SOVIET GRAIN COMBINES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00875R002000020015-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 5, 2004
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: December 20, 1974
• Content Type: MF

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MEMORANDUM FOR:
ATTENTION.
CONFIDE C! AL
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SUBJECT : Soviet Grain Combines
1. Attached, as requested, are answers to your questions
concerning the SK-4 and SKD-5 grain combines.
if further clari-
25X1 fication or additional information is required.
2. Please call
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COM-INNTIAL
ATTACHMENT
.'General' Comments
on the Soviet SK-4 and SKD-5 Grain Combine Series
Has the' SK-4 grain combine been' modified' to use a 3' 'cubic meter
grain bunker?
1. There is no evidence that existing SK-4 or SK-4A grain
combines with 75 horsepower engines and 1.8 cubic meter grain
bunkers have been modified by substituting a 3 cubic meter
bunker. Such a modification seems unlikely. A larger grain
bunker probably would require a larger engine; a 75 horsepower
engine would require the heavier, modified combine to operate
at a very slow speed. Normally, major modifications of exist-
ing agricultural machinery, especially if carried out on a
large scale, receive a great deal of publicity in the press
and agricultural journals. There has been no such publicity.
Could an SKD-5 combine be mistaken for an SK-4?
2. The SKD-5 "Sibiryak" grain combine, produced at the
Krasnoyarsk Combine Plant since early 1969, might be mistaken
for the SK-4 series. Although it is said to be a new design
incorporating a 2.3 cubic meter bunker, the SKD-5 is designed
on the base of the SK-4, and there is an 80% interchangeability
of parts. Many of the parts that are not interchangeable
apparently are in the interior threshing mechanism where they
don't show. The SKD-5 was designed with an enclosed cab, and
all photos in the press and technical journals show one, but
one newspaper candidly states that only about one-third actually
are manufactured with a cab. Cabless SKD-5 combines would.
seem to be quite common.
Does the SKD-5 come equipped with, a'3 cubic meter bunker?
3. In newer models of the SKD-5, designated SKD-5M and
SKD-5A, the 2.3 cubic meter grain bunker has been replaced by
a 3 cubic meter bunker. However, only a few prototypes of the
CONFIDENTIAL
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latter two models were available in 1973. All three models
have a 100-horsepower engine, so it is possible that existing
SKD-5 combines could have been modified by installing a. 3
cubic meter grain bunker. Again, no campaign in the press to
promote such a modification on a large scale has been noted.
We do not have a photo of the SKD-5M combine.
How many SKD-5 combines have been produced? Where?
4. The Krasnoyarsk Combine Plant manufactured its 100,000th
SKD-5 combine on 13 November 1974, 75,000 of which were manu-
factured in the last four years. The Krasnoyarsk Plant produced
22,500 combines in 1973 and plans to increase output to 26,000
units in 1974. An additional three thousand or so units are
produced annually at the "Dal'sel'mash" Plant in Birobidzhan.
Most, if not all, of those produced at "Dal'sel'mash", however,
are SKD-5R models with caterpillar tracks, designed "specially
for harvesting rice and suitable also for harvesting grain in
extremely wet areas.
5. The press reported that 90,000 "Sibiryak" grain combines
were on hand in April 1973. If only one-third have cabs, there
were about 60,000 cabless-SKD-5 combines operating in the 1973
harvest. The SKD-5 "Sibiryak" was designed primarily for
operation in Siberia, Western Kazakhstan, and the Far East.
CONFIDENTIAL
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19
December 1974
MEMORANDUMS FOR: Chief, SE/RR
SUBJECT : Polish Trade Relations
with LDCs
The reply to your query on the character of Polish-LDC
trade relations is detailed below. If you have further
questions please contact
1. Polish trade with the LDCs normally is conducted
under long term (3-5 year), bilateral trade and payments
agreements. These general accords set forth structural
and institutional arrangements that form the official basis
for trade relations. They are supplemented by annual trade
protocols that spell out specific goals for each year.
2. Polish-LDC trade is conducted on a clearing basis
which is effected by balancing trade in each direction.
Quality, prices and terms of delivery are said to conform
to international practices and are competitive in world
markets. In some cases Warsaw has promoted sales of +
capital goods by offering attractive repayment conditions.
Usually these require small down payments (10-15%) and
allow 3-10 years for repaymer,.t. Interest on the outstanding
balance has run between 3% ar3 6%.
3. Poland has exported, among other things, machinery
and equipment for machine building industries, shipbuilding
and power equipment and coal mining machinery. It has pro-
vided ships, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fertilizer, dyestuffs
and steel products. In return it has taken primary goods as
well as non-traditional LDC exports which include consumer
goods, electrical articles, clothing and knitwear.
4. There is little evidence that LDCs, especially those
that are major importers of Polish goods mad equipment, have
been more dissatisfied with the quality or performance of
Polish equipment than that purchased elsewhere. As is often
the case in LDCs, problems with plant and equipment are a
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Y'r
consequence of lack of skill in the LDC and a failure
to maintain the equipment. Particularly where Poland has
installed equipment and provided technical assistance, we
have heard few complaints about their equipment.
5. The relationship must be advantageous to both sides
as it has continued to expand. The value of this trade more
than doubled over the decade. For many LDCs this trade is
foreign exchange saving especially when they are able to
dispose of goods that may not be saleable on world markets
(particularly non-traditional items). They also like the
assured market provided by long term agreements.
STAT
Distribution: S-6691
Orig & 1 - addressee
1 - D/OER, DD/OER; SA/ER
STAT
(19 Dec. 74)
F~'3 CF ICi 1L `W.0 Cyr Y
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