Территориальное размещение и стратегическое развитие агропродовольственного сектора

Abstract

The article deals with the complex problem of the territorial location and strategic development of the agrifood sector, the proper condition of which ensures the physical and economic availability of products at the consumption rate of each citizen. Territorial planning is designed to use those competitive advantages of regions that are more relevant to the task of the “desired” development of the agricultural sector. The purpose of the article is to assess the impact of the current location of the agrifood sector on the results of its strategic development. The information resource of the study was the author’s database characterizing the development of the agrifood sector of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation for 2017–2020. The method of comparative assessment of the level of indicators (localization as a criterion of specialization, productivity, costs, profitability, and selling price as a criterion of consumer protection) between regions is used to identify the competitive advantages of regions. The logic of the approach is that the “correct” specialization is a consequence of the comparative advantages of the regions in the above-mentioned positions of product competitiveness. It is shown that the current distribution of resources for the strategic development of the agricultural sector is determined by natural and economic conditions. It was revealed that in regions with the best rent-generating factors, there is also a concentration of energy capacities, labor, material and technical resources, fixed capital, and investment. It is shown that a high concentration of funds and objects of labor at a certain stage does not lead to an increase in the efficiency of new investments, but rather contributes to an increase in the capital intensity of products, their price increase and a decrease in affordability. It was found that the competitive advantages of the regions are not sufficiently used to solve the problems of strategic development of the agrifood sector. It is concluded that it is necessary to strengthen the “incentive” support measures for producers. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that the scientific aspects of the territorial location of the agrifood sector are supplemented by theoretical and methodological provisions based on the principles of balanced formation of the physical and economic accessibility of products. The scientific developments can be used by public authorities to support strategic decisions on territorial planning of the agribusiness sector.