Crisis in Soviet Agriculture

This book, first published in 1984, analyses the institutions and decision-making processes that determined agricultural production in the Soviet Union. It addresses the crisis in Soviet agriculture of the early 1980s, examining the problems of low productivity, adverse natural conditions and an underdeveloped infrastructure. The book's analysis of the 'crisis' focuses on the growing gap between demand and supply of agricultural produce, and the pressures on the government to alleviate the food shortages.

Stefan Hedlund

1. Introduction 1.1. A Crisis Develops 1.2. The Agricultural Sector 1.3. Natural Conditions 1.4. Agriculture and Planning 1.5. Plan of the Study 2. Emergence of the Collective Farm 2.1. Russian Peasants 2.2. Revolution and War Communism 2.3. Interlude 2.4. Stalin Takes the Helm 3. Policy Reversal 3.1. A Stalinist Legacy 3.2. A New Strategy 3.3. Perpetuation 4. The Collective Farm 4.1. The Kolkhoz 4.2. Households 4.3. Control 4.4. Management 5. External Conflicts 5.1. Prices and Procurements 5.2. Plan Implementation 5.3. Free Markets 6. Resource Utilisation 6.1. Unwilling Workers 6.2. Free Land 6.3. Difficult Partners 7. Future Prospects 7.1. The Soviet View 7.2. Critical Links