Comparative analysis of resource consumption and environmental intensity indicators of agriculture in model regions of North Asia

The object of the study are Russian model regions of North Asia, which include 3 oblasts (Amur, Omsk and Tyumen), 2 krais (Altai and Transbaikal), and 2 republics (Buryatia and Tyva), as well as 3 regions of Kazakhstan bordering Russia (East Kazakhstan, Pavlodar and North Kazakhstan), and 2 Chinese provinces (Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang). The article presents a comparative analysis of resource consumption and environmental intensity indicators of agriculture in these regions. The results has shown that most of the Russian regions under consideration are characterized by a high level of arable land, but the yield is significantly lower than the Russian average, which indicates low efficiency in the use of agricultural resources. Model regions of Kazakhstan differ in indicators of ploughness, while East Kazakhstan, despite a low level of ploughness, is not inferior in yield to other regions, but this growth is achieved due to the wide use of organic fertilizers. Over a 30-year period in model Chinese provinces, the area of irrigated land increased by 1.5-3 times, and the consumption of chemical fertilizers increased by 2-4 times. In general, model territories of China are characterized by accelerating resource consumption in agriculture. The results of calculating the environmental intensity of agriculture in Russian regions under consideration shows high environmental intensity of agricultural production in Zabaikalsky Krai, Tyva and Omsk Oblast, which significantly exceeds the average value for Russia. This is due to the large areas of disturbed and restored lands and high costs of their restoration, particularly in Zabaikalsky Krai and Omsk Oblast.