SOVIET FAILURE TO DEVELOP ADEQUATE COTTON PICKER

Created: 8/8/1956

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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current support memorandum

SOVIET FAILURE TO DEVELOP ADEQUATE COTTON PICKER

OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

release as saf^p

cia historical review program

mt

document the United

USC.. the transmission In anr^manner to an unauthorized

Titleevelation of which is prohibited by law.

-CQNFWENTfriL

SOVIET FAILURE TO DEVELOP ADEQUATE COTTON PICKER

Production figures for cotton pickers found in the USSR National Economy dramatically reflect the announced Soviet inabilityatisfactory cotton picker, one which will warrant annual productionontinued high level. The figures alsorobable explanation for recent Soviet efforts toton pickers from the US.

Soviet cotton picker production is reported as follows:

Production actually has not decreased as smoothly as appearsfigures. 0 cotton plckere wereandn. In any case, thetrend is

The cotton picker is the most complicated of all agricultural In the US more time and money have gone into theentatisfactory cotton picker than have been spent on any other agricultural machine. The USSR built its First prototype nearlyears ago and has been working on the problem ever since,

The USSR has neverotton picker from the US, but5 and6 export license applications for one each of the US types were under discussion. US producers generally were against exporting cotton pickers because of the obviousof the Soviet order for only one each of the various types. In the light of its poor record in this field, it ls not surprising that the USSR should attempt to secure proven US machines. With the denial of the export applications lnt appears tbat the USSR shall have to continue to depend upon its own engineers in this matter, at least in the immediate future. In this case the denial of US "know-how" to the USSR has provided that countryefinite engineering headache, since the Soviets appear loathe to direct the necessary engineering talent to theof the cotton picker.

Analyst

CONFIDENTIAL

Original document.

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