The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-11-08
LIES OF
USSR CROP SHORTAGE

The conflicting and inaccurate re-
ports that have appeared in the
press in regard to the alleged failure
of Russian crops, decline in grain
procurements, impending famine and
buying of Canadian wheat, etc. were
effectively routed today in a COM
prehensive summary of the Soviet
grain situation by S. G. Bron, chair
man of the board of directors of the
Amtorg Trading Corporation.
"The- latest figures at my dis
posal show that the. total crop this
year amounted to 74,470,000 metric
tons, which is slight increase over
last year." Mr.. Bron said. GAS for
the. area under cultivation, some
of the statistics published on this
point have been somewhat mislead-
ing. An aggregate area of 250,000,-
900 acres was planted this year,
which was 100000 acres larger
than in the previous year, although
the acreage harvested has been
smaller, owing to the failure of the
winter grains crop.
Cultivated Area Grows.
"The area under cultivation has
grown steadily in the last few years,
amounting in 1924-25 to 222, 75O, 900
acres, in 1925-26 to 236,250,000
acres and in 1926-27 to 243,O00,000
acres. In 1929 12,500,000 acres
of winter crops were lost. That
acreage, however, has been extern
sively replanted to oats, barley,
corn and sunflower, so that the total
acreage harvested will prove to be
above last years. A marked in
crease is also noted in the acreage
under industrial crops (fibres, sugar
beet, tobacco, etc.,.
"The paramount factor in the
present agricultural situation of the
U. S. S. R. is the change in geo
graphical distribution of the harvest
this year. Thus. the Ukraine, which
was formerly one of the main grain
producing regions of the U. S. S.
R., because of the extensive failure
of the winter crops, has turned, at
least temporarily, into consuming
region. On the other hand, the
successful harvest in Siberia and
1.-The Volga region had made these
districts the main grain procuring
regions.
Redistribution of Crop.
'"This change can be besti illus
trated by the following figures
showing the percentage of the total
crops contributed by the different
regions of the U. S. S. R. Thus the
Ukraine contributed PAT per cent
of the total in 1926-27 and only Ill
I per cent this year. The percentage
of the Central Black Soil Zone is
1913 per cent and ~ per cent re-
spectively. On the other hand, ST.
IBERIA, Kazakstan and the Kirghiz
republic increased their share from
IL per cent to II per cent in the
aggregate. The share Of the Volga
region and the Bashkir republic in
creased from ITO per cent to PA
per cent. This territorial redistribu-
ton of the crops has undoubtedly
created many difficulties in the way
of grain procuring, which were ac-
centuated by inadequate transport
facilities in Siberia.
However, the continuous growth
of the grain purchases from the
4 peasantry by state and cooperative
agencies proves that these difficult
les are being overcome. September
procurements of 1,440,407 tons were
4.5 per cent above last years total
and exceeded by 1876 per cent the
program for the month. During the
first half of October total of 946,-
775 tons was procured, almost equal
to that of the entire month of Oc-
tober 1927 which amounted to l.
100000 tons. Regardless of all diff
ficulties and obstacles one thing is
clear to me, and that is that the
harvest of 1929 has supplied the
Soviet Union with a sufficient
amount of grain, and therefore every
necessity of grain imports, such as
has been alleged in some reports,
is precluded.
CAS- to the problem Of grain ex-
ports I wish to point out that de-
spite the practical cessation of grain
exports in 1929 the total Soviet
exports across European frontiers
for the year amounted to 635,490,-
900 rubles, showing only small
decline in comparison with the previ-
GUS year. Furthermore, if exports
across Asiatic frontiers are added,
the total Soviet exports across all
frontiers for 1929 are even slight
lv in excess of those for 1o2s-27.