the above-mentioned losses. Since the behavior of each agricultural commodity producer it is of a conscious nature, which is based on the rationality of actions, special relevance acquires the definition of root causes. In this regard, it becomes particularly significant identifying having the same motivational impact for representatives of both these categories of producers towards the expansion and active use of acreage factors. These factors include increment of the total crop yield, increase in the intensity of the use of acreage, changes in the shares of state and municipal property in the total area of land used, gross income increments per unit of cost and gross income increments the unit of cost increment. This study purpose is to identify the impact of aggregate yield growth to expand the acreage for the above categories of producers. For these purposes, it is proposed to use the correlation analysis method.
The article describes the author's approach to the strategy for the integrated development of agricultural technologies. Initially, based on the classification of aspects of agricultural technology, strategic types of agriculture were presented. Due to the importance of the latter, it was recommended to develop all of them, regardless of whether or not they have the status of potential revolutionary technologies that could lead to a change in the technological paradigm of the industry. Further, for a deeper understanding, the strategic types of agriculture were analyzed using the strategic foresight tool—causal layered analysis. This analysis revealed the contradictoriness of the strategic types of agriculture relative to each other. To examine these contradictions, the methodology of the theory of inventive problem solving was used: the ideal final result in relation to agricultural activity was formulated and its contradictoriness was shown. As a result, the author's vision of the strategy concerned was presented as the one based on the following two stages. The first stage consists in the development of each of the strategic types of agriculture separately. The second stage involves determining an acceptable way of resolving the contradictions inherent in the ideal final result, and implementing that solution in practice. In view of the difficulty of carrying out the last stage (no one has yet found the optimal way of farming), this study indicates the presence of a grand scientific and social challenge. As an example of ways to resolve contradictions, the article—via the theory of inventive problem-solving methodology—offers some options for resolving physical contradictions between ensuring food security and the need to preserve the environment. The presented understanding of the integrated development of agricultural technologies is integral, long-term, and going beyond the dichotomy of developed and developing countries, in contrast, for example, to catch-up development. This approach can be used as an alternative when developing strategies for the development of Russia’s agriculture.
The current socio-economic situation in the world determines the need for accelerated development of agricultural production in Russia. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to actively use new technologies that ensure the smooth and high-quality operation of the machine and tractor fleet. The article analyzes the current state of the agricultural machinery fleet in Russia, as well as in the context of federal districts, based on data from the Federal State Statistics Service and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. In the agricultural organizations of the Russian Federation for the analyzed period, against the background of negative dynamics of quantitative changes in the machine and tractor fleet, there is a decrease in energy capacity to the level of 89.7 million hp as of 2019, which is 62.63‰ less than in 2000. The standard load per tractor is 135 ha in 2000, and 345 ha in 2019, which is 4.7 times higher than the standard. Thus, domestic agricultural enterprises are characterized by: Against the background of low stock-to-weight ratio, there is a decrease in the number of purchased units of tractors and combine harvesters. It is noted that the number of purchased agricultural machinery does not provide sufficient rates of its renewal. At the same time, in most agricultural organizations, the service life of the predominant part of the equipment exceeds 10 years. Based on the data of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation on the availability, demand and forecast for the purchase of basic types of agricultural machinery in the federal districts, the calculation of the shortage of equipment formed as of 2019 and the projected coverage of the deficit in the period up to 2025 was made. Districts with a projected volume of equipment purchases below the existing deficit were identified, while there are districts with a projected volume of equipment purchases exceeding the necessary need to cover the deficit.
The purpose of the study is to identify the main factors contributing to the development of rural areas in the region, to develop proposals for the stabilization of the economy of rural areas. It is established that in recent years, in the context of a decline in state support for agriculture in the harsh conditions of the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation, agricultural activity is developing in the southern regions of the region, around the St. Petersburg agglomeration and the cities of the regional centers of the region. In other territories, especially in the Arctic zone of the region, there is a compression of economic space, a reduction in agricultural production, a reduction in jobs, and an increase in the migration outflow of the working-age population to cities. In the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation, on average, the growth rate of agricultural production and average monthly wages in agriculture is more than two times lower than in the whole of the Russian Federation. Agribusiness in the northern regions of the region carries an additional burden on the payment of northern and territorial allowances to the wages of employees, which significantly reduces their competitiveness of products. The oversupply of labor in the rural labor market contributes, among other factors, to the low rate of wage growth. Agricultural holdings-leaders in the industry, as well as large agricultural organizations that have achieved comparable labor productivity in agriculture at the level of developed countries, pay low wages to employees, it is significantly lower than the average wage in the region's economy. At the same time, most agricultural holdings continue to invest in increasing the scale of production by optimizing the funds allocated to the wage fund of employees, thereby infringing on their interests. The main sources of rural development at this stage in the region are the investments attracted to the agriculture sector, the level of state support for agribusiness, and the budget revenues of rural settlements. There is a trend of decreasing budget revenues in rural settlements in the average for the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation in the dynamics from 2013 to 2017. It is almost analogous to the decline in the indicators of investment in agriculture and the volume of state support for the industry. The scientific novelty lies in the identification of trends in institutional changes and problems of uneven spatial development of rural areas. Proposals have been developed to stabilize the economic activity of rural areas in the region.