THE DANUBE-TISA-DANUBE CANAL SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400735-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 25, 2011
• Sequence Number: 735
• Publication Date: August 16, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400735-1
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CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD N0.
COUNTRY Yugoslavia
SUBJECT Economic. -Agriculture, irrigation
~jHOW
s PUBLISHED Weekly periodical
~~VJHERE
''PUBLISHED Ljubljana
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~~~' DATE
PUBLISHED 12 Jun 1950
LANGUAGE Slovenisn
TNIS DOCV Y[NT CONTAINS IXiOPYATIOM AI/ECIIMO TN[ NATIONAL DEi1 X31
Of TIIE UNITED STAi[3 WIiNIM TH[ YEAN ING Oi ESPIONAGE AC7 EO
U. 3 C.. 31 AHD JT. AS AY ENDED. ITS iRAN3YI3310M OR TN[ REV ELATIUX
Oi 113 COXTCNTS IN ANT YAMN[R TO AN UMAUTXORITEO PERSON IS PRO
NIBITED B1 LAW. R[PROOU CTIOM 01 TNIS TORY IS PROXIYITF D.
SOURCE Tovaris, Vol 6, No 23, 195 0
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
DATE DIST. / ~ Aug 1951
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMAl'ION
THE DANUBE-TISA-DANUBE CANAL SYSTEM
WhFa the early spring rains start and the snow thaws, a great part. of the
:~snst is under watery Extensive areas sown with winter wheat turninta a watery
wastA., In summer, the heat dries up ell the moisture and the vegetation is in
danger age.~n.. The seeds whicb. have survived the spring floods now have to re-
~ist the, hot Run? The Danube and Tisa rivers are too weak to water the huge
Pannonian Pisin~ Consequently, the most fertile grain area in Yugoslavia Gan-
net. produce as it should because ii= is exposed to great climstic changes In
drolaght yeaxs, the yield is so small that it is hardly sufficient to feed the
populstione Flcods of average size have done an annual damage of 500 million
d1L'8ry?
Although the people themselves have attempted to remedy this situation,
the prewar government did not support their efforts suPficientlyo Only a few
tens of kilometers were excavated for a canal systemP A few protective levees
and sbout 100 drainage systems were built, mostly in the Banat, Nothing was.
done for irrigations Therefore, farmers concentrated on growing crops, mostly
corn and wheat, which were not sensitive to great variations in moistureA
The climatic conditions have also affected the structure of the soi1N In
the Banat and Backs, there are about 150,000 hectares of marshes which are poor
or completely unproductive areas, ser:-ing only as pastures at present,
In less than a year, 40 experts and their. auxiliary personnel have worked
out plans on how the Banat and BaCka are to be canalizeda The master plan,
already drawn up, calls for the building of a 10,000-kilometer-long Danube-Tisa-
nanube canal systemo Seven hundred kilometers of ,the system will be a series
of Large canals for barge traffic and boats of up to 1,000 tons; the other
canals will serve mostly for irrigation and drainage,
CO~~~OE~~Z~Ai
DISTRIBUTION
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400735-1
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400735-1
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CONF_TDENTIAL
tdork on the canal system was started last spring. A great part of the
work is still experimental, because it is necessary to determine the density
of the soil and its resistance to water, at what angle the banks will be ex-
:;r~vsred, and whether they should be reinforced with stone.
The main part of the canal system will start and end on the Danuoe. It
will start in Bezdan, cut across `.he northern part of Backa to join the Tisa,
_u,d ?o across the Banat, where it .rill again connect the Tisa and the Danube.
ThF? Danube-Tisa-Danube canal system will guarantee the irrigation of
_.,-~r, npn hectares, The annual increase 1n the value of the crop ydeld in this
arm=, is Fst;m:~t?d at more than 5 million dinars. Although part of the land.
will he used. for new crops, the increase in white grains will be 11,250 car-
L~s~is; corn, 37,500; hemp, 5,000; hay, 85,000; and vegetables, approximately
~~'1,0~)~` carloads..
T}ie sms11 rice fields in the Banat and Backa will be enlarged to 10,000
hectare= The entire annual rice crop will be 2,000 carloads. The plan calls
for for:mrr marshes to be made into rice fields, Experiments have shown that
"desetka" and "moles-sarena" rice grow especially well in this area, as these
variFties develop in 100 days and are particularly suited to the climate here.
First.-class seed is to be produced here in 1951.
Th.~ great increase in hay and feed will affect the development of animal
h~,:,h3o^ry to this area, where to date it has not been developed sufficiently..
Tr;e e:ipe:'ted increase in livestock is estimated at approximately 240,000 heado
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