Sugar-beet complex of Russia: state and directions of development

The complex estimation of state of sugar-beet complex of the Russian Federation has been made. The basic indices of sugar beet production and processing such as area under crop, yield, croppage, sugar content, forecasted sugar yield, and production of sugar from beet are presented. Particular attention has been given to the analysis of sugar-beet industry of the Central Federal District and its separate regions. A high potential of raw-material base development in Central Federal District and, in particular, Central Black-Earth Region has been revealed. Thus, in Russia, about 53% of sugar beet sown annually is located in Central Federal District. In the District, areas under the crop were 607.4 thousand hectares in 2016 and increased by 8.7% in comparison with 2015. Also, in the structure of croppages, Central Federal District has the greatest position as providing 58.5% of overall production, and the Central Black Earth Region рrоduсеs 88–89% of the District sugar beet croppage. Over the period of 2005–2014, Central Federal District has surpassed Privolzhsky Federal District by 23.3% and Siberian Federal District by 25.3% in sugar yield per 1 hectare; but it is slightly inferior to Southern Federal District and North-Caucasian Federal District in this respect (by 3 and 12.6% accordingly). These achievements were promoted by favorable soil and environmental conditions during vegetation and harvesting of sugar beet, perfection of the crop cultivation technology and modernization of sugar industry. On the whole, Russia is the leader in beet sugar production (5 million tons) that provides 90% level of self-sufficiency. Strengthening of material and technical base, as well as development and introduction of resources-economy technologies can become the priority directions of the sugar-beet complex steady development in an effort to realize the policy of imported products substitution.