At present, substantial importance is the problem of competitiveness of agroindustrial complex of Russia, on which depends the food security of the country. The efficient functioning of agroindustrial complex in modern conditions requires effective diagnosis mechanism can provide an adequate assessment of the competitiveness of the agro-industrial complex of Russia. Goal - to consider the potential competitiveness of agriculture in the region as an interrelated set of economic, environmental and social potentials, including innovative, reflecting the state of corresponding resources in the region, the degree of their competitiveness not only at the moment, but for the future. When writing work used the following methods of economic research: abstract-logical, comparative analysis, inductive and deductive methods. In the article the author's technique of diagnostics on the basis of an integrated estimation of potential of competitiveness of agro-industrial complex subject to the conditions of the world trade organization, including the integrated indicator calculated on the basis of index method, indicators of dynamics of development of capacities that will allow to map the state of the Volga Federal district regions according to the potential competitiveness of the agro-industrial complex and the pace of their growth, to conduct situational analysis and develop recommendations to improve the potential competitiveness of agriculture in the regions. Based on the plurality of projections, formed in the result of the study, measures, tactics and strategies of regional governance. Strategy, tactics, and operations of rational management of the region involves the development, provision and implementation of socio-economic, organizational-technical and other activities, providing the numerical values of the resulting estimates of the future status of the region is not below the specified. Thus, the chain of diagnostics of potential of competitiveness of agro industrial complex of the region is the following algorithm: «the analyzed indicators of the potential competitiveness of the agricultural sector (estimate) - as indicators of the potential competitiveness of the agricultural sector (diagnosis) - recommendations».