In the range of consumer goods, light industry is not the last. This industry specializes in the manufacture of fabrics, clothes, shoes, etc. In addition to ready-to-use products, light industry produces semi-finished products, blanks and materials for other enterprises. For example, it can be tires, filter materials, cores for steel ropes.
Existing light industry sectors in Russia are located in different cities. Several large centers of similar industries stand out. Scientific developments are constantly being carried out here, numerous new sub-sectors appear.
general characteristics
Modern light industry is an industry that provides the production of goods for mass consumption. This area of human activity includes the full cycle of manufacturing products. It begins with the extraction of raw materials, and ends with the sale of ready-to-use products.
This industry operates to ensure the necessary level of indicators of the supply of products that are massively consumed by the people. The number of finished products should fully satisfy the demand of the population for them.
All sectors that are part of light industry can be divided into 3 groups. The first of these includes enterprises for the production of raw materials. The second group includes industries that produce blanks and semi-finished products. They function to provide their products to both light industry enterprises and other industries. The third group includes the production of final products.
The raw materials sectors of the Russian light industry process hides and produce cotton, while semi-productive production includes spinning and textile work. The branches of the final production of products specialize in the production of shoes, clothes, carpets, etc. The enterprises of this group occupy the bulk of all light industry production.
Features
The food and light industries occupy the lion's share in the production of consumer goods. They have a significant impact on the entire economy of the country.
Light industry has a number of features. Its production of the first group, which specialize in the extraction of raw materials, are located close to the centers of its concentration. In the manufacturing process of the final product, individual stages of the cycle can occur in different factories. Full-cycle enterprises are rarely found here.
Much attention is paid to finishing processes. The appearance of the products plays an important role. Therefore, the relevant requirements are set for the selection of personnel (for example, the presence of taste).
Enterprises in this industry are usually small in size. They work dynamically, constantly changing their assortment. This is due to constant changes in fashion, consumer preferences. Such industries are predominantly women. The final consumer is predominantly individuals. These features are taken into account in the process of organizing production cycles.
Prospects for Investing
The food and light industries in our country have great potential for investment. This is due to the presence of a large number of unused production capacities. It is also profitable for investors to invest their money in such industries due to the high turnover of investments and their quick return. In addition, the presented industries do not require significant investments. In a year, it is possible to complete more than two complete reverse cycles. It also indicates the benefits of investing.
You can mount equipment in just a few months. Therefore, in the first year of operation, such enterprises can be profitable. Investors can invest their temporarily available funds in more than 30 different sub-sectors. Many of them are quite new and very promising.
The raw material base for light industry in our country is well developed. It fully meets the needs of enterprises in wool, linen, chemical threads and fibers, leather and fur. Raw materials are supplied by agricultural enterprises and the chemical industry. Its cost is acceptable. This allows you to produce products that are affordable at different categories of consumers.
The economy of the light industry provides several opportunities for investors. Doing business in this direction is promising.
Structure
The main sectors of light industry include more than 30 different sub-sectors. They are conditionally combined into 3 main groups. The first of these is the textile industry. This group includes cotton and linen production. Also included are enterprises of woolen, knitted and silk sub-sectors. The enterprises of this group specialize in the primary processing of raw materials, the production of materials of various types (woven, non-woven).
The clothing industry belongs to the second group of industries. It specializes in the processing of fabrics and other materials of the textile industry, leather, fur, etc. This category includes both enterprises with a stable assortment (production of workwear) and more complex, dynamic production (tailoring of designer clothes). This is a rather heterogeneous group. Its enterprises are very diverse and have different placement principles.
The third group includes fur, leather, shoe sub-sectors. Production in this area are closely cooperating.
Features of accommodation
The main branches of the food and light industry do not have a distinct territorial specialization. In almost all regions there are certain industries of this group. However, in the textile industry one can still single out the main areas of concentration of enterprises.
So, the Tver, Ivanovo regions produce a fairly large number of products from cotton fabric. If we consider the Central Economic Region, we can draw conclusions about the concentration of these industries here.
In the Ivanovo region more than 55% of all cotton fabrics are produced. Significantly fewer such industries are concentrated in the Moscow (11%) and Vladimir regions (7%). Directly in Moscow, 6% of all cotton fabrics in this region are produced.
The main factors in the distribution of light industries are practically no different from other areas of activity. They most often complement the complex of the national economy, and also satisfy the needs within the regions.
Placement Factors
There is no unanimous opinion on the location of industries in the industry. However, there are three main groups of factors that influence this process. Light industry sectors can be located taking into account the concentration of raw materials, consumers or labor. Previously, enterprises in this sector of the national economy were highly dependent on the location of energy enterprises. Today, due to the availability of this resource, this factor has become secondary.
The consumer factor affects enterprises for the production of raw materials. Their products are sometimes poorly transported over long distances. Therefore, such enterprises are concentrated near processing factories.
Primary processing enterprises are also located near cotton production centers, livestock farms, etc. This significantly reduces production costs and increases its profitability.
Manpower is also an important factor in the location of enterprises. The vast majority of women work in such industries. Therefore, it is advisable to build factories of the presented specialization in areas with heavy industry enterprises. They mainly use the labor of men. This allows the most efficient use of labor resources in the region.
Textile industry
Textile production is the largest of light industries . She specializes in the production of fabrics for the population and other industries (footwear, clothing, food industry, mechanical engineering, etc.).
The leading sub-sector here is the cotton industry. It is focused on imported natural raw materials (supplied by the countries of Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Syria).
The linen industry is also an important component of the textile industry. In its structure, the production of technical fabrics is more important than household products.
The first place in the textile industry in terms of gross production is occupied by wool processing enterprises. This is due to the high cost of raw materials. The cost of fixed assets is higher only in the cotton industry. Such enterprises produce both threads, fabrics, and finished products.
The silk industry on ¾ consists of combines. They specialize in coconut, weaving, spinning, finishing operations. Fabrics and threads can be made from natural, artificial fiber, as well as a mixture of different types of threads.
Sewing industry
The sewing industry of light industry is considered one of the most material-intensive industries. The cost of raw materials here can be up to 80%. Here, there is a further processing of fabrics, fabrics, knitwear, artificial leather and fur.
This industry processes about 4/5 of all materials for domestic consumption. This is a heterogeneous industry. Simple structures stand out in its structure, the assortment of which does not change for a long time. They specialize in manufacturing workwear. More complex industries are concentrated in large cities. Their range is constantly changing under the influence of fashion trends.
In recent years, enterprises of the domestic clothing industry have been cooperating with foreign companies. A high level of professional training and low labor costs contribute to the attraction of foreign manufacturers. At the same time, domestic production improves the quality of its own products. Adopting the experience of world manufacturers, garment factories began to produce competitive products that can be delivered to the world market.
Clothing industry enterprises are evenly distributed throughout Russia. They are determined in almost every region. Such products usually provide local demand for clothing and other products.
Leather, shoe industry
The products of light industries would be incomplete without leather and footwear and fur products. Here is the processing of natural and artificial leather, fur, sheepskin, film materials. Shoes, leather goods, clothes, etc. are produced.
By the number of manufactured products, our country takes 8th place in the world. This figure has declined slightly in recent years. Fur production has no analogues in the world. It is export oriented.
The leading role in the industry belongs to the production of shoes, as well as the finishing of leather. Also in this area of management artificial materials are used. The North-West and Central economic regions are leading in this direction of production. The largest enterprises of the sub-industry are concentrated here. Most of them are in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The shoe industry is highly material and labor intensive. For this sub-sector, it is important to strengthen its own raw material base. The cost of imported semi-finished products and materials is constantly increasing. This entails the production of expensive, non-competitive products on the world market.
Leather goods are presented in the form of bags, gloves, cases, as well as balls and other products.
Industry challenges
The economy of the light industry has several constraints. While the growth dynamics of production is positive, the output of domestic enterprises in the total turnover is only 20%. There are several reasons for this.
The remuneration of qualified specialists is quite low. This entails a loss of interest among young people in the professions of the industry. As a result, the quality of the final product decreases, which becomes uncompetitive even in the domestic market.
In the structure of fixed assets more than 50% is outdated equipment. It has been in operation for over 10 years, which does not allow to increase the turnover of products, to produce modern products. In developed countries, the rate of obsolescence of fixed assets does not exceed the threshold of 15%.
Lack of investment does not allow industry enterprises to expand, to develop new technologies. These are most often small factories that produce products for a small number of consumers.
In almost every significant branch of light industry , monopolization is present. It is extremely difficult for new enterprises to deal with them. Without proper support from the government, the development of light industry in our country is extremely problematic. It is required to allocate subsidies and subsidies to new enterprises, to prevent the emergence of a monopoly in all sub-sectors. Increased investment will help upgrade equipment and manufacturing technologies. This will help domestic enterprises enter the world market and produce competitive products.
Having examined the main branches of light industry , as well as their features, we can draw conclusions about the development of this sphere of national production. Existing problems and constraints should be eliminated by law and by attracting investment capital of domestic and foreign investors.