The Influence of New Agricultural Business Entities on Farmers’ Employment Decision

The purpose of this article is to explore the influence of new agricultural business entities on farmers’ employment decision and provide reference for improving policies related to new agricultural business entities and farmers’ employment. This paper constructs a theoretical analysis framework of “new agricultural business entities—land transfer and purchase of agricultural socialized services—farmers’ employment decision”, and then empirically tests the impact of new agricultural business entities on farmers’ employment decision by combining the analysis methods of the benchmark regression, propensity score matching and mediation effects. The research shows that: (1) New agricultural business entities are beneficial for promoting farmers’ employment decision. (2) Renting out land and the purchase of agricultural socialized services have a positive and partially mediating effect between the new agricultural business entities and farmers’ employment decision, and the mediating effects of the two paths account for 7.12% and 6.25% of the total effects, respectively. (3) In addition to key variables, personal characteristics of decision-making, family characteristics and production and management characteristics are also key factors that affect farmers’ employment decision. (4) The new agricultural business entities increase the probability of farmers’ employment (with legal contract) and entrepreneurship, and reduce the idle labor force in rural areas. Finally, this study proposes some policy recommendations including establishing a perfect farmland transfer market, developing rural industry properly and improving agricultural socialized service systems.

New organizational mechanisms of infrastructure development of small agricultural businesses in Russia

The developed infrastructure of a small agricultural business (ISAB) ensures the innovative development of production of small enterprises of the agro-industrial complex (AIC), solves social problems of rural areas and provides employment for the rural population, performing a number of functions, including: property, financial, consulting, information, legal, innovative , social and export support for small agricultural businesses (SAB). The aim of the study is to identify the problems of the infrastructure development of the SAB and search for their solutions. The methods of generalization, economic and mathematical modeling, functional analysis were used, the data of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the reporting of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, publications of foreign and domestic authors and other sources served as the material for the study. It was proposed to use the institution of “commercial procurement”, to functionally expand the “financial” service, to organize a Single Industry Center for Infrastructure Development (Center), which will ensure effective interaction of all participants through the use of a digital platform based on a service-oriented architecture (SOA). The platform needs to be integrated with government information systems that support the infrastructure development of the SAB. The cluster organization of infrastructure facilities will increase efficiency, will contribute to the concentration of resources and their greater purposefulness. The main result of the implementation of new organizational mechanisms should be the effective development of the IMAB.

PERAN KELOMPOK INFORMASI MASYARAKAT (KIM) DALAM PEMBERDAYAAN POTENSI LOKAL DI KAMPUNG JAMBU DESA KARANGSONO KECAMATAN KANIGORO KABUPATEN BLITAR

This study aims to describe the role of Community Information Groups (KIM) in forming agricultural business networks in order to improve the community's economy through empowering local potentials in Karangsono Village, Kanigoro District, Blitar Regency. The approach used is to use the theory of diffusion of innovation which has 4 elements of the innovation diffusion process, namely innovation, communication channels, time and social system. However, researchers are more focused on the process of diffusion of innovations in forming a network using communication channels. This study will explain the innovations of KIM members which will be disseminated to the public using qualitative descriptive methods. This research data collection through interviews and field observations. The results of this study are the diffusion of innovation in forming business networks through communication channels that have been created by KIM members. So that the innovation process that has been disseminated can be accepted by the community and can change the community to be more prosperous.

CONDUCTING A NON-AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS ACTIVITY AS A SOCIAL INSURANCE TITLE – SELECTED ISSUES

Conducting non-agricultural business activity is a special title of social insurance. It results from the fact that within the scope of being subject to social insurance, only entrepreneurs (out of all persons conducting non-agricultural activity) have the right to periodically exclude the obligation of social insurance and to suspend the conducting of business activity, not only due to the personal care of a child. On the other hand, in the sphere of paying social insurance contributions, there are three ways of establishing the contribution calculation basis on this account (ordinary, preferential and income-dependent basis). In general, it should be stated that conducting non-agricultural business activity as a social insurance title is of the following nature: commercial, obligatory, general (in case of an overlapping of social insurance titles), independent (autonomous), strictly paid and privileged (in relation to other forms of non-agricultural activity).

The Logistic Function of Cooperation in the Agro-Food Supply with Digitalization in the Russian Federation

Currently, digital solutions are increasingly penetrating consumer cooperation. The need for the use of innovative technologies is increasing to improve the efficiency of logistics of consumer societies of the Centrosoyuz of Russia. Consumer societies have a solid opportunity to combine their economic activities into a single system based on a digital platform and become the undisputed leader in the segment of national food security. Operational processes are developing and improving in the digital economy simultaneously with the development of scientific and technological progress, the introduction of innovations, and the modernization of production. Cooperative formations participate in replenishing the resources of agricultural products to ensure the food security of the country. Consumer societies of the Centrosoyuz of Russia play a significant role in providing a guaranteed channel for the sale of agricultural products and raw materials for small agricultural businesses. Various approaches to the participation of consumer cooperation in food security are revealed in the conditions of the digital economy with the industrialization of production. Therewith, the relevance of consumer cooperation in replenishing food supplies is increasing. Its role in the development of small agricultural business in rural areas is revealed, the need for more complete use of the resources available in consumer cooperation in the organization of procurement activities in the field of procurement of agricultural products and raw materials in the households of the population, individual entrepreneurs and peasant farms is argued. The use of the achievements of the digital economy in the system of consumer cooperation is considered as one of its practical applications in modern conditions to increase competitiveness in the domestic and international food market, improving the quality of life of the working population of rural areas.

Animal industry survey: The importance of technical and soft skills, coursework, and extracurricular activities on the success of undergraduates entering animal industries

A survey instrument was developed to inquire about the skills and experiences needed to be successful in an entry-level position within an animal industry. The instrument called upon industry representatives to rank the importance of skills, experiences, and coursework as they relate to success. A five-point scale was used for ranking (1=not important, 2=somewhat important, 3=moderately important, 4=very important, 5=extremely important). Industry representatives ranked personal and team-based soft skills as the most important skills related to success. Animal science coursework and hands-on animal handling and welfare experiences also ranked very high. Non-animal science coursework, agricultural business skills, collegiate experiences, and scientific/laboratory skills were ranked the lowest in terms of importance, but rankings of these categories still fell in the moderately important range. These rankings indicate the need for well-rounded students that have gained technical and personal skills throughout their collegiate education. This also signals a need for projects, writing assignments, and hands-on animal-related activities that promote development of soft skills within the animal science curriculum.

International economy: deepening and expanding research potential in Ukraine

The topical issues of the development of the research potential of Ukraine in the field of international economics , capable of creating scientific support for the foreign economic activity of entrepreneurial structures and government organizations in the context of world and European integration, have been investigated. The creation of the infrastructure of research organizations specializing in the international economics has been substantiated, in particular, the feasibility of creating research institutes in the USA and Canada, Europe, and the Center for International Agricultural Business. The article considers the expediency of conducting research on the issues of cooperation with interstate integration associations of countries, including the EU, ASEAN, TPP, APEC, BRICS, for the implementation of the country's foreign economic policy. A special place in the system of international economics research should be occupied by the problems of Industry 4.0 and the leadership of Ukrainian IT companies in the system of global economic competition. The state of the staffing of research activities in international economics is analyzed and proposals for training of highly qualified specialists in international economics in large industrial centers: Kharkov, L’viv. Dnieper, Odessa and Zaporizhia are formulated.

Fundamentals of business planning of agricultural enterprises

In world practice, a business plan has long become a generally accepted way of providing commercial information and the basis for business negotiations. With the development of market relations and the expansion of international economic relations, business planning becomes one of the important elements of ensuring the competitiveness and successful production and financial activities of an enterprise. On the basis of the business plan, the calculation of the economic efficiency of business ideas and investment decisions, the assessment of the commercial feasibility of investing in their implementation is carried out. A well thought out business plan can be a key step in building a successful and sustainable agricultural enterprise. Business plans, as objects that reflect the characteristics of the field of activity, must be developed not in a template, but based, first of all, on the intended purpose. In this case, the number of sections is regulated. It is one thing when a business plan is developed with the aim of introducing a highly effective innovation, and quite another when it is created for the financial recovery of an organization. A business plan is a document that defines the future goals of a business and a strategy for achieving them. Description can take two forms: narrative and financial. A business plan includes the following documents: resume, business introduction, market analysis, competitor analysis, products and services, marketing and sales strategies, organizational structure, and financial projections. Thus, a business plan is an invaluable tool that helps a grower to be on track to achieve the goals of an agricultural business. Regardless of whether you are a cattle farmer, raising products or processing, it is an agricultural business.