Current status and trends of competitiveness of agri-food products

Abstract

The current state and main trends of the competitiveness of Ukrainian agri-food products in the context of the transformation of the economic environment, increased external risks and structural changes in agricultural production are revealed. The competitiveness of agri-food products is considered as a complex characteristic that is formed under the influence of production, economic, market, foreign trade and quality and technological parameters. The features of the dynamics and structure of agricultural production are determined, and the dominant role of crop production and high concentration of production in the segments of grain and industrial crops are established. The economic parameters of competitiveness are characterized by the dynamics of production costs and the profitability levels of the main product types, indicating significant differentiation in the economic performance of individual product segments. The market component is assessed from the perspective of the dynamics of agricultural product selling costs and the ratio of costs to physical production results. The structural features of foreign trade in agri-food products have been determined, and the preservation of significant competitive positions of products of plant origin and the oil-and-fat group has been established with an insufficient share of finished products with a higher degree of processing. The qualitative and technological parameters of the formation of non-price competitive advantages have been systematized, including quality and safety, standardization, certification, traceability, technological feasibility, digitalization, innovation, and environmental friendliness of production. The need to transform the resource and price advantages of the agri-food sector into sustainable competitive advantages based on technological modernization, deepening of processing, diversification of production, and increasing the added value of products has been substantiated. Keywords: competitiveness, agri-food sector, agri-food products, agricultural products, production potential, economic efficiency, profitability, market positions, foreign trade, qualitative and technological parameters, competitive advantages, added value.