Smallholder Farms in Russia: Status and Sales Channels

Smallholder farms and their product distribution channels are important components of Russia’s food security. This article describes the current state of commercial family farms in Russia and their distribution channels, summarizing the experience of agricultural aggregators in the Volgograd Region.
The research focused on smallholder farms, agricultural aggregators, and farm product distribution channels. The data were subjected to standard research and statistical processing methods.
Small farms account for approximately 14.0% of the national gross agricultural output. In 2025, the output of smallholder farms and individual entrepreneurs reached 1,518.5 billion rubles, which was by 14.4% higher than in 2024. Farms concentrate mostly in the Southern, Volga, and North Caucasus Federal Districts. Agricultural aggregators were studied for their role in addressing marketing challenges and distributed by region. The comprehensive analysis of aggregators in the Volgograd Region showed that traditional markets, cooperatives, digital platforms, marketplaces, and agritourism remain effective distribution channels.
These findings can be applied to develop efficient distribution systems for farm products amid the digitalization of the agricultural sector.

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