Valerikovna Mikhaylova’s research while affiliated with Orel State Agrarian University and other places

. Small agribusiness entities occupy an important place in the development of the Russian agro-industrial complex, their role is undeniable in ensuring food security of the country, integrated development of rural areas. The functioning and development of small and medium enterprises in the Russian Federation, including by regions, to a greater extent occurs separately, but higher rates of production and financing can be achieved in the agricultural cooperation system. An important aspect in this regard is the fact that recently the state has been supporting those small agricultural businesses that continue their development in the system of agricultural cooperation, whose financing for the development of the material and technical base from the state reaches 70 million rubles. The role of small enterprises is undeniable in the development of rural areas, which has recently been given great importance at the state level. By placing their activities in rural areas, employment in rural areas is ensured, social infrastructure is developed, and the quality of life of rural residents is improved. In connection with the implementation of the enormous tasks assigned to small agribusiness entities, it is important to support both beginning and existing rural entrepreneurs in their desire to work on the land, most often not so profitable, but they are the ones who largely determine the future of the Russian village. Along with providing financial support to rural entrepreneurs, it is necessary to organize other forms of support, especially information and consulting. Despite the fact that in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2019-2023 the number of agricultural consumer cooperatives increased by 1.5 times, their revenue increased by more than 5 times, and net profit - by 8.9 times. Currently, various educational projects are in particular demand among rural entrepreneurs, since in order to use the resources provided by the state for the development of their business, in addition to the financial component, it is important to be able to correctly distribute them for expanded reproduction. Further effective development of small agribusiness entities in the region is expected in the system of agricultural cooperation; the problem of involving new members should be solved through active propaganda, explaining the advantages and preferences of cooperatives, holding training seminars and meetings, webinars, online and offline consultations, etc.

Ensuring sustainable rates of Russian agriculture development requires significant investment, which is due to the introduction of digital technologies in the industry. The solution to this issue in practice is impossible without the implementation of federal projects and programs by the state. In recent years, certain trends in increasing production volumes have been achieved in the agricultural sector of Russia, which is also positively influenced by the digital solutions introduced into agriculture. Technologies with a quick payback have become especially popular among farmers of our country: fuel and lubricant consumption monitoring sensors; cloud solutions, the main purpose of which is forecasting, accounting, planning; digital solutions for agricultural enterprises with an industrial type of production; and the least - technologies related to forecasting or modeling due to their longer payback. By 2022, there is a decrease in the gap in the indicators characterizing the availability of websites, use of internet, computer networks in agricultural formations and the average values for all organizations in the country. The development and implementation of digital technologies in agricultural production requires the use of an integrated approach that would include the interaction of the state and business in the industry in order to achieve higher indicators. At the same time, we must not forget about legal support, and it is also necessary to improve the technological, organizational, financial, personnel components in solving the problem under consideration.

The role and importance of peasant (farm) farms in the country’s agro-industrial complex is determined by the fact that they make a significant contribution to solving issues of ensuring food security, creating new jobs, increasing tax revenues to the federal and regional budgets, etc. In the Republic of Tatarstan, their share in 2022 accounts for more than 11% of all agricultural production in the region, with an average annual number of employees of more than 3.4 thousand people. The index of agricultural production in peasant (farm) farms in 2022 compared to the previous one was 150.7%, which is higher than both in agricultural organizations (143.2%) and in households (105.7%), which, as a result, contributed to an increase in the volume of output of the region’s industry in value by 29.3%. Despite the abnormal weather conditions in 2021, peasant farms have strengthened their position in the production of grain, sunflower seeds and milk. Further increase in agricultural production volumes is not possible without greater intensification of production processes, taking advantage of the digitalization of production to ensure an increase in crop yields and animal productivity. However, small forms of farming in rural areas during the transition to innovative technologies face certain difficulties and limitations: lack of financial resources due to small volumes of product sales; shortage of qualified labor as a result of labor migration to large cities, etc. Therefore, the introduction and application of elements of digital agriculture in farms is slower than in large agricultural formations, which creates uneven conditions for their development. More efficient functioning and development of farming in the region is possible only through the use of new approaches and management methods, the most important among which is the integration and cooperation of small and medium-sized businesses among themselves and with other elements of agribusiness.

The strategic task until 2030 for the agro-economic systems of the country and its regions is to increase the average annual growth rate of volumetric indicators of agricultural production to 3%, which is twice as high as the achieved value. To achieve this aim, it is necessary to develop and implement effective mechanisms to smooth out the abrupt growth of production volumes and ensure the sustainable development of agricultural sectors. The development of the agricultural sector of the Republic of Tatarstan shows positive trends in the growth of volumetric indicators of production over the past five years. The volume of gross agricultural output in the region increased with an annual growth rate of 21.62 billion rubles. At the same time, the volume of production growth in the crop and livestock sectors amounted to 11.11 and 10.49 billion rubles, respectively, which demonstrates the uniform development of the two main industries. The growth in volumetric indicators of product production is mainly due to the intensification of production processes, the introduction and development of innovative technologies. Along with this, abnormal weather conditions have a negative impact on the process of sustainable development of agriculture, as evidenced by the results of 2021, when the total production volume was only 80.1% of the previous year’s level, and crop production decreased by 38.7%. The identified trend once again emphasizes the need to search for adaptive methods of farming in accordance with climate change by moving at a more intensive pace to the creation of drought-resistant varieties, the development of moisture-saving technologies and the active implementation of reclamation measures. Livestock farming is developing at a more sustainable pace, although there is a decline in the numbers of certain animal species. However, this process does not affect production volumes due to increased animal productivity. The industry is in the process of gradually replacing low-productive animals with highly productive breeding stock. To transition to sustainable development of agriculture in the republic, it is necessary to continue work on adapting technological processes to climate change, creating and introducing new varieties, developing genetic technologies for animal breeding, using digitalization and robotization of the industry.

One of the key trends in the financial market, which actively manifested itself during the pandemic and then under sanctions pressure, was the active development of collective investments. At the same time, the new operating conditions for management companies, associated with the blocking of foreign assets, provoked significant difficulties in providing financial services to clients. In the current conditions, there is an increasing need to assess the practice of functioning of mutual investment funds and create mechanisms to reduce the negative consequences of the sanctions burden for individual financial market entities. Based on an analysis of the operating conditions of the management company and an assessment of the efficiency of managing the funds of mutual investment funds, it was determined that the key problems in the activities of the management company are the lack of significant financial results in the management of mutual funds, as well as the suspension of the work of five funds, which resulted in a deterioration in the financial performance of the company. In particular, there was a reduction in the company's assets by a third, an increase in country and currency risks, as well as a significant increase (by 350%) in labor costs. Based on the results of the analysis, the authors formulated measures to improve the efficiency of the company, including the creation of a personnel policy management system to improve the efficiency of the fund, the implementation of a scheme for the settlement of frozen assets by transferring funds from frozen mutual funds to a closed fund, as well as the transition to passive strategies for managing mutual funds. A project for a fund focused on Islamic investments has been developed, the portfolio of which includes shares of companies included in the Moscow Exchange Islamic Investment Index. An assessment of the fund’s potential showed prospects for forming the value of the fund's net assets in the amount of 990 million rubles.

One of the key trends in the financial market, which actively manifested itself during the pandemic and then under sanctions pressure, was the active development of collective investments. At the same time, the new operating conditions for management companies, associated with the blocking of foreign assets, provoked significant difficulties in providing financial services to clients. In the current conditions, there is an increasing need to assess the practice of functioning of mutual investment funds and create mechanisms to reduce the negative consequences of the sanctions burden for individual financial market entities. Based on an analysis of the operating conditions of the management company and an assessment of the efficiency of managing the funds of mutual investment funds, it was determined that the key problems in the activities of the management company are the lack of significant financial results in the management of mutual funds, as well as the suspension of the work of five funds, which resulted in a deterioration in the financial performance of the company. In particular, there was a reduction in the company's assets by a third, an increase in country and currency risks, as well as a significant increase (by 350%) in labor costs. Based on the results of the analysis, the authors formulated measures to improve the efficiency of the company, including the creation of a personnel policy management system to improve the efficiency of the fund, the implementation of a scheme for the settlement of frozen assets by transferring funds from frozen mutual funds to a closed fund, as well as the transition to passive strategies for managing mutual funds. A project for a fund focused on Islamic investments has been developed, the portfolio of which includes shares of companies included in the Moscow Exchange Islamic Investment Index. An assessment of the fund’s potential showed prospects for forming the value of the fund's net assets in the amount of 990 million rubles.

The agriculture of the Russian Federation is an important part of the national economy, the basis for ensuring the country’s food security. The development of agriculture is influenced by both internal factors (climate, economy, labor resources, state support for the industry, etc.) and external factors (sanctions from unfriendly countries, world market prices, etc.). The importance of increasing the competitiveness of the Russian agricultural industry in the international market has increased with the launch of a special military operation in 2022, as it has faced new challenges. As a result of large-scale political pressure from unfriendly states, the country was cut off from imports of equipment, spare parts, technologies and seeds necessary for the agro-industrial sector, supply chains were disrupted, prices for imported goods increased, and problems arose with exports. Despite these difficulties, Russian agriculture, despite the decline in crop production, due to the growth of indicators in dairy and meat animal husbandry, shows a steady increase in total production. So, in comparison with 2017, the volume of milk production by 2021 increased by 7%, and meat of all types - by 10%. The level of self-sufficiency of the Russian Federation in 2021 exceeded the threshold levels of the Food Security Doctrine for the production of grain, sugar, meat and meat products; below the threshold level was the production of potatoes, milk and dairy products, vegetables and gourds, fruits and berries. Also, a positive moment in the development of the agricultural sector is the increase in the volume of exports of the industry’s products both in kind and in monetary terms, the structure of exports has improved, where there are more and more products of processed agricultural raw materials. However, at present, the sanctions of unfriendly countries have a negative impact on the development of agriculture in the Russian Federation and on its competitiveness in the international market. To solve the problems of the industry, it is necessary to strengthen state support for agricultural producers, aimed at increasing investment and innovation activity in the industry, developing import substitution (creating new industries) and ensuring food security.

Sustainable and efficient production of agricultural products, regardless of the influence of weather and climate factors in the zone of risky farming, is largely possible only with the widespread introduction of land reclamation measures. The research was carried out with the aim of studying the current state of the reclamation industry in the Republic of Tatarstan and developing scientifically based ways of its development. In the course of the studies of the economic efficiency of irrigated agriculture in the republic, it was found that in potatoes production due to irrigation, the yield increases from 3.89 to 4.2 times, and the marketability of finished products due to improved quality and standardization of tubers by 2.58 times. It was revealed that with a potato marketability of 80%, the net income per 1 ha is 495.9 thousand rubles. The net income from 1 ha of corn for silage under irrigation is 52.4 thousand rubles. This suggests that one ruble spent on irrigation allows farms to receive up to 12 rubles of additional production in the production of grain crops. And in the production of vegetables and marketable potatoes - up to 40 rubles. The cultivation of perennial crops on irrigation makes it possible to obtain up to four full-fledged cuttings, which makes it possible to provide the livestock industry with a reliable fodder base. At this stage of development of the reclamation industry of the Republic of Tatarstan, about 1.5% of the arable land of the Republic is under irrigation reclamation, it produces up to 18.5% of the gross crop production. However, the widespread introduction of land reclamation elements by agricultural producers is limited due to a number of reasons. This series includes: the high cost of restoration, construction, operation and maintenance of reclamation facilities and their network, the lack of technical and financial resources for agricultural enterprises, the need for preliminary costly survey and design work to obtain design estimates (DED). According to expert estimates, to provide food for the inhabitants of the Republic of Tatarstan, it is necessary to have at least 150 thousand hectares of irrigated land, against the currently available 35 thousand hectares. Achieving the indicated value of irrigated lands is not possible without the adoption of a comprehensive program for the development of melioration and agrolandscape farming system, which should be adequately financially secured for the implementation of program activities.

The number of small agricultural business entities includes agricultural enterprises of various organizational and legal forms (with the exception of state and municipal enterprises, dependent and subsidiaries and partnerships), as well as agricultural consumer cooperatives, peasant (farmer) households, and household households. At present, the small agricultural business of the Republic of Tatarstan is represented by over 470 thousand personal, about 3 thousand farms and more than 300 agricultural consumer cooperatives. Personal subsidiary farms use 1 499.3 thousand hectares of agricultural land, and private farms own more than 312 thousand hectares of arable land, or 9% of the area of the entire arable land of the republic. If we consider the share of small agribusiness entities in the structure of the region's economy, then almost half of the gross agricultural output falls on them. To improve the efficiency of small agribusiness, the further development of small enterprises is associated with their clustering. This article examines the advantages of the cluster approach in the activities of small agricultural businesses. The clustering of small agribusiness entities opens up more opportunities for expanded production. Small enterprises that are members of the agro-industrial cluster increase their competitiveness and position in the commodity market. Functioning within clusters can contribute to the production of goods, endowing them with other properties and, accordingly, conquering new market niches. The stable development of regions, economic growth in production in many areas of the agro-industrial complex in recent years create real prerequisites for the creation of local clusters. Compared to Russia, in developed countries, clusters have been created for decades and, importantly, they show real profitability, as well as the inclusion of organizations in such clusters contribute to the exchange of experience in doing business. For the further development of small businesses, it is necessary to use a cluster approach, the advantages of which are the expansion of sales markets for products, the full cycle of production of finished products, savings with large volumes of purchases.

Resource supply of sustainable development of agro-economical systems should help to increase the competitiveness of agricultural production in the domestic and world food markets and provide the population of the globe with food on the basis of steady increase of agricultural production growth rates. The analysis of the World Bank database for the period from 2012 to 2021 shows that for ten years the added value in the agrarian sector of the Russian Federation economy has increased by 16%, showing positive dynamics of the average annual growth rate with the value of 1.53%. Comparison with the analogous world average growth rate of 2.97% shows that our agro-economic system lags behind the world by almost two times. The OECD countries are developing with an average annual growth rate of 1.88%, which is also ahead of Russia’s indicators. At the same time, Russia’s agro-economic system is developing 0.26% faster than the countries of the European zone. Over the next eight years the Russian Federation expects to achieve an average annual growth rate of agricultural production of 3%, which is 2.7 times higher than the world average. For this purpose Russian agrarians have significant reserves for sustainable development of the agricultural economic system due to expansion of the areas of the main production resource by means of involving 33.04 million hectares of unused agricultural lands (16.7% of the total area) into circulation which, if successfully developed and the average Russian level of land productivity is reached, will give a 15-16% increase in production. The implementation of the program of technical modernization of agriculture can contribute to the achievement of steady annual growth rates of 1.3-1.8% of the branch production. Along with this the important directions of resource provision are the establishment of fair correlation of prices for agricultural products and industrial goods, fulfillment of financial support of agricultural development program and increasing of export potential of domestic agriculture.