GOVERNMENT DIRECTIVE ON EDIBLE OIL PRODUCTION IN CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190052-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 52
• Publication Date: June 15, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190052-2
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190052-2
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190052-2
G07ERNMENT uIRECTIVE ON EDIBLE OIL PRODUCTION IN CHINA
Hs in-hua, Yueh-pao r-,~ N-
Peiping, Jan 19y
~omment and Summary: The following report gives in full a direc-
tive of the Government Administrative Council~Peoples Republic- o><
China, on "Increasing the Production of Oil Bearing Crops." The di-
rective lists the ahortcomingc in the production of oil-bearing craps
and outlines the steps to be taken to expand production of these
crops. This directive was passed by the 198th session of the Govern-
ment Administrative Council on 17 December 1953 and promulgated by
Premier Chou En-lai on 25 December 1953?]
The national production of edible vegetable oils at present is not equal
to the demand of the consumers for this product. The total production of this
co?odity now amounts to only 70-80 percent of the pre-S7.no-Japanese War fig-
ure. While the production of industrial products, food, cotton, and other ag-
ricultural crops has shown great gains, the produc'kion of edible vegetable oil
crops has failed to keep up with the growing demands of the masses who now en-
,~oy a higher standard of living.
Although it_ls proper that cadres should give priority to the expansion
of food and cotton production, still, steps must also be taken by them to cor-
rect tY.e error of neglecting edible oil pSiTChase operations in certain rural
areas where surpluses are glutting Y.he market.
Edible vegetable oils in Chine are mainly extracted from soybeans, peanuts,
tea seed, cottonseed, sesame seed, sunflower seed, coconuts, etc. The basic so-
lution to the shortage oi' edible vegetable oils, therefore, is to increase the
acreage planted to these crops. This is a certain way to satisfy the growing
demands of the people for edible vegetable oils.
Therefore, the following directive has been 'sst~ed:
1. Ir. meet areas, faxwers treat edible vegetable oil crops as subsidiary
production and fail to give them the proper care. Therefore, all agricultural
technical stations and experimental farms should map plans to develop the pro-
duction of edible vegetable oil crops by teaching the farmers to give adequate
water, fertilizer, and care to these crops. This is particularly true of the
195~t peanut and bean crops which cover an extensive acreage.
2. Without detracting frcm the production of food crops, the ac*eage de-
voted to the growing of edible vegetable oil bearing crops should be greatly
expanded. While acreage devote3 to soybeans should be stabilized at the 1953
fimtre, yet, i}i norther^ Manchuria, where conditions are favorable, the acreage
should be expanded.
3. In North China, edible vegetable oil plants can still be grown between
the corn and kaoliang crops; while in South China, beans and peanuts can be
grown at the edges of the fields and on the hillsides.
In Hopeh, Shantung, Honen, Kiangsu, Hupeh, Kwangtung, Kwangsi, Sze-
chwan, and Shensi provinces, much of the sandy loam farmland is devoted to
beans. Apart of this land should be converted to peanuts as the latter have
a fi3~!!kr oil content.
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Ia the sections of south China where winter wheat cannot be grown, the
idle land should be planted to edible vegetable oil crops.
The production of sesa~ae oi.l in the ma,~or producting districts of Hu-
peh, Anhwei, and Honan should be maintained at the 1953 level. This supply
should be augmented by planting flax and sunflower crops in the uncultivated
areas.
While the planting of coconut 'trees is limi`.ed to Hainan Island, other oil-
producing trees, such as walnut and tea seed oil trees, could be planted in
the hilly regions in all parts of the country. These trees will not only in-
crease the supply of edible oils? but will also provide the peasants ,'rh an
extra source of income and protest the soil against erosion.
4. The government organizations in every administrative area and province
concerned in this activity, must direct their subsidiary offices to work out
plans for the ea~ansion of edible vegetable oil production in areas under their
,jurisdiction. The over-all plan must be submitted to the National Planning
Commission, the Finance and Economic Committee of the Government Administrative
Council, and the Ministry of Agriculture.
5. The People's Bank of China, through its various local offices, should
promote the production of edible vegetable oils by making loans for such pur-
poses. In the peanut growing areas, seed loans are especially essential, as
peanut growing requires a large capital. State trading organizations should
promote the production of edible vegetable oils by guaranteeing prices to pro-
ducers and signing contracts for edible oil futures. In areas where prices
for edible oils are weak at present, the Ministry of Trade should take the nec-
essary steps to adjust prices for edible vegetable oils to provide an incentive
to the producers.
6. The production of edible vegetable oils can also be greatly increased
by greater ~fPOrts ir. the organization of mutual aid teams and producer coop-
eratives. These groups can fully utilize the land and labor of the peasants
and also bring marginal land into production. However, as the independent
farmer still predominates throughout the nation today, the potentialities of
developing edible vegetable oil production among this group should not be
overlooked.
The shortage of edible vegetable oils will be a long-range problem. Gov-
ernment organizations engaged in agricultural activities at all levels should
give this matter their undivided attention. Prnv+nces an3 hsiens located in
the centers producing edible vegetable oils must exert every effort to increase the
production of this vital commodity. This is in lire with the policy of the
government for a planned expansion in the supply of foodstuffs and other eco-
nomic goods.
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