THE HUMAN CAPITAL IN AGRICULTURE: FORMATION AND ASSESSMENT

Abstract

Innovative development of the economy increases the role of human factor in production. Improvement of technologies and equipment causes the need for continuous professional training of employees. This requires ongoing investment in people, stimulating the growth of their labor and creative activity. Given the quality of human resources, the concept of "human capital" is distinguished. A unified definition and generally accepted methods of evaluation of human capital (HK) do not сcurrently exist. Different approaches to the HK concept determine the use of different methods of its estimation. The quantitative and cost assessment of human capital indicates its low level for villagers and workers of agricultural production. This is due to several factors which do not always depend on them. Salary level in agriculture is lower than in other sectors of the economy. At the same time, villagers perform other functions that are not taken into account in human capital evaluation. They produce agricultural products on their own subsidiary farms, contribute to the preservation of plants species diversity and to the reproduction of recreational requirements of society, social control over territories of the country and labor education of children. Formation of intelligent agriculture requires using of highly skilled, educated and creative workers; therefore the human capital cost in agriculture must grow.