NATALIA SHAHAGAIDA: “THE AGRICULTURAL CENSUS OUTTURNS DO NOT CLEAR UP THE EXTENT OF CONCENTRATION OF LAND IN HANDS OF AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS”

Natalia Shagaida, Head of the Agrarian Policy Department, Gaidar Institute commented to the Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily on the preliminary results of the 2021 micro-agricultural census, showing a decrease in the number of small farms and upturn in the number of large agricultural holdings.

“Agricultural producers’ business is growing all over the world, but not that fast. The lower competition is, the higher are risks that they may dictate their prices. It concerns, particularly, markets which are closed to competitive products. However, the agricultural census outturns do not clear up the extent of concentration of land in hands of agricultural holdings. If the census documented financial results (including the allocation of state aid), the reasons for farm amalgamation would be clear,” Natalia Shagaida notes.