1. AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE AT BURDARSKI-GERAN, BYALA SLATINA OKOLIYA 2. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION, VRATSA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80S01540R003400070003-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 13, 2013
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: November 5, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
SECURITY, INFORMATION
50X1-HUM
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT
DATE- OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
REPORT
1. Agricultural Cooperative at DATE DISTR.
Biirdarski-Geran, Byala Slatina Okoliya
2. Miscellaneous Information, Vratsa . NO. CW RAGES
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
5 November 1953
5
REFERENCES 50X1-HUM
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
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. Agricultural Cooperative
1. The cooperative farm at Dirdarski-Geran village (N 43-33, E 23-57), Byala Slatina
" Okaliya, is officially known as the Trudovo Kooperativno Zemedelsko Stopanstvo
"Vasil"Kolarpv." The village has only one cooperative farm. By law, a TEM can
have a maximum of 25,000 decares, and various surrounding villages in Vratsa Okrug -
have two, three, four, or even five cooperative farms.
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2.- arskl-Geran cooperative was formed in 1949, and
The Surd all farmers (including
ItilAks) were forced to join. However, two months later, the kulaks were evicted.
Timm were four or five kulaks in the village
/ Even after eviction, the kulaks were persecuted; in-
formants stated that last agriculture year each kulak was forced to pay a dut5ox1 -HUM
of 200:000 lova (8,000 leva new currency).
3. The ITZS has 780 members, of whom onlY 30 or 40 are Party-members. The age of
members is 15 to 55 for women and 15 to 60 for men. On joining the cooperative,
each member had to contribute 11 kilograms of wheat, 200 grams of cora, 20 grans
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STATE EvI x I ARMY
NAVY
AIR
FBI
AEC
ORR E4
(Note: Washington Distribution Indicated By "X"; Field Distribution By "*".).
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of beans, and 20 kilograms of straw and cereals for seed purposes. An inventory
waci-made-wfiervfarmers joined, and those who did not possess the required farm
iMplements were required to pay-in 2,000 lava (old currency) for each decare of
land which was handed over to the farm. However, no matter haw many decares of
land each farmer contributed to-the cooperative, he was still left five decares
of land for his family group, which he tended privately.
The TKZS possessed 60 or 70 cows, four oxen, 250 horses, 700 sheep, 200 pigs
(small), 500 chickens, 1,200 hens, and 50 hivab. .
5. Machinery used by TKZS belonged to the MS (Mashino Traktorno Stantsiya;
Machine Tractor Station) of Byala Slatina and consisted of two Soviet combines,
350 plows, four mechanical plows, five or six Stalinets Plows (which plow 120-
150 decares of land per day), three or four Fordson Plows, and a certain number
of McCormick Plows.
6. In 1952, the cooperative suffered because of the tremendous dryness. Many ?
members were recruited and transferred by the Communist Party to work in facto-
ries throughout Vratsa Okrug to earn money to feed their families. According to
the Five Year Plan and the Government Agricultural Cultivation Plan, the TKZS
of Bilrdarski-Geran is to deliver 500,000 kilograms of wheat annually to the State.
However, becaUse of the drought, in 1952, the farm produced only 800,000 kilo-
grams of wheat, which then was distributed as follows:
a. State deliveries, 500,000 kilograms;
b. Payment to the MTS, 80,000 kilograms;
c. Social Aid fund (for the old people, children, and sick members) of the TKZS,
80,000 kilograms; and
d. Seed reserve, 100,000 kilograms.
7. The total number of working days for the year was 138,000
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for which it received the following:
a. Corn, none;
b. Wheat,. 1,?00 kilograms;
. c. Sunflower seeds, 20 grams per working day;
.d. Cheese, 40 grams per working day;
e. Wool, two grams per working day; and
f. Beans, 48 grans per working day.
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8. This year, however, the situation is much better. In 1953* each decare of land
has produced 400 kilos of wheat, and according to a rough estimate, each member
of the TKZS will get eight kilos per work day. In this respect,
under the private ownership system:lad:produded on1y250 kilos of
wheat per year in comparison with the 300-400 kilos pea decare with the icirePer
fertilization, mechanization, etc0 available through collectivization.
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9. At the end of the agricultural year, the State pays the TKZS 0.45 leve per kilo-
for the 500,000 kilograms of wheat required for the State stockpiles. At
the same time, farmers were selling their wheat at the official rate of 2.40 leva.
It is interesting to 'note that there are no official fixed prices for the pay-
ment of wheat to the TMS, either when purchasing the 500,000 kilogram quota, or
when purchasing it from the farmers directly. Prices depend upon the quality of
the wheat as well as the quantity which the farm is able to produce; in this way
the government can help the farmer by purchasing wheat at higher prices when the
crop is poor, or can pay lower prices when the crop is plentifUl, as it is in
1953.
10. Members of the TKZS, including, even kulaks$ were permitted to purchase goods
from the cooperative of the TKZS, at the following prices:
a. Tomatoes, 0.05 leva per kilo;
b. Peppers, 0.02 leva per kilo; peppers are so plentiful that children plarvieth
them in the streets;
c. Fresh beans, 0.20 leva per kilo;
d. Watermelons, 0.50 leva per kilo;
e. Lettuce, 0.02 lava per kilo;
f. Bread, from 1.96 to 4.20 leva per kilo;
g. Yogurt, 1:20 leva per kilo;
h. Skimmed milk, 1.10 leva per liter;
i. Eggs, 0.60 lava each;
j. Sugar, 10.00 leva per kilo; and
k. Meat (veal), 6.00 lava per kilo.
11. All farm work in 1953 has been conducted on's. 24-hour non-stop basis, i.e.,
on three 8-hour work shifts. There are 13 brigades at the BUrdarski-Goran TKZS,
each composed of 40 men and four work chiefs. Group chiefs do the same work as
the others, but receive an additional two percent of the produce at the end of
the year. There are brigades for different tasks, such as building, gardening,
blacksmith work, carpentry, etc. Brigadiers allocate, work by calling at the
home of members in the evening and telling the head of the house what the ?
schedule Yttalbe for the following day.
12. Harvesting was begun during the early days of July 1953. The TKZS organized
public kitchens in the fields, and issued three meals a day. Deductions for the
imea20 will'be made at the end of the year when the goods are distributed.
Normally, farmers eat bread and onions. 50X1-HUM
13. Among the personalities of the TKZS and village of B.drdarski-Geran,
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a.
b.
c.
d.
DinitUr Angelov
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elected in Nay 1953
as the
or eight
the Part
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of
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president;of the
members on this committee);
Todor Paranchev?
the village, lives
committee supervising the TEZS (there are seven
secretary of
in the village;
teko Zekov,
is president of the Village
People's Council; and
Council committee (sic),
Peti.r Blasov,
member of the? People'
in Charge of arranging the roster of farmers for the special
village and TEM guard.
14. The special night patrol was organized throughout all Bulgarian villages and is
part of the "war psychosis" which the Party is pushing into the minds of the
People. Unarmed guards (ordinary TEZS members) mount patrol throughout the
streets of the village and around the fields of the cooperative farm. There
were a total of 52 farmers on duty in BUrdarski-Geran every night. This service
is known as 'Ina post?' (mounting guard). Assignment of duties is made through
the head of the house. Guards request identification papers from alltravellers,
look into bags, etc., and are generally organized against "political enemies of
the regime." 50X1-HUM
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15. during the current year members of the TEZS are satisfied
because of the larger distribution they will receive. Concerning morale,
I farmers have the general attitude of lowering their heads tind
working, resigned to their fate. The motto of the village TKZS is ?Bogata 50X1-HUM
DUrzhava - Slistoyatelni Grazhdandnin (Rich State - Rich Citizens). On the occa-
sion of Stalin's death, farmers were gathered for five minutes of silence, but
there have not.been any demonstrations of reaction in any part of Vratsa Okrag.
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16. there has never been any reaction against the regime,
since no one has the courage to react or to be a ?:tisan.
The people have been
Cu'o or oo ong rom e West, have lost all topes. of liberation, and now
are-doing their best for Communism. The may world new the farmers get is from
Oteahistven Glas (Fatherland Voice), edited and printed in Vratsa, and circulated
throughout the e7ntire okrig. 50X1-HUM
17. Farmers are naturally not pleased with the situation, but do nothing against it.
They merely take orders and pray that the weather will be good and that the
distribution of goods will be plentiful. Farmers fully realize that they are
no longer land owners and that they are fully at the mercy of nature, since the
government dOes not provide for them incase of emergencies (as in the crop
failures of 1952). The fact that the State has greatly increased productivity
is Meager consolation for the lack of individuality imposed upon them. Another
objection is that there is a lack of clothing, that is, not a lack of clothing
BE se, but a lack of money to buy clothing because of the high price. 50X1-HUM
18.
the uati n:' .aeem tQ be im3Drovin.
prOvincesi-however.
the situation to be uraliler bad in the
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Miscellaneous
19. Many of the copper mines in Vratsa OkrUg are being reactivated. 50X1 -HUM
a mine at Mezdra, now being operated on a '
24-hour basis; this mine formerly belonged to an Italian who has been repatriated.
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20. There are serious lacks of spare parts for all Soviet-type machinery a't the
Machine Tractor Stations.
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STAT
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