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4 

 Mr. Chairman, my overall charge is to assist the Russian Federation with the 



transition to a market-oriented agriculture. Timely, if not rapid, economic reform in 



agriculture is one of the most challenging policy issues facing Russia. Agricultural 



reform is the responsibility of no less than four organizations: The Ministry of 



Agriculture, The Federal Center for Agro-Industrial and Land Reform; The State 



Committee on Land Resources; and the Supreme Soviet. Unfortunately, these 



organizations have widely differing views on the pace and nature of reform. On the 



general issue of agrarian reform, there are two comprehensive policies being 



implemented. On the one hand. Minister Victor N. Khlysturfi is the most outspoken 



advocate of broad-based and rapid reform in agriculture, agribusiness, and land 



privatization. However, Vice President Rutskoi also has ordered the implementation of 



another, decidedly less market oriented, program of agrarian reform. 



I have been concerned by the relatively small number of top government 

 officials who are supportive of an agriculture with private property, individual 

 management, and minimum government involvement in food prices and subsidies. 

 This is one reason why agrarian reform is proceeding in a fragile political environment. 



The "farmer movement", as some Russians call it, has broad-based support at the 



I 

 grass roots level. However, the lack of a agrarian policy consensus in Moscow is only 



retarding the adjustment process. 



