Farming in the U.S.S.R

Abstract

FARMING in Soviet Russia is the title of a recent interesting articleby Sir John Russell (J. Min. Agric., 44, 1063). The natural conditions of this vast territory vary from arctic to sub-tropical, and the agricultural products are in consequence correspondingly wide, ranging from rye, flax and potatoes in the north, through wheat, sunflower and sugar beet in the temperate zones, to oranges and tea in the sub-tropical regions. The preponderance of grain cultivation and the small production of animal products is the chief general feature of Russian agriculture, a characteristic shared by other non-tropical continental regions such as Canada, but the distinguishing mark of the Russian system is that it is planned by a central authority, and the production of certain quantities of the various products are allocated in turn to the constituent republics, regions and collective farms by their appropriate managements. There aretwo types of farm, namely, the State and the collective farm. The formerare managed by State officials, and the employees receive a definite wage in money. The collective farm, on the other hand, is anew departure inagricultural organization. The entire land, live stock and implements are pooled and the whole is worked as a single unit under a committee of management. Workers are allotted certain duties and their achievement is reckoned in terms of ‘labour days’, a standard day's labour of ploughingor milking, for example, being assessed by the committee. After the Government's claim on the produce has been fulfilled, the remainder is divided between the workers on a basis of their 'labour days', that is, theirwages are in kind only. Some 98 per cent of the sown area is now in collective farms, and the peasants appear more contented than previously, so quite apart from political and social issues, the progress of this new system will be closely followed by all interested in agriculture.