М’ясопродуктовий підкомплекс як складова продовольчої безпеки України: сучасний стан і динаміка розвитку

English

The meat product subcomplex as a component of Ukraine's food security: current state and development dynamics

Abstract. Introduction. The meat product subcomplex plays a key role in the economy and is a fundamental component of the country's food security. However, due to the decline of the livestock sector, there has been a yearly reduction in the number of livestock (excluding poultry), which negatively affects not only the population’s consumption level of meat products but also the overall economic condition of the country. The domestic meat and meat products market is becoming increasingly dependent on imports. To overcome these challenges, the implementation of effective public policies aimed at supporting domestic producers and modernizing the industry is essential. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to investigate the current state of the meat product subcomplex as a crucial element of Ukraine’s food security, to analyze its development dynamics, identify major trends in the industry’s structural changes, and to determine the factors influencing the stability and efficiency of the subcomplex under modern socio-economic challenges. Materials and Methods. The research employed a combination of general scientific and specialized methods, including analysis and synthesis, comparative analysis, induction, and deduction. The informational basis included official statistical data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, industry analytics, and academic publications by domestic and foreign scholars focused on the development of the meat product subcomplex. The use of statistical analysis made it possible to track changes in meat production structure, identify key trends and patterns in the industry's development, and determine the main factors influencing its effectiveness in the context of ensuring national food security. Results. The analysis revealed negative trends in the declining numbers of cattle and pigs. Poultry farming remains the only successfully functioning sector, stabilizing the subcomplex overall. This can be attributed to lower labor input requirements and a significantly shorter production cycle in poultry farming. Consequently, the export potential of poultry meat has increased, contributing to the country’s food security. The growth and development of poultry meat production have been supported by adequate funding, with investment playing a key role. The quick return on capital investment in poultry production has encouraged increased investment in this sector, leading to the construction of modern poultry farms and the establishment of large, vertically integrated companies. Discussion. Given the identified characteristics of the meat product subcomplex, further scientific research should focus on developing effective state regulation mechanisms to stimulate the development of livestock sectors, particularly cattle and pig farming. It is also important to explore the possibilities of diversifying funding sources, including attracting private investments and promoting public-private partnerships. Particular attention should be paid to assessing the impact of innovative technologies on improving industry productivity, as well as researching logistics and distribution chains within vertically integrated companies. In the context of European integration processes, an important area of future research is the analysis of the compliance of domestic meat products with European quality and safety standards.

Keywords: food security; meat product subcomplex; meat market; meat production; agricultural enterprises; household farms