DECLASSIFICATION OF CIA'S SOVIET GRAIN ESTIMATE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A000800030009-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 29, 2004
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: July 25, 1977
• Content Type: MF

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Approved For Relea 2004/ .bIALRDP80M00165AO
25 July 1977 T_Eec.uv.. Registry
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
VIA
: Acting De
Deputy Di
puty Director of Central Intelligence
rector for Intelligence
FROM
. James P.
Director
Directora
Lynch
of Geographic and Cartographic Research
te of Intelligence
SUBJECT
: Declassif
ication of CIA's Soviet Grain Estimate
1. Action Requested: Your approval of the recommendations
contained in paragraph 6.
2. Back round: This memorandum responds to your query of
2 June 1977 regarding the declassification of our estimates of
Soviet grain production and the legal implications thereof with
respect to grain speculation. Since that time I, along with
of 0GC/CIA, have had separate meetings
with the legal counsels o
to
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ascertain their particular
action suggested in your q
_USDA and ~ASA is
contained
concerns wi pursuing a course of
uery. A summation of the meetings with
in an earlier memo to you from ~
]dated 27 June 1977 (Attachment 1). The meeting wit
Department of State legal advisers was held 11 July 1977, the
details of which are contained in a Memorandum for the Record by
dated 15 July 1977 (Attachment 2).
3. Declassification of the Estimate: USDA is the principal
agency concerned with declassifying the CIA estimate of Soviet grain
production. It was pointed out to the USDA that if the Intelligence
Community could not restrict its foreign crop estimates on national
security grounds, there would be no basis to restrict release of
the estimate unless other U.S. codes or statutes are applicable.
Currently, the USDA does not, as is the case with domestic crop
estimates, restrict foreign crop data. It is the current feeling
within the new USDA administration that foreign crop estimates are
"market sensitive" and therefore should be accorded the same restric-
tive treatment as domestic crop estimates. Legal judgments within
the USDA are that existing codes and statutes dealing with "market
sensitive" information are sufficient to establish restrictive
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0
STAT
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procedures within the Department for handling foreign crop estimates.
Recommendations in favor of such controls are presently being formu-
lated for consideration by Secretary Bergland. The Secretary's
decision on this matter will have to be taken into account in
deciding the handling and distribution of unclassified CIA foreign
crop estimates.
4. In a related matter, you know that the USDA is establishing
a World Food and Agricultural Outlook and Situation Board which will
be the Department's official body for producing estimates of foreign
crop production using all-source data including CIA's estimates.
Although the specifics have not been worked out, it is understood
that CIA will be invited to participate. I recently coordinated
with Maurice Ernst, Director, OER, on a memo to you on this subject
(Attachment 3) which recommended CIA participation on the Board with
the condition that CIA reserves the right to publish its estimate
independent of the Board. This arrangement needs to be further
resolved with the USDA as there are senior USDA officials who question
the need for two U.S. Government estimates. In any event, we need to
assure USDA that any publication of CIA's foreign crop estimates --
classified or unclassified -- will be compatible with the spirit and
intent of the USDA to control "market sensitive" data.
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6. Recommendations
a. When possible, CIA foreign crop estimates should
be sanitized and submitted to USDA estimative bodies as
unclassified inputs.
APPROVED
DISAPPROVED:
DATE
/g/ Stansfield Turner
Directory Central-Intelligence
Director of Central Intelligence
15 AUG 1977
b. CIA reserves its right to provide both classified
and unclassified foreign crop estimative reports to senior
U.S. policymakers independent of the USDA reporting channels.
(Suggest that we seek the Secretary of Agriculture's con-
currence on the list of non-USDA recipients.)
APPROVED
DISAPPROVED:
DATE
APPROVED
DISAPPROVED:
DATE
Approved For Release 20
/s/ Stansfield Turner
Director of Central-Intelligence
Director of Central Intelligence
n!!G 1977
Director of Central Intelligence
Director of Central Intelligence
k {-GlA-RDP80M00165A000800030009-5
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APPROVED
DISAPPROVED:
DATE
Director of Central Intelligence
Director of Central Intelligence
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APPROVED
DISAPPROVED:
DATE
Director of Central Intelligence
Director of Central Intelligence
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DISAPPROVED:
Attachments: 3
As stated above
/s/ Scans ieLl Turner
Director of Central Intelligence
Director of Central In lligence
I3 A U G 1977
mes ync
V I
Distribution: (each with Attachments)
Original - DCI & return to D/GCR
DDCI
ER
1 - OGC r
1 - DDI
1 - D/OER
1 - D/GCR
1 - Ch/ERAC/OGCR
1 - Ch/ERAC/A/OGCR
OD/GCR:1pc/= 22 July 1977)
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SUBJECT: Declassification of CIA's Soviet Grain Estimate
CONCUR in Recommendations 6. a, b, c, d, e, f:
Deputy ire'tor tor me gence Date
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