ORGANIZATIONAL AND ECONOMIC DIRECTIONS FOR REDUCING TRANSACTION COSTS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SUPPLY CHAIN

Abstract

This article analyzes the economic essence of transaction costs arising in the agricultural supply chain, their structure, and their impact on the process of delivering agricultural products from producers to consumers. The aim of the study is to identify organizational and economic directions for reducing transaction costs in the agricultural supply chain and to assess their effectiveness. The research employed institutional analysis, comparative analysis, system approach, and economic-statistical methods. The results of the study show that information asymmetry among supply chain participants, insufficient development of contractual relations, limited logistics infrastructure, and inadequate implementation of digital technologies are the main factors increasing transaction costs. Based on these findings, scientific and practical recommendations were developed to reduce transaction costs by promoting cooperation relations, widely implementing digital platforms, improving logistics centers, and strengthening institutional contractual mechanisms in the agricultural supply chain.