The Development of Agricultural Logistics and Distribution Centers for Consumer Cooperatives in the Russian Federation

To enhance the distribution and transportation of agricultural products, it is essential to develop logistics distribution centers that serve as meeting points between agricultural producers and buyers or clients. A network of such centers could facilitate the establishment of an agricultural commodities and services exchange. However, these two issues remain critically important. In the Russian Federation, there are no logistics distribution centers that fulfill all requirements for storing, transporting, packaging, and marketing agricultural products for all regional producers. Consequently, there is no unified database of unsold products at the crucial moment when their distribution is most relevant. Due to the inherent characteristics of the agricultural sector, production typically follows an annual cycle, and sales must occur as swiftly as possible because of the perishable nature of the products. Therefore, logistics distribution centers must include comprehensive warehouse facilities with the capacity to process crop and livestock products. Additionally, interactions between such centers, consumer cooperatives, and other agricultural producers should be as streamlined and secure as possible. The existing legacy of production facilities, cold storage plants, and warehouses is insufficient to meet the growing needs of agricultural producers, including consumer cooperatives in rural areas.