The potential of dairy cattle breeding in the Vologda oblast within the framework of the possibility of providing the population of the Arctic zone of Russia with food

The author of the paper attempts to substantiate scientifically the hypothesis, according to which the subjects of the European North of Russia (especially the Vologda Oblast) have a significant potential for agricultural production, in particular dairy cattle breeding, the implementation of which is strategically important in the current political and economic conditions in order to provide the population of the Arctic zone with food. The analysis of agriculture of the subjects of the European North, as well as the Arctic zone of Russia, has proved that due to the difficult climatic conditions, the underdeveloped nature of agricultural production, the low level of its state support, the lack of stable ties with the areas of food production imported into the Arctic regions, as well as the focal nature of resettlement and seasonal food delivery to the deep regions of the Arctic, the problem of providing the population with food is now acute. The purpose of this article is to study the potential of dairy cattle breeding in the Vologda oblast in the context of determining the possibility of providing the population of the Arctic zone of Russia with food. The author substantiates that one of the ways to solve the problem under consideration is to increase the volume of agricultural production in the nearby territory - the territory of the European North. The Vologda Oblast, which is the most southern territory of the European North with a developed transport network (automobile, railway, aviation, water), producingabout 50% of the total volume of agricultural products of the region and having a significant resource agricultural potential, should play a priority role. The analysis of the potential of animal husbandry, in particular dairy cattle breeding, in the Vologda Oblast for 1990-2016 has shown that the region as a whole has significant potential and reserves for the development of dairy cattle breeding, the implementation of which can not only increase the production of milk and dairy products in the region, but also provide the population of the Arctic with food. However, this requires the development of a set of measures and tools to enhance the existing capacity, as well as significant transformation of the agrarian policy of the state, which will be reflected in further research on this issue. The author used general scientific research methods (abstract-logical, system approaches, generalization method, economic-statistical, monographic, sociological, etc.), statistical methods (grouping, sampling, comparison and generalization), as well as graphical and tabular methods of data visualization.