The role of agriculture in the country's economy can hardly be overestimated, since it is the main branch of the agro-industrial complex that produces food products for the country's population, as well as raw materials for processing in other industries. But the main task of agriculture is to satisfy the needs of the population for food.
Different regions of the country specialize in the production of various agricultural products. The focus and specificity of each region, first of all, depends on the geographical location, and therefore on the climatic conditions in a particular zone.
So, for example, agriculture in the Leningrad Region is represented mainly by dairy farming, potato growing, poultry farming, and here, as in other regions of the country, more than half of the demand for consumer goods is met from agricultural resources. Agriculture (including the Leningrad region) is the main supplier of raw materials for food, feed, light industry and other sectors of the economy.
On the other hand, for example, agriculture in the Leningrad Region is a large consumer of industrial goods. The industry supplies equipment for the needs of the village: cars, trucks, tractors, combines, equipment, as well as combustible and lubricating materials, compound feeds and mineral fertilizers. Statistics confirm that the share of industrial goods in the structure of costs for agricultural production is almost 40%, therefore the development of individual industries depends significantly on agriculture, and, in turn, the successful development of industry determines the effective functioning of agricultural producers.
Like any other sector of the national economy, agriculture also has some characteristic features that must be taken into account when carrying out entrepreneurial activity in this sector. For example, the agriculture of the Leningrad Region, its structure, the level of development of certain areas directly depends on the soil and climatic conditions inherent in the area. Therefore, the grain yield, for example, in this region will differ from the crop in the North Caucasus region of the country. Also, in view of the obvious dependence of the results of activities in this sector of the national economy on natural conditions, there are certain risks in agriculture.
In agriculture, land acts as the main means of production. Unlike other means of production, the earth does not wear out when used properly, and can retain its qualities. But land resources can dramatically differ in fertility and also location, which determines the differential rent: producers with better conditions (soil, proximity to markets) can make a profit.
Living organisms act as specific means of production in agriculture: these are animals and plants that develop according to biological laws.
The specificity of agriculture also lies in its dispersal in various climatic conditions, which determines the selection of varieties of crops, animal breeds, as well as the mechanization of individual production processes in agriculture and land reclamation. In addition, the method of chemicalization of agriculture also depends on the specifics of the soils in the region.
A feature of agriculture as a branch of the economy is seasonality. Since some crops ripen and grow only at a certain time of the year, the seasonality of agricultural work is especially evident when growing, for example, winter crops. The difference between the production time, on the one hand, and the working period, on the other, is clearly manifested precisely in the production of these crops. After all, the period of growing winter grains begins, as a rule, in July-August, with preparation and sowing, and only in July of the next year ends with harvesting. During this time, field preparation, sowing, fertilizing and caring for the crop, harvesting takes place - that is, the working period is resumed several times, and the production period continues uninterruptedly and represents the growth and development of plants, and is determined by natural conditions.