The question of the integration of Ukraine with the EC is considered from the viewpoint of possibilities and risks for the agrarian sector. The estimates of the contemporary Common agrarian policy of the EC are given, and the corresponding proposals as for the formation of modern eurointegrational referencepoints for the development of the home agrarian policy are formed on their basis.

У статті розглянуто динамічні зміни обсягів виробництва, зовнішньої торгівлі, структури використання сирої й замороженої картоплі в Україні, країнах-членах ЄС і в світі. Доведено, що вітчизняні аграрії вкрай неефективно використовують людські, природні й економічні ресурси при вирощуванні та використанні картоплі, знижуючи доходи, погіршуючи добробут споживачів і суспільства в цілому. Елементами наукової новизни є порівняльний аналіз стану картоплярства й обгрунтування раціональної структури використання продукту з урахуванням вартості одиниці енергії картоплі та енергії зерна. Науково-прикладні пропозиції з питань удосконалення економіки й організації галузі на інноваційній основі можуть бути враховані під час доопрацювання концепції та розроблення на її основі програми розвитку картоплярства в повоєнний період. Перспективним напрямом дослідження може стати розроблення сучасної міжгалузевої моделі "витрати-випуск-ефективність" з урахуванням "зеленого переходу" європейського континенту й дотримання міжнародних екологічних стандартів щодо технологій виробництва та зростаючих вимог споживачів до безпечного і здорового харчування. Ukraine extremely inefficiently utilises its human, economic and natural resources in the process of potato growing and usage, decreasing herewith producers' revenues, aggravating welfare of consumers and society as the whole. The article considers dynamic changes in regard to raw and frozen potato in the European Union member countries and in the world by characteristics of the scope of production, foreign trade, usage structure, specifically as animal edible products and for industrial processing to various final consumption products. It was identified that constantly, starting from 1961 and till now, the cost of energy unit of potato multiply exceeds the cost of grain energy. This circumstance made the majority of the countries to revise their strategies in economy and organisation of potato growing in terms of significant decrease of bulk yield, enhancement of production and export share of frozen potato (fries). It was demonstrated that under condition of solving a number of commercial and environmental problems, even provided that the employment level of the rural population is preserved, the farms having the land plots under potato from 1 to 50 hectares shall be efficient in the continental unification. At the same time, the key role in provision of the industry's efficiency belongs to equivalent contract relations between the market stakeholders throughout the whole food supply chain. Horisontal and

The relevance of the study is due to the formation of the rent-seeking model of the agricultural sector, the dominance of the raw material structure of export and the related socio-economic problems that have escalated to the scale of national security in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The purpose of the research is to identify cause-and-effect relationships of structural distortions of the agricultural sector and justify the state regulatory policy aimed at strengthening its sustainability. The methods of empirical observation, expert evaluations, dynamic series of statistics, monographic, critical analysis, graphic tools, statistical database processing, system-structural processing of material, abstract-logical and other tools. The scale of destruction of assets of the agricultural sector and ecology as a result of Russian aggression was revealed. The institutional prerequisites for structural distortions in the agricultural sector are substantiated. The dynamics of export-import operations of the agricultural sector and alternative possibilities in the international division of labour to increase its efficiency are highlighted. Measures to restore animal husbandry by activating micro and small businesses, establishing equivalent relations of market counterparties and their observance of virtuous practices have been developed. The practical significance is reflected with a proposal on overcoming the protracted crisis in animal husbandry through an inclusive approach to the realization of the potential of micro, small, and medium-sized farms

О. М. Могильний, д. е. н., професор ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9802-1701 М. В. Калінчик, д. е. н., професор, ТОВ "Науково-виробниче підприємство "ВінМікс-Софт" ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6240-4479 О. Ю. Грищенко, завідувач сектором інформаційного забезпечення досліджень, Національний науковий центр "Інститут аграрної економіки" ORCID ID:

The purpose of the article is to develop strategic directions for minimizing the risks of the rural population in the field of social and labor relations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Research methods. The monographic approach was used for a comprehensive and in-depth study of ensuring the sustainability of the labor sphere and social protection of the population in extreme conditions and identifying the causal links of their development. The application of systematic and comprehensive analysis made it possible to work out strategic directions of increasing the economic capacity of united territorial communities, activating the market orientation of family farms, other micro- and small forms of entrepreneurship and institutionalization of sheltered employment in agriculture and non-agriculture. Normative and positive approaches have helped to determine the prospects for the quantitative transformation of private farms into family-type commodity enterprises by 2030. Due to the grouping, strategic priorities for ensuring productive employment of the rural population have been identified. The involvement of abstract-logical tools allowed to formulate intermediate and final conclusions and proposals for minimizing the socio-economic risks of agricultural employees in the context of the pandemic spread caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Research results. Scientific and other publications on ensuring the sustainability of social and labor relations and incomes of rural population in the context of the restrictions on economic activity spread, proposals for a radical change in the solidarity system of social protection, reduction of inequality in access to basic needs of socially vulnerable groups are covered. The genesis and development of “helicopter money” theories and guaranteed minimum income as fundamentally new post-industrial models of economic stimulation and social protection of the low-income groups, conditions of their application and possible macroeconomic consequences are considered. Priority areas for risk prevention in relation to productive and protected employment of agricultural workers are identified. These include the institutional capacity and resource adequacy of rural united territorial communities; systematic and long-term support of market activity of micro and small business entities; institutionalization of employment of family farms members and other forms of small business. Scientific novelty. Anti-covid-19 strategic directions of small business development and distribution of the obligatory state social insurance system on self-employed workers in personal peasant farms were further developed. Practical significance. Proposals for improving relations in the labor sphere of the agricultural sector and social protection of the rural population can be taken into account when developing strategic directions of support micro and small businesses and the self-employed in the extreme conditions of rural society. Figs.: 1. Refs.: 35.