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9/30/1985 - Fiddling with Bulgaria’s Agriculture by Lana L. Hall

LLH Lana L Hall Rousse Bulgaria September Fidd ithBulgaria Agriulre Mr Peter Martin Institute Current Affairs Whelock House West Wheelock Street Hanover New Hampshire Dear Peter One distinctive features Bulgarian agriculture continual experimentation larger larger farming terprises State planners weren content results collectivization drive began ended Between carried further concentration eliminating collective state reorganizing larger Agro Industrial Complexes By there these farming Complexes entire country hectares arable In addition crops Complex would typically about cattle perhaps sheep couple hundred thousand poultry At outside these Complexes established three industril fattening organizations poultry For example Rodopa fattening organizations produced quarter Bulgaria individual farms under management producing about Each farming Complexes upper middle level management brigades which actual production units brigade composed perhaps workers These brigades specialized production livestock fodder production handled separate brigades Such extreme specialization concentration caused problems Bulgaria other socialist countries where tried It works right production particu larly grain livestock which needs closely integrated fodder production Lana Hall agricultural economist Fellow Institute Current World Affairs She studying cultural policies practices eastern Europe Raising animals efficiently requires right right qusntity provided right became increasingly difficult Bul garia specialized farms Indeed Bulgaria farming Complexes trsnsporting producers users become serious problem because tance between brigades because communi cation coordination between The problems production compounded since specialization taken place within Complex between regions country state livestock farms Rodopa located outside grain growing areas Transportation major bottleneck efficient stock production raising level output consumption Partly because coordstion transportstion particularly mountain regions where lsrge scale doesn sense Bulgaria embarked modest program deconcentration The number Complexes grown average hectares middle level mansgement eliminated additional responsibility given lower levels brigades The important change livestock sector trend toward integrating fodder production stock single brigade order improve coordination I imported Soviet Union about percent livestock brigades The reduce transportation coordination difficulties increase productivity rotating tasks worker drives trsctor milks American apparently socialist farms Another innovation seems newer encouraging stimulating private sector production particularly estock The system seems about Hungary individuals receiv young animals especially fsttening selling themck contract socialized sector In private sector provide marketed socialized sector Although sales privately produced social sector almost great Bulgaria Hungsry I found officials remarkably reluctant admit downplay importance successes state agriculture For example research director Sofia brigade members allowed raise animals under contract But I raised issue managers Complex I visited northern Bulgaria normal activity people gades Each member Complex certain amount fodder equivalent duced hectares produce consumption So integrating private socialized agriculture officially stressed Bulgaria supply It understand these organizational changes meant practiclly until actually however It official permission needed visit livestock facilities animal healbh reasons because reluctant exhibit technical level their production Since I passed while waiting official visit arranged driving around countryside farms I pretty expect But I shown officially looked quite different I Complex brought neatest cleanest I producing freshly painted barns surrounded nicured lawns neatly trimmed flower bloom chrysanthemums roses This obviously produce kilos whereas national average kilos Even though showed really typical I pretty their Agro Complexes really structured That particular Com encompasses hectares covering villages It brigades combined brigade membership workers administration technical staff Nine brigades aparticular village perform variety activities located village including producing raising animals Two brigades I visited orchard highly specialized located outside villages there brigades handle machinery construction It interesting after organiza tional changes Bulgarian agriculture basic producing brigade still attached village collective probably people working brigade collective Judging I around countryside probably using collective buildings Te additions specialized units fattening vineyards headquarters buildings Complex administrators Certainly organizational changes haven solved problems labor productivity livestock The dairy I visited ratio worker higher I found Hungary Yugoslavia It surprising labor productivity Bulgarian dairy farms though because mechanized What surprisin Bulgaria investing heavily breed improve program importing yieldi Holstein dairy stock U S Canada This helped increase duction haven capitalized advan tages Holsteins which their suitability machine milking Bulgaria plans mechanize modernize dairy areas agriculture phase moving slowly It moving slowly because Bulgaria ambition become industrial rather agricultural country It wants known exporter machines manufac tures rather tomatoes peppers phasizes agriculture extent needed supply iodustry materials The numerous organizational changes Bulgarian agricultural policy makers oriented largely towards increasing control planners easier control couple hundred special complexes diversified collectives state farms These changes probably succeeded consolidat control centra authorities certainly Bulgaria succeeded increasing total agricultural output But authorities content fiddle organization agriculture looking quick solutions agricultural improvement efficiency labor productivity continue serfous problems Sincerely Lana L Hall Received Hanover