Current problems and challenges of agriculture in the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

The work aims to discuss current problems and challenges for agriculture in the Republic of Belarus. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the socio-economic processes initiated in 2020 somewhat worsened the situation in the agricultural sector, and the existing problems deepened and reasserted themselves. The methods of statistical comparative analysis used in the study together with the construction of dynamic series, which reflect changes in the phenomenon over time, allowed for the identification of certain trends and regularities characteristic of Belarusian agriculture. On the other hand, dialectical analysis made it possible to identify the sources of the main obstacles to effective functioning. The study concludes that the reform of the agricultural system is of key importance for the future performance of Belarusian agriculture. The lack of a uniform approach to the development of the separate spheres of the agro-industrial complex (rus. агропромышленный комплекс, далее – АПК) leads to significant disproportions in their effectiveness. On the other hand, the lack of diversification of buyers on the market of agricultural products leads to a significant dependence of Belarusian producers on the market conditions of the Russian Federation. An attempt to create large cluster formations should be accompanied by appropriate justification and calculation of potential opportunities and threats.