253 



Equity Relations and the Future 

 of Agrarian Reform in Russia' 



Stephen K. Wegren 



Department of Political Science 



Southern Methodist University 



Dallas, TX 



INTRODUCTION 



There is now a recognition that if overall econohiic reform is to succeed, agricultural 

 reform must lead the way, as it did in China. TTie purpose of reform, firom tlic 

 government's point of view, is twofold. First, and most urgent. Is to provide sufficient 

 quantities of food at reasonable prices to consumers. The second purpose of reform is to 

 introduce efficiency and cost-effectiveness into the system that heretofore was lacking, 

 which in the long-run will cut dependence on foreign imports.^ A primary means of 

 acliieving the second goal is through the development of private peasant farms, the focus of 

 this paper. We will address Russia's propsects for attaining its goals in our conclusion. 



EQUALITY AND RURAL-RURAL RELATIONS 



Initially under Yel'tsin, a bold attempt was made at increasing rural differentiadon at 

 tlie farm level in 1991 and eariy 1992. The intent was to create a stratum of strong, 

 efficient, productive farms. Within six months, that effort faded, and subsequently land 

 reform has been conducted with the purpose of maintaining relative equality among rural 



' The research for this article is based upon fidd work in Kostroma OblasL Three trips by the author were 



made within q twelve month period, the first in December 1991 -January 1992, the second during Juno-July 



1992, and the third in Januiiry 1993. 



A reference list of sources obtained in Kostroma used in Uiis paiw appears at the end. Pull citations for 



Other sources ore given in the footnotes. 



^ The Soviet Union, and now Russia, have averaged around 30 million tons of grain imports annually since 



the mid-1980s. 



