1953 EAST GERMAN POTATO HARVEST AND COLLECTION PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A004000260009-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2009
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: June 18, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/06/18: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004000260009-0
CLASSIFICATION ^'a rs
CENTRAL IN'CEU.IGENCE AGENCY RE
iNroRMATIo P PORT
I
SUBJ ECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE Q?Z
INFO,
CD
DATE DISTR. 13 June 1954
1953 East + erman Potato Harvest and Collection O. CF PAGES 5
r~18717
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b, Reoeinto thus far, and anticipated requirements
until June 1954:
1., The 1953 potato harvest in East caermany amounted to aj)pro c.mate1y 9,200,p000 trio
tons. This represents an averawe yield of 11 metric tons per hectare for the
836,416 hectares used for the growing of potatoes. %ota1. 4sbimated needs of Fast
Germany until the baoinning of the 1954 potato harvest art, 14,8"77,000 metric `cons.
This indicates a shortage of 5,6'7,000 metric tons.
2. " h foiloEring table gives figures on East German potato requirements and on the
1.953 .harvest. All amounts are in metric tons:
a. Total 1953 potato yield
1) Government Collectift Program, including obligatory
deliveries (Erfassung) and purchase (Aifkauf)
2) Needed by farmers for their use, and payment in kind
to laborers - 2,420,000 persons at 300 ke par person
3) Seed potatoes, not including high-grade seed potatoes
kept by Goverment
4) Feed potatoes for pi,,-,, and poultry at 1 metric ton
per pig, assuming 7,500,000 pigs
5) Wastage (66)
NO.,CF ENCLS.
(LISTisv Snzw
SUPPLEMENT TC
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UN VAL TEL:11 INFORMATION!
c. Breakdown of Government-Collected Potatoes:
1) Actually obtained (J 011? at i omnd Purchase)
2) Anticipated Requirements
25 YEAR
RE-REVIEW
CLASSIFICATION SPwR"
9,x:00,000
4,950,000
726,000
1,455,000
7;,-w,000
246,000
14,877,000
4,950,000
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requirements u r ? l 1954 west
b r?cii industry 550,000
;`fi r:,'r. grade seed potatoes kept by titwrnment 500,00ti
(1) For ZKYr! `L50,000
o) la rrre consu;:crs and special :t stomers
y) :,.;:r ort of late potatoes from t1w 1953 'vest
to rest Perlin 40,000
g) ",a to o, 0% of a,p roxima.tely 5,000,000 metric tons
TOTJJL 5,560,000
This 'eaves a shortage of 610,000 metric tons of potatoes for :government,
The entire yield at the farmer level includes the following:
at r~c..vej'~ nt~rEqu1sit1o a crops, includir. ,;
1) C llecti of assi,zned delivery quotas
2) of deficit from former years,
3) Purchase of potatoes from farmers who have already sa-tisfi d tirei,
unde:rt oo11etsbion Pi..a We' r-mors do ..ot care to st.:i.*j
o t 7 1' :i tr this program'as they can out.ain much m,- r, credit or
cash-1., the extra aot^toes they may have,,arc used to food livestock. ;'here
is a pronounced tendency for farmers this year to take "Aev Course" tate...
mQ3its at face value. It hadC, been declared that f.-rmo:?s need to turn in
only. the alaount they.' can spare from ti-hair on needs, T 7u y fed r-mCrs are
sa imp that. -1
not fill their delivery quotas. bulk, can only
deliver between :4r,d 70 percent of t ee (:uotas.
y t:'< rrrer, including:
_.) O n 11 ;asehoi d use..
?) Pays ent in kind for farm laborers.
3) .deed potatoes for own use,.
4) Livestock fodder
Pad- cnt .in Hind for industrial equipment which cannot be bought for
cash.. Industries are demanding payment in food for their shop kitchens,
as their food al'_ocations arcs insufficient. If a farmer needs to buy
an art,J_cle of machinery or replacement past available only in 'rest
h.e must draw upon his private store of rood mostly potatoes)
an convert it into cash for payment for the required _terns,,
As oarl as September 1953, the pertinent. East German governrlc nt official knee,
that there would be a potato shortaCe. Official harvest inspectors fore:?astjai
that times ?-otato harvest of only 7,500,000 metric tons,
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SECRET
. 4
3} Workers from the industries Idea: Industrial works were supposed to force
'or. , ' tbrdti.tet . farmers into turning in more potatoes to collect .on-
agenaies. Actual results; City workers saw th$ nltserab~e functioning
of the planned economy and came back 'snore dissati ;;ed n th their.
Government than before.' In the week 9-14 Novemb@r, 300 Sudus% ial rorkars
were sent from Saxony to Mecklenburg to ' assist in the ,procurement proam
in this fashion. Groups from 2) aztd 3) above are m d ec:_uently.
4+) Office workers frost ,overnment agq iest The State BecrqtariAt --for
Collection and Pua chase of Agricultural Products se t, be rev-n 30 and 50
employees for one or two Creeks at a time to assist with t coltct on
program in rural areas. Frincipally, leading functic areas -were ebosqni
75 .percent of all dtperttnnt heads and Wit" and C-b+irx'? exente were sent.
From 18 November to 30 fovenaber, almost all ministers and state seeretcries.
were stumping rural, areas at farmer gatherings and public discussions,
pointing out the special importance of the fulfillment of the collection
program.
Fora picture of the deveopwent of tb# collection (Erfa:ssutg) and
purchase (Aufkauf) program during the 1953 hsr ost, see the ttl;techm.ent. 2
Comments:
1. Zentraler Kraft turd Futter Ponds.
2. All figures and information contained b#ft are reported as received.
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?ro ure~
1953 meat 10
Bezirk Plan 292-t
% Lc t u.,,
% Pur- ual
chase 0 S
Rostock 3499171 12,,g 0-3
Schwerin 4.26, 511 11.6 0,, 2
ieubrandenburt., 503,146 10,5 0.5
Potsdam 577,992 1300 0..9
Frnnl,furt/Oiler 316,540 11.:.2 05
Cottbus 252,350 16,,0
i4agdobur 524,`.589 180 0,,4
Halle 325,028 22.>4 0.4
Erfu.r t 262,371 22,> 4
Gera. 131,607 13-,8
,uhf. 50,125 20.8
20.7
20.1
18.8
23