Current problems and perspectives for the development of pig farming

Pig farming is one of the most important and strategically valuable agriculture sub-sectors of animal husbandry to ensure food security of Russia and its regions, since the special role of meat and meat products is determined by their importance as the main source of animal proteins in sound human nutrition. In the conditions of existing management in Russia, there is a sufficiently steady increase in the pork production by the farms of all forms of ownership, but there is a number of systemic issues of development, such as insufficient and delayed funding, absence of its own strong base for livestock breeding, low technological level of production, shortage of qualified personnel, veterinary problems related to the import of live animals, negative implications of Russia’s accession to the WTO, new up-dated requirements to the quality of meat and its processing, cutting and packing, etc. They do not allow enterprises of the sub-sector to realize their potential to the full extent. The author notes that the development of the pig breeding sector is a reserve for the provision of the Russian food market with high-quality meat products and it acquires special significance for the agro-industrial complex in many regions of the country, including the Vologda Oblast. Based on the findings of the Vologda Oblast the study highlights that at the present moment the regional pig farming is in a rather difficult situation with a number of companion problems. At the same time, since 2013 there has been a tendency to restore meat production volumes. The article outlines the current issues of the pig farming development, and the author also takes a shot at finding ways out of the current situation and identifying prospects for the development of the sub-sector. In conclusion, the author notes that in order to put the pig farming of the region on an innovative development path, especially in the current economic conditions, it is importantto ensure the rational use of available resources and internal reserves for production increase, growth of efficiency and competitiveness of products in the sub-sector. For example, intensification of pig farming production should be the main line of increasing its efficiency, which assumes the introduction of advanced technologies, the use of high-quality feeds, the use of well-balanced diet, integrated mechanization and automation of production processes, the reconstruction and technical re-equipment of farms and pig complexes, the use of highly productive breeds and types of pigs in pig breeding, the application of good working practice and labor remuneration, etc.