Development trends and digital transformation of small businesses in Russia

A new stage in the development of agriculture is associated with the industry transition to the stage “Agriculture 4.0”, when all production and economic processes in the agro-industrial complex are digitalized. Today, digital transformation is a basis for the sustainability and competitiveness of agricultural production, which structure includes certain agricultural organizations, peasant farms and households. Peasant farms and households traditionally belong to small forms of farming in the rural areas and make a significant contribution to ensuring food security of the country, development of the agrarian sector of the economy and the social sphere of the countryside. According to the preliminary data from Rosstat, in 2023 the volume of gross agricultural output in small forms of management amounted to 3,332.9 billion rubles or about 40% of the total volume of products produced by all categories of farms. At the same time, it remains relevant to create conditions for the effective operation of small businesses, increase the share of state support, and develop measures aimed at increasing their competitiveness. The article examines production indicators of small businesses over the past ten years; development trends have been identified indicating an increase in the share of farms in the agricultural production and a decrease in production volumes in households. The problems that hinder effective functioning and processes of digital transformation of the mentioned economic entities are identified, which occur due to their unresolved nature during formation and development of small agribusiness, as well as those that arose at the stage of introduction of innovative technologies. These are: limited financial resources, low technical equipment, price disparity, lack of qualified personnel, lack of skills in using the latest technologies and software products, poor development of digital infrastructure that allows the full adoption of digital solutions. The role of state support in the development of digital transformation of small business forms is noted.