The article provides a detailed analysis of the regional average per capita production and consumption of basic food products. Negative transformational changes and trends in the production and consumption of crop and livestock products in the Orenburg region are revealed. A set of measures for improving and increasing the production of agricultural products for food purposes, improving the consumption of food products by the population of the region, which are of practical importance for all regions of the Russian Federation, is proposed.

The article reveals the results of research on the farms of the population of Russia for 2016-2022. Based on the analysis of the number of private farms, agricultural production indices, the dynamics of acreage, gross yields and yields of major food crops (potatoes, vegetables) and livestock products (production and sale of livestock and poultry, milk and eggs), the share of household production in the structure of agricultural production in the agro-industrial complex is determined, which indicates the importance of households of the population in improving the socio-economic situation in rural areas and ensuring food security. The trends of instability of households of the population due to a weak material and technical base are revealed, which leads to a reduction in acreage, gross potato and vegetable harvests, and a decrease in the production of livestock products. The proposals for achieving sustainable development of households on the basis of state support and integration with economic entities of food subcomplexes of the agro-industrial complex, which will ensure an increase in the efficiency of production of agricultural products and access to sales markets, are substantiated.

A detailed analysis of the production of the main agricultural crops in the Orenburg region for a long-term period, taking into account of their sown areas, gross yields and yields in farms of all categories has been provided in the article. The purpose of the research was to analyze the production of the main agricultural crops in the Orenburg region. Based on the conducted research, transformational changes and trends in the regional production of grain, potatoes and vegetable crops have been identified. During the study period, a gradual reduction in the acreage of grain and leguminous crops in the region was revealed with stabilization at the level of 2,7 million hectares with a wide range of variations in gross yields and productivity depending on the weather and climatic conditions of cultivation. The gross harvest of grain and leguminous crops in farms of all categories during the study period varied in a very wide range of 739,6–4207,2 thousand tons. The biggest gross harvests of grain and leguminous crops were observed in 2000, 2016 and 2017, respectively, 3141,7, 3138,6 and 4207,2 thousand tons in association with the most favorable natural and climatic conditions of their cultivation. There was the reduction in the area, the decrease in gross yields and the tendency to increase the yield of potatoes and vegetable crops in farms of all categories. Based on the analysis, measures are proposed to optimize the acreage, increase the gross yield and productivity of the main agricultural crops in the agricultural sector of the regional agro-industrial complex, as well as a set of measures for sustainable development and effective functioning of regional agricultural production with the possibility of applied use in other regions of the Russian Federation.

Personal subsidiary farms are the most important sector of the agrarian economy, a factor of survival and ensuring food security for most people, providing more than half of the food in the country. The purpose of the research was to analyze the evolution of the formation of households and small farms of the population in Russia. The evolutionary and chronological development and formation of Russian household farmsteads and private farms of the population have been presented in the article. The main stages of the development of households of the population as the most important socio-economic institution and contribution to the agricultural sector of the economy are substantiated. We believe that the eff ective and successful development of private farms will signifi cantly reduce the time frame for the implementation of the food problem and the independence of the country. The income level of the rural population is 3 times lower than the national average. An increase in production volumes in subsidiary farms will help to reduce this gap and solve the country’s food security. Eff ective state support for smallscale farming and personal subsidiary farms is the most important basis for the eff ective development of agricultural production and food security of the country. The system of state support should be aimed at the development of livestock industries in private farms. In this regard, fi nancial resources are needed for the construction of livestock facilities and their equipment, feed and young animals are needed. Without the effective assistance of the state and the provision of funds, the development and diversification of private farms is not possible, farmers have nowhere to take or borrow them, and feed and young farm animals can be obtained in the public economy on mutually beneficial and agreed terms of cooperation.