Government Support of Agriculture of Volgograd Region: Opportunities of Financial Infrastructure

The purpose of this article is to analyze the government support of agriculture in the Volgograd region, the basis of which is the financial and credit infrastructure. The changes in the Russian economy (pandemic of COVID-19, digitalization, high volatility in global markets, increased sanctions pressure) not only create barriers to the activities of agricultural producers but also open new opportunities for improvement. In the article, attention is paid to the study of economic research on the conceptual apparatus of government support for agriculture. The conclusion is drawn about its immature character because of the constant response of scientists to current events in the economy, which manifests itself in the emergence of new approaches to the definition and the permanent modification of existing ones. The variability of definitions of “government support of agriculture” presented in the study made it possible to concretize the goals that lead to the need for government support of agriculture and the set of ways to achieve them. It should be recognized that the industry has fairly low financial autonomy. The presence of financial resources (credit resources) is the basis of the activities of agricultural producers. The source of such resources is the financial and credit infrastructure of agriculture. Despite serious challenges, the industry has demonstrated stable results, and the main principle in the coming years should be the consolidation of this trend. Key directions for agricultural development in the region will continue to be the imperatives of government support and the new isolation of economic and political activity in the country. The financial and credit infrastructure of agriculture is expected to respond timely to such changes and adjustments as to the reliability and availability of financial and credit resources for businessmen in agriculture.