THE ROLE OF SMALL ENTERPRISES IN THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY: ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

Small businesses and peasant (farm) households play a key role in agricultural production in Russia, making a significant contribution to the development of the agricultural sector. The relevance of this study is due to the need to analyze the contribution of small enterprises to the total volume of agricultural production and assess their impact on the country's economy. The purpose of the article is to study the role of small enterprises and farms in the agricultural economy of Russia based on data on the share of small enterprises in agricultural production and the main indicators of farmers' activities. The hypothesis of the study is that small enterprises play an important role in the production of crop products, but their contribution to livestock farming remains relatively small. The conducted data analysis showed that small enterprises provide a significant part of the production of grain and oilseeds, but their share in the livestock sector is small. In addition, farms demonstrate steady growth in crop production, especially in the production of grain and oilseeds. The conclusions of the article highlight the importance of further development of small businesses and farms through improved access to financial resources, government support and the introduction of innovative technologies to increase their competitiveness and sustainable growth in the agricultural economy.