Integration processes in the meat products sub-complex of the agro-industrial complex of Russia: results, specifics and ways of development

The Russian agro-industrial complex is characterized by a variety of integration processes, complexity of their forms, contradictory nature of integration results, strengthening of the impact of the integration on the rates of economic growth and development of export potential of the country. In this regard, it is becoming highly relevant to study agro-industrial integration in various sectors of the agro-industrial complex, to define the socio-economic role of integration units, and to substantiate scientifically the prospects for further development of integration processes. The aim of the present work is to carry out a comprehensive study of the processes of agro-industrial integration in the meat products sub-complex of the agro-industrial complex of Russia, to identify their characteristics and areas of further development. The research is carried out in the framework of the system approach to the study of socio-economic phenomena and we use abstract-logical, historical, economic-statistical, and expert methods. The article analyzes the main indicators of development of the industry and concludes that the meat products sub-complex is one of the most dynamically developing sectors of the domestic agro-industrial complex, in which there is a trend of increasing production, import substitution, and exports of meat and meat products. We conclude that integration processes are dominated by vertical regressive integration, and the prevailing organizational form is agro-industrial holding; besides, we point out that Russian capital plays a major role in the production of meat and meat products. We reveal that among the branches of meat product sub-complex, poultry farming has the highest level of production concentration, it is followed by pig farming; as for beef cattle breeding, the concentration level is low there. In recent years, large agricultural holdings within the sub-complex deepened their vertical integration, continued expansion into the regions, and extended their production interests to other agricultural sectors. We conclude that the activity of integrated formations of the meat products sub-complex of the Russian agro-industrial complex fully demonstrates the implementation of advantages of large-scale production and agro-industrial integration, but it also has certain negative socio-economic consequences. In conclusion, we put forward the ways of further development of integration processes, on which the efforts of the state, business, industry associations and the scientific community should be focused.