Agricultural Development in Kuzbass in 1981–1985

Abstract

The article describes the agricultural sector of the Kemerovo Region (Kuzbass). The author used it as an example to identify the main stages of agricultural development of Western Siberia in 1981–1985. The study relied on the theory of modernization, which links economic and political changes with agricultural reforms. According to archival documents and regional statistics, the new tools of economic development and the favorable investment climate allowed the industry to overcome the agrarian crisis in the early 1980s, improve the state of affairs on collective and state farms, and increase the agricultural production. The new measures included producing for profit, labor contracts, and elements of land lease as the economic independence of agricultural enterprises continued to grow. The regional agricultural sector developed much faster in the 1980s than in the late 1970s. However, non-production costs, crop waste, and cattle mortality remained high while irrational utilization of state resources was quite common. In general, Kuzbass showed average agricultural indicators for the West Siberian economic region.