The Stability of Agricultural Production

Abstract

The USSR Food Program calls for a generally higher degree of stabilization of agricultural production as a necessary condition for continuously optimal proportionality and rates of development of the national economy. In the last 20 years an increase in the stability of agricultural output by 1 %, even if interbranch relations are not entirely taken into account, meant an increase in national income by 0.45 % and a 1.35 % increase in net income. Practice has developed many techniques for localizing the consequences of instability of agricultural production, the use of which has made it possible to reduce fluctuations in gross output from an average 9.3% during 1921-40 to 4.8% in 1950-80, including a reduction from 10.5% to 9.2% in the case of crops and from 10.1% to 3.8% in animal husbandry.