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The research is aimed at defining the problems and tendencies in the development of rural territories in Ukraine. According to the goal, the article researches: structure of Ukraine’s lands and the population structure by settlement type, density of population of rural territories of Ukraine, reasons for the decline of the rural population in Ukraine, consumption of basic foodstuffs and household spending in rural areas, age composition of the population, processes of rural migration, employment and income of the population in rural areas, infrastructure problems in the development of rural territories in Ukraine, educational space in rural areas, number and condition of medical institutions in rural areas, infrastructure of cultural institutions and living conditions in rural areas. The carried out analysis allowed to substantiate that in Ukraine there is a feedback cycle on the type of «vicious circle» in which the poor condition of social infrastructure increases the migration mood of the rural population, which leaves rural settlements because of the small number of schools, preschools and health facilities that are enlarged or closed, which worsens the level of social services and narrows the social infrastructure. Together, the economic and infrastructure reasons for the increase in migration, the decline of the rural population and their ageing are leading to a worsening of the demographic situation in the country. Thus, in developing efficient economic approaches to stimulating the development of rural territories, the country’s rural settlements should be seen as a holistic system. There will be no better way to achieve balanced development, overcome inter-industry, intra- and interregional imbalances, integrate rural and urban subsystems of the society on equal terms.

Exploring the rural development issues, given their direct impact on the administrative, territorial and socio-economic indicators of the development of communities, regions and the country as a whole, is becoming more and more relevant in the course of implementation of provisions of the reform of local government and the territorial organization of power in Ukraine. Rural territories provide a significant contribution to the economy, cause influence on the national food security, form an essential part of the country’s export potential. Newly created communities, especially in rural areas, have inherited a significant number of local problems, including poor economic development, inadequate quality of infrastructure, lack of free access to modern public services in almost all vital social spheres (education, health, transport, communications, finance, etc.). Existing problems of self-fulfillment and decent labor remuneration, first of all in the productive sphere, cause the outflow of the economically active population, especially young people, in search of work and better living conditions, characterize the high level of the current unemployment and the continuing ageing of the rural population, which as a result exacerbates social and economic problems in society. Finding ways to address local development problems, introducing an efficient system of integrated development of rural territories and achieving functional self-sufficiency in newly created communities, taking into account the benefits of the expanded powers granted in the the course of implementing the decentralization reform, require researching the new approaches to the public management of territorial development and the formation of a socio-economic basis upon their own available resources and the internal potential for achieving the sustainable economic growth, stimulating their development, and improving the socio-economic indicators of the living standards of citizens.

The article is aimed at researching tendencies, identifying features of the State regulation of the large agrarian business activity, and improving the theoretical and applied basis of formation of the mechanism for regulatory influence in the context of agrarian policy of Ukraine. The theoretical and methodical issues of regulatory participation on the part of the State in activity of holdings are analyzed. It has been determined that the initiative State policy is implemented under the influence of the balanced socio-economic approach, in which the State regulation of the activity of agriholdings performs not the main, but auxiliary role, i.e.: strengthens the mechanisms for activation of commodity-financial turnover with the purpose of attraction of investments in agrarian sphere, development of its markets, including agricultural, increase of the level of integration processes directed to socio-economic development of rural areas. The author substantiates the directions of regulatory actions according to the strategy of development of agrarian policy of Ukraine for 2015–2020. It is proposed to coordinate the functioning of agriholdings with the strategy of development of rural territories on the basis of achieving a balance through improvement of the legal system, land reform, taxation, value-added chains, protection of environment, and a combination of agribusiness with science.

The article analyses main forms of economic activity in rural districts and gives recommendations with respect to prospects of socio-economic state of farmers, agricultural companies and private farms as two interconnected systems of the agrarian sector. It proves that stability of development of main forms of economic activity depends on efficiency of activity of new organisational and legal structures in the agrarian sector of economy, which requires development of such theoretical and methodological and practical provisions, which would have been directed, first of all, at increase of production of competitive agricultural products. That is why further formation and development of entrepreneurship in agriculture as a structure forming element of the market economy acquires special importance.В статье проанализированы основные формы хозяйствования на селе и даны рекомендации относительно перспектив социально-экономического положения крестьян, сельскохозяйственных предприятий и хозяйств населения, как двух взаимосвязанных укладов аграрного сектора. Доказано, что стабильность развития основных форм хозяйствования зависит от эффективности деятельности новых организационно-правовых структур в аграрном секторе экономики, что требует выработки таких теоретико-методологических и практических положений, которые были бы направлены в первую очередь на увеличение производства конкурентоспособной продукции сельского хозяйства. Поэтому дальнейшее формирование и развитие предпринимательства в сельском хозяйстве, как структурообразующего элемента рыночной экономики, приобретает особое значение.