CSM No- No
6
CURRENT SUPPORT MEMORANDUM
NEW SUGAR BEET DECREE
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM RELEASE AS8
This document contains Information affecting the national defense of the United SUrtes, within the meaning of the espionaj^iawsTVlUe IS USC,, the transmission orjeveUtion of which in any manner to an unauthorised prrsorvfs prohibited by law.
M
NEW SUGAR BEET DECREE
6 the Soviet radioecree of the Party and Government outlining measures for increasing sugar beet production, which at present admittedly does not satisfy the sugar requirements of the population. 1/ Although beet harvestsgradually during the postwar years and surpassed7 harvestroduction then leveled off and1 level was not surpassed (See Sugar production has been below plan1 and the Soviets have beon obliged to make sizable sugar Imports in recent years to meet consumption requirements. nillion tons were imported, primarily from Cuba. Furthermore, it is estimated that substantial withdrawals were made from reserves, at leasto partially bridge the gap between production and planned consumption. (Sec The Russians haveillion tons of6 Cuban sugar crop and have made offers for anillion tons. 2/
The new decree states that collective farmers do not have sufficient economic interest in beet growing and the bulk of the announcement is devoted to economic incentives. The base price6 sugar beet deliveries* has been raised toubles per centner for state and collective farms ln the primary beet growing regions (Ukraine and contiguous areas of the RSFSR) and toubles per centner for minor beet growing regions (the Far East and the Upper Volga and Ural basins). Since the major portion of the beet output is accounted for by the primary growing regions, the6 base delivery price is probably aboutubles perubstantial Increase over the average5ubles per
The decree provides additional monetary incentives forfarms in the following ways: ow beet growers are to receive delivery payments amountingercent of6 base priceeriod of threebove-plan deliveries are to be pricedercent of6 base price;arms located in beet processing zones will beercent of6 base price for deliveries made beforeeptember;ates of payments in kind to the MTS for services, which are
believed to have been substantial in recent years, have beonbyercent.
The decree also blames inadequate insect and disease control, insufficient fertilizationow level of mechanization for the poor beet harvests of recent years. It makes provision forin these areas, as well as ln seed selection,utlon of sugar beet pulp to collective farms for stock feed, and in the modernization of sugar factories. The need foris apparent when it is considered that over half of the existing factories were built/
The sugar beet decree has come too late in the year toarked effect upon beet output6 for the planting season
1 For an practical purposes it may be said that all of the beet crop is delivered to the state (including MTS/
** The6 price actually received may be morerubles if above plan deliveries are large.
5 prices varied according to the yield per hectare. 5/
SECRET
is past. Additional fertilizers, chemicals, and equipment will probably not be available before6 harvest. About the only thing the beet farmer can do to increase his yield6 is to cultivate intensively and exercise as much care in harvesting as his limited resources will permit. 6 Ukrainian beet sown area, however, is greater than the planned sown area, and the Soviet presslaims that an abundance of rain and prevailing warm weather are contributing to good beet cropin the Ukraine. 7/ If the weather6 may wellumper year for sugar beets. If thereood crop the resulting higher income will probably encourage greater production
Table x
USSR Sugar Beet Productionmillion metric tons)
0 1 2 3 4 5 5 Plan
6 5 0 9 *
* Prewar boundaries
hereevere drought in the Ukraine
USSR Granulated Sugar Production and Consumption million metric tons)
Analyst:
T. tTiT. FBIS, USSR and EE, DallyU0
ORRonsumption in the USSR, (to be
State, Havana, Agriculture Report,
Jasny, The Soviet Price System, Stanford
Stepanov, GeografiyaR,. Agricultural Delegation to the USSR
Zemledellye, No.
op.. Delegation
Sakharnaya Proroyshlennost, No.
bp.BIS,c
STaTe, Moscow, despIA. FBIS Supplement, PartU0
San tin, Sotsialisticheskoe Sel'skoe KhozyaystvoBTTJ
ORR,1cit.
CURRENT SUPPORT
Original document.
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