INDEX OF REVEALED COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES IN THE SYSTEM OF NUMERICAL DATA AT OILSEEDS

The index of revealed comparative advantages (RCA), which we express in percentages, can be used to calculate exports and imports by year and country. In this paper, we will analyze the RCA of soybeans and sunflowers, where if the values of this index are greater than zero in the analyzed years, comparative advantages in exports have been achieved, and vice versa. The subject of the research is the index of discovery of comparative advantages (RCA), as an indicator that determines the realized turnover and, based on the results, gives a suggestion to the country for the turnover of the given product (oilseeds – soybeans and sunflowers and their products). The most important export products from oilseeds are sunflower and soybean oil for human consumption and sunflower and soybean meal as animal feed. The turnover of these products on the domestic market takes place in favor of the EU and CEFTA countries, which reflects our comparative advantages. The main goal of the research is to use scientific methods to analyze the RCA of plant production in oilseeds and their products for the period from 2019 to 2022, through primary and secondary data. The paper also used tables in which summarized data for the most important regions and plant crops were presented, supplemented by more graphic representations through graphs. The main sources of data used in this scientific and research work are statistical yearbooks of Republic of Serbia and statistics of foreign trade, internal material Reports of the business association “Grain of Republic of Serbia”, studies on the competitiveness of Republic of Serbian agriculture, data collected via the Internet, as well as author’s research published in books, other magazines and publications. Among the foreign statistical sources, the database www.fao.org, www.eurostat and world agriculture magazines Nitra, foreign trade statistics, USDA (United States Statistical Date) were used the most. This paper aims to make a theoretical and practical contribution in defining a long-term development strategy for oilseeds and their products with reference to RCA.