IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE ECONOMY
Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the economy of Russia. It produces food for the population, raw materials for processing industries, and provides other needs of society. Public demand for consumer goods by almost 75% is covered by agriculture. In 1998, the gross domestic product in agriculture accounts for 6,7%.
The development of agriculture depends largely on the standard of living and welfare: the size and structure of supply, average income, the consumption of goods and services, the social conditions of life (Table 1).
Russian agriculture has always been a donor for other sectors of the economy, a source of replenishment of the national income to solve the pressing problems of the country. In recent years only by the price disparity agriculture received less 185 million rubles., And in 2007 – more than 40 million rubles. The state and the pace of development of agriculture depends largely on the basic economic proportions, economic growth across the country. In the value of national income in agriculture accounts for 10%, while profit before tax 7,5%.
Table 1 – Food consumption in Russia (per capita per year, kg)
|
Name of product
|
Consumption rate
|
1990
|
1996
|
1997
|
1998
|
|
Meat and meat products
|
70
|
75
|
51
|
50
|
48
|
|
Milk and dairy products
|
360
|
386
|
232
|
229
|
226
|
|
Fish and fish products
|
18,2
|
20,3
|
9
|
9
|
8
|
|
Eggs, pieces.
|
265
|
297
|
207
|
210
|
212
|
|
Bread and bakery products
|
115
|
119
|
117
|
118
|
119
|
|
Sugar
|
35,3
|
47,2
|
33
|
33
|
32
|
|
Vegetable oil
|
13,2
|
10,2
|
7,9
|
6,5
|
6,0
|
|
Potatoes
|
105
|
106
|
125
|
130
|
135
|
|
Vegetables and melons
|
140
|
79
|
74
|
79
|
75
|
|
Fruits and Berries
|
75
|
35
|
29
|
27
|
25
|
Agriculture is the main consumer of material resources: tractors, combines, trucks, fuel and lubricants, mineral fertilizers. Agriculture in 2007 accounted for about 80% of all tractors manufactured in the country, 65% of grain harvesters, 20% of gasoline, nearly 23% produced in the country of diesel fuel and 20% of mineral fertilizers. On agriculture accounts for over 13% of the value of fixed assets in Russia.
In the countryside, home to 39.5 million population of Russia, which accounts for 27% of the total population in the country. Of the total number of employed in the economy of the population 63.6 million. agriculture employed 5.4 million people. that is 8,4% of total employment in Russia. On average, one working in agriculture provides the 5.7 working in other sectors of the economy (in the sphere of material production, construction, agricultural products processing, etc.).
For agricultural production uses about 40% of all land in the country.
Agriculture – is not only a sector of the economy, but also the habitat of a large population. It formed the moral foundations of the nation, its national psychology, the historical memory.