EFFICIENCY OF USE OF LAND RESOURCES AS A STRATEGIC FACTOR FOR SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF FOOD SECURITY

Abstract

Among the problems of society's development, the issue of improving the efficiency of land resource use was and remains fundamental. The consequences of Russia's military actions on the territory of Ukraine led to the withdrawal of land plots from economic turnover and the disruption of food chains in the supply of agricultural products. For 2017-2021, there is an increase in the production of gross products per 1 ha of agricultural land and arable land, both in Ukraine in general and in Zhytomyr region in particular. This situation is explained, first of all, by the increase in the volume of gross production of products. Secondly, the increase in the volume of production of gross products per 1 ha of agricultural land and arable land is caused by a decrease in their area. A separate exception is the data for 2020, which clearly demonstrate a decrease in the level of production of gross products per 1 ha of agricultural land and arable land, both in Ukraine and in the Zhytomyr region. Such changes are explained by the inhibition of the sphere of production of agricultural products during the deepening crisis – COVID-19. In 2021, the national indicator of gross product production per 1 hectare of agricultural land amounted to UAH 21.75 million. and for 1 ha of arable land – 17.25 million hryvnias, which, compared to the indicators of Zhytomyr region, are lower by UAH 2.22 million and UAH 4.82 million, respectively. Based on such analytical data, it can be stated that the efficiency of the use of land resources in Ukraine is increasing, while in the Zhytomyr region it has a tendency to decrease, which, at the same time, indicates reserves for its improvement. It should be noted that the largest contribution to the increase in the volume of production of gross products is made by enterprises and, to a lesser extent, households. It is positive that the commercial production of agricultural products is moving from small households to large agricultural enterprises, which are capable of not only intensification of land resources, but also of ensuring food security of the population of Ukraine. The largest share (about 80%) in the production of agricultural products is traditionally occupied by crop production, both in Ukraine and in the Zhytomyr region. It should be noted that, first of all, the decrease in the production of animal husbandry products, which reaches a critical level, causes concern. In general, we can say that national food security is formed at the expense of own production of agricultural products and is less dependent on imported food products. However, the export of finished products is 31.1% lower than the import. This situation is economically unjustified, as gross added value is washed out of the national economy. So, in general, based on the analytical data, we can conclude that currently the effectiveness of the use of land resources has room for improvement both in Ukraine in general and in the Zhytomyr region. It is well-founded that the main reserve for improving the efficiency of the use of land resources is intensification, which involves reducing the level of plowing of land, using the latest mineral fertilizers, producing new generations of plant protection products, etc.