Current Situation and Dinamics of Development of Sectors of Russian Federation Wool Industry

A comprehensive monitoring of the status and economic dynamics of the Russian wool complex sectors under the pressure of sanctions and structural market deformation revealed a critical disparity between the high genetic potential of domestic sheep farming and the country’s disproportionately low share of global wool textile market, which exceeded USD 39 billion in 2024 with an annual growth rate of 3.2%. It was established that a disruption in the process chain at the primary processing stage leads to the export of low-value raw materials and a loss of up to 300-400% of the added value generated by foreign processors. The current profitability of wool production, with purchase prices of 15-100 rubles per kg, remains negative without government subsidies, posing a real threat of losing the gene pool of 51 sheep breeds. For the first time in Russian literature, a comparative expert assessment of the development of the industry sectors in Russia and leading countries is presented. It demonstrates the critical lag in the domestic certification and sales segment, which automatically discounts the export price of Russian wool by 20-30% due to quality risks. The economic efficiency of implementing a continuous “raw wool - single-carded sliver” technology without intermediate drying preserves the physical and mechanical properties of the fiber and increases the productivity of the final product by 2-2.5%. The necessity of applying the calculation formulas of international TEAM project for forecasting yarn yield is demonstrated. Strategic priorities for the development of the Russian wool complex include the creation of full-cycle industrial clusters in the Southern and North Caucasus Federal Districts and the launch of an exchange trading mechanism based on mandatory certification. The proposed approach will reduce logistics costs by 15-20% and facilitate large-scale import substitution of finished textile products, transforming the wool industry from a subsidized raw materials sector into a driver of high-value-added light industry.