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and most likely cannot boost production significantly in the foreseeable future. 



3. Overall, the peasant farm movement is comprised of small farms— three persons on 

 average; there is little machinery on farms, less than one u-actor per farm; farms have just 

 few head of livestock; and "farmers" are ovenvheimingly former urban residents loc^ng 

 for reliable food supplies. As a result, pnxiucdon results from private farms were rather 

 meager in 1992. According to published statisitcs, peasant farms produced one-half million 

 tons of grain (about 2 percent of the total amount purchased by the state), less than one 

 percent of the potato harvest, less than one percent of the vegetables, less than one percent 

 of the meat and poultry, and less than one percent of the milk produced in the country. ^^ In 

 all, about two percent of total agricultural output came from private peasant farms. 



4. Within the land reform movement, private plots have been the most popular form of 

 land privatization. These are on average small (one acre) and have the primary purpose of 

 augmenting the family's food supply. Their output, measured in temis of total agricultural 

 output in the nation, is significant, estimated at more than 25 percent of gross output, but 

 most of diis produce is consumed. 



5. Land reform is limited in its ability to solve Russia's food problem. Land reform is 

 intended primarily lo increase production. We have not discussed here the problem of 

 losses in production that occur in the harvesting, storage, transportation, and distribution 

 processes. It is estimated the Russians lose between 30-40 of riieir gross harvest during 

 those processes, or approximately the amount they import annually. We have not discussed 

 the problenis associated with antiquated w nonexistent rural infrastructure. We have not 

 discussed the problems in the food processing sector. Thus, land reform is but one aspect 

 of the overall equation. A complete resolution of the food problem would require increased 

 production, more efficient production at lower cost, an overhaul of rural infrastrucnire, and 

 modernizing food processing. 



^ ® "Agromaya reforma: dva goda spusiya," ZBitilva i Iviidi . no. 49 (December 4. 1992). p. 4. 



