DEVELOPMENT OF MEAT PRODUCT SUBCOMPLEX OF AGRICULTURE OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The development of domestic agri-food production affects the ability to achieve many socio-economic goals – to meet the food needs of the population, supply of non-food raw materials for industrial enterprises, increase foreign exchange earnings from the growth of exports and more. An important role in this process belongs to the meat subcomplex of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine, which consists of agricultural producers engaged in animal husbandry, industrial enterprises engaged in the production of meat products and finished products, transport and trade infrastructure, ensuring the functioning of promotion channels and etc. The purpose of this article is research of problems of functioning of the national market of meat and meat products in general and meat subcomplex of agrarian and industrial complex in particular. The article examines the current state of the meat subcomplex of the agro-industrial complex. There is a continuing decline in livestock and beef, pork and lamb production. Poultry production is increasing through the use of innovative technologies. It indicates the formation of holding-type structures in meat production and processing and the disappearance of traditional vertically integrated cross-sectoral links. It is noted that in order to prevent the risks of food danger, it is necessary to stimulate the production of livestock products by small and medium-sized organizational forms of agricultural producers. Conclusions: 1) the crisis in the meat industry of Ukraine continues – over the past 30 years, the number of conventional livestock has decreased by 3 times and continues to decline; 2) during 2018–2019. there has been an increase in meat production only due to the accelerated decline in the number of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats; 3) in the period from 1990 to 2019. production of beef and veal, pork, lamb and goat decreased by 5.4, 2.2 and 3.3 times, respectively. The only industry in which there is an increase in production – poultry. This has been achieved through the use of advanced technologies; 4) agricultural enterprises have almost reached the pre-crisis share in the structure of meat production – 68.1% in 2019; 5) the share of the source of raw materials of meat processing plants «actually raised animals by processing enterprises» reached 81% in 2019. This indicates the formation of vertically integrated holding-type structures in meat production and processing, and the disappearance of traditional vertically integrated ties when raw material producers and processors were independent legal entities; 6) an additional source of raw materials that reduces the need of industrial enterprises in the formation and maintenance of their own raw material zones is the import of live animals, frozen products, offal, fat, food flour from meat or offal, etc.; 7) the development of agricultural holdings focused on the foreign market threatens the stability of the internal supply of food needs in meat and meat products. To neutralize the risks of food danger, it is necessary to implement a state program to stimulate the production of livestock products by small and medium-sized organizational forms of agricultural producers.