VIRGIN AND FALLOW LANDS CAMPAIGN IN SIBERIA

The discrepancy between grain production and bread needs became acute in the early 1950s. The average yield in the USSR did not reach even 7 centners per hectare. In 1953, 31.1 million tons of grain were harvested throughout the country, and 32.4 million tons were consumed. According to the country's leadership, in the current situation, the only possible way to quickly obtain the required amount of grain was to develop new lands for farm lands. Already in the spring of 1954, mass virgin and fallow lands campaign began in Kazakhstan, the Altai and Krasnoyarsk territories, the Novosibirsk and Omsk regions, the Volga region, the Urals and the Far East. About 36 million hectares of virgin land were plowed for crops in 1954-1956. Of these, 20 million hectares were in Kazakhstan and about 15 million in the RSFSR. Gross grain harvests in the country increased from 82.5 million tons in 1953 to 125 million tons in 1956, and grain procurements increased from 31 to 54 million tons. The development of virgin lands made it possible to satisfy all internal grain needs and allocate the necessary amount for export. In a short time, the state's expenses for the development of new lands paid off and produced a profit.