Assessment of Factors Affecting Food Exports of Russian Regions

Abstract

The development of food export and transformation of its structure with a predominance of deep processed products is a priority goal of the Russian agri-food sector. In this regard, it is necessary to find ways to restructure food production for ensuring the country’s food security and increasing its export potential. The study aims to identify key factors affecting agricultural exports, as well as to substantiate the role of state support in creating a regional strategy for the development of industries processing agricultural raw materials. To this end, statistical research methods were applied, in particular, a multiple regression model was constructed to assess the influence of the selected factors on Russian food export considering its regional diversity. The factors affecting exports can be divided into market (food industry output, population income, agricultural output, food imports, budget expenditures) and state ones (direct budgetary transfers to agricultural producers and subsidies to regions). The research concluded that direct state support to agricultural producers has the biggest impact on food exports. The study justified the need to restructure the system of state support to improve production efficiency and competitiveness of products and proposed a set of potentially effective tools for achieving this goal. The methodological approach and research findings can be used to establish a strategy for the development of the food and processing industry of the domestic agri-food sector at the federal and regional levels. At the same time, it is required to further study methodological aspects of the distribution of state support to the food industry across Russian regions, as well as to define criteria and principles of its intersectoral and interregional division.