VITICULTURE AND WINEMAKING IN THE NORTH CAUCASIAN FEDERAL DISTRICT: DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS, PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Abstract

Nowadays, the industry of viticulture and winemaking is receiving increased attention, both at the federal and regional levels, which contributes to its dynamic development and increase in investment attractiveness. The North Caucasian Federal District
(NCFD) is one of the leaders in viticulture. The share of vineyard areas in the district in 2021
amounted to 36,3% of the all-Russian rate, and the specific weight of winegrowing reached
43,1% of total yield in Russia. Viticulture had had a significant proportion in the structure of
commercial yield of agricultural enterprises of the district before 1990. However, illconceived agrarian and market reformations had a negative impact on the development of the
viticultural and winemaking subcomplex of the agro-industrial complex. The area of grape
plantations halved from 63,2 to 32 thousand hectares, which led to a decrease in grape production in the constituent regions of the district by 17,5%, and, consequentially, the workload
of wineries, which in the period of 2010-2018 amounted to 55% in the republics of the North
Caucasian Federal District and 38% in the Stavropol Territory. The measures of state support
for the development of viticulture determined a steady trend in the development of the industry in the district, and the first result was an increase in grape yield by 61,7% in the period of
2010-2021. However, an acute shortage of raw materials to ensure the needs of winemakers
of the district remains a serious problem. The solution to the problem may be the expansion of
the vineyard area. In order to do this, it is necessary to create nursery gardens in the North
Caucasian Federal District that will provide producers of grape products with high-quality
virus-free planting material, which was obtained with the help of biotechnologies, in the required amount. In combination with cultivation techniques, it will accelerate the transition of
plants to the reproductive stage of development, contributing to an increase in yield and profitability of the industry.