DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN TURKMEN SSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180203-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 6, 2011
• Sequence Number: 203
• Publication Date: May 11, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180203-5
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180203-5
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180203-5
(The following presents information from a summary of the report
by S. babnyev, Secretary, Central Committee of the Communist Party
Turkmen SSR, to the Eighth Plenum of the committee, in session on
]0-1] October 1953, pursuant to the decree of the 6eptemler '-953
Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU "On 11er'.urea for the Fur-
ther development of Agriculture in the USSR."
.;title there have icon sa;caoses in the development of in the
republic during the .,ostw it irs, ai 1 the shortcomin a, Pointe i nu', :at, the Sep-
temter Plenum of the Centri, committee of the CFJU ap,,ly to the republic. The
Central Committee of tic's Cc.;;sunlit P:+rty of ]'urkmenistsn. the Coum?ii or Minis-
ter.; Turkmen SSR. ",n(t rrn?ty, state, and agricultural organs of the reputlic
still occupy themeelv,, too little with agricultural l:roblems.
ouecesces in the development of cotton growin;, the principal b''nch of
n>rieulture in the republic l:av i,;r?n considerable. n)r.rin,s the 1'.. . 'ears,
Ilia eri_t sown to cotton in the republic has increased 3, percent ~:io ''a.: ''-la
has risen 4li percent, with a twofold production increrse.
Ho.over, acme rayons (Takhta-Bazarskiy, Farnbskiy, Kaganovichski.y, Andre-
yevskiy, Leninskiy, Tel'manskiy, and Kunya-Urgenchskiy) have not yet fulfilled
their state-assigned tasks for the development of cotton growinr.. 'there are
still many lagging, low-,yield kolkhozes.
.,ecratnry Yhrush=bee's indictment of serious lnv"ing in the 'coil-s ;.;rowing
in Ta:;hau;-.kaya Oblast should cause the party or''niz'tion of th:?t to
remedy 'ins situation.
The prtneipai :retains for serious shortcomincr. in the deveLOgreco.,. ?C cotton
growing is ?.cnsatie.factory terformance of agrotecnnique: in growing crop such
as failure to plow 'sinter fallow, :ate :owing, inadequate cult:v?ii ,:n. improiei
irrigation Burin;; the rowing period, late suppiement?' fertilirst.ian, ineffee
tive comY.abin of p,e;ts ar,d lireeres, and insuffi,_ient. ;'pplia:ti;:r. c' organic
fertilizer:: to tl:e ficlds.
The in, rep .a in Lie gross cotton h"rvest ul- '.oast for to Le
realized th:?ou;:: yiel't and soon-area increases and an ilmost twofold increase
in labor nr'>iu-t.i vlty.
A serious: b1-ic planning error on tube part of nls:-st and 'Lyon party. ,tate,
amt agricul.turct organs is the manner in witch sown ea:. for cotton and other
crops are assigned -o rayons and holkho-.es. In most. rr.'yons, '.he practio: is
well cstabli:;he.: t', sssisn rmal.'.en? sown are;, flits' to high-yield kolkhozes and
larger area plains to low-yield kolkhozes. The ri- u]i c t'.iat the labor force
of ]o..-yielt t:olt!i,.:;r_ be;_. un e.._:. ordi:r:?ily he:-:.; and ':,knot, rrpit With
the agrcteciini lees Of rodi,^.p the c-sops. Tim", in 1152, a prcup of 1o:lkhoze::
with yields of up to it nnintals eta hect,re "algid U. load of 2.115 hectares oi'
so.;n area, Including 1.5 hectnres of cotton, per able-bodied worker; kolkhozes
with yields in excess of t5 ^,,:intaL: per hectare had a loud of only 1.52 hec-
tare; of tot:.l sown tires, including 1.U hectare of cotton, per able-bodied
w or l.e:? .
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180203-5
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180203-5
Shortcomings pointed out at the September Plenum of the Central Committee
of the CPSU in the animal-husbandry division of agriculture also apply in the
republic.
Although the number of collectivized livestock has been increasing, yields
have been low; milk yields have been intolerably low.
The rate of animal reproduction has also been unsatisfactory; the breeding
cf cattle for milk production is the most backward branch of animal husbandry,
especially in Tashauzskaya and Chardzhouskaya oblasts. Plans for breeding cows
remain unfulfilled and the relative proportion of cows to other cattle is low,
which further results in a decreased animal birth rate.
Milk yields, which have been unsatisfactory in the republic for a number
of years, have averaged 350 liters cf milk per fora.,;ing cow; in Tashauzskaya
Oblast, an average of only 185 liters was obtained, while the plan called for
700 liters. In some regions, cows give no !-,,ore milk than goats.
Inadequate feeding o^ cows and a poor fodder base are the reasons for
the present status of animal husbandry. Pilfer procurement based on volume
results in the accumulation of coarse and low-nutritive fodder; meanwhile
the plan for the procurement of alfalfa is fulfilled only 60-65 percent.
High milk yields are impossible without succulent fodder. In order to in-
crease milk production, the proportion of crows chould be raised to 40 cows
per 101) head of cattle.
The construction of suitable animal shelters and the additional mecha-
nization of labor-consuming operations are necessary for the further develop-
ment of animal husbandry.
Sheep raising is important to the economy of the Turkmen SSR. The number
of sheep in kolkhozes of the republic more than doubled during the last 12
years. Many rayons surpass their quotas and the republic boasts of hundreds
of specialists in -ollectivioed sheep raising, yet serious shortcomings per-
sist. There is still considerable barrenness among sheep and goats, and the
number of females in such herds is still low.
Many kolkhozes are negligent in developing sheep raising, especially in
Tashauzskaya Oblast, where every index is lower than the republic average.
Serious inadequacies exist in the care and feeding of sheep. Inadequate
construction of shelters for sheep and insufficieit mechanization of labor-
consuming operations are obstacles to sheep breeding.
Production of vegetables, potatoes, and cucurbit crops in very unsatis-
factory in the republic. Sowing plans are not fulfilled and yields are low.
Production of grain an: oleaginous crops and the state of horticulture and
viticulture are also very unsatisfactory.
Water resources are important for further development of agriculture in
the republic, but in recent years water-resource-development and land-improve-
ment plans have not been fulfilled.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180203-5
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Work directed toward returning agricultural specialists to kolkhozea and
MTS is progressing slowly. In the system of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Procurement Turkmen SSR, there are 963 ag:?onomists and zootechnicians. Of
these, Only 32h serve in kolkhozes; the rest work in the uonr.ratuses of agri-
cultural organs, from the rayon administrations of agriculture !ind procurement
tip to the ministry itself.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180203-5