Kolkhoz | Collective farming, Soviet Union, Communism (2024)

Soviet agriculture

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Also spelled:: kolkoz, or kolkhos

Plural:: kolkhozy, or kolkhozes

Abbreviation for:: Russian kollektivnoye khozyaynstvo

English:: collective farm

Related Topics:: origins of agriculture

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kolkhoz, in the former Soviet Union, a cooperative agricultural enterprise operated on state-owned land by peasants from a number of households who belonged to the collective and who were paid as salaried employees on the basis of quality and quantity of labour contributed. Conceived as a voluntary union of peasants, the kolkhoz became the dominant form of agricultural enterprise as the result of a state program of expropriation of private holdings embarked on in 1929. Operational control was maintained by state authorities through the appointment of kolkhoz chairmen (nominally elected) and (until 1958) through political units in the machine-tractor stations (MTSs), which provided heavy equipment to kolkhozy in return for payments in kind of agricultural produce. Individual households were retained in the kolkhozy, and in 1935 they were allowed garden plots.

An amalgamation drive beginning in 1949 increased the pre-World War II average of about 75 households per kolkhoz to about 340 households by 1960. In 1958 the MTSs were abolished, and the kolkhozy became responsible for investing in their own heavy equipment. By 1961 their production quotas were established by contracts negotiated with the State Procurement Committee, in accordance with centrally planned goals for each region; the kolkhozy sold their products to state agencies at determined prices. Produce in surplus of quotas and from garden plots was sold on the kolkhoz market, where prices were determined according to supply and demand. With the collapse of communism and the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1990–91, the kolkhozy began to be privatized. See also collectivization.

Absolutely, the concept of Soviet agriculture and the kolkhoz system is a fascinating yet complex one. The kolkhoz, essentially a collective farm in the former Soviet Union, was a significant aspect of agricultural organization during that era. It operated on state-owned land and involved peasants from various households working collectively as salaried employees, their compensation based on the labor they contributed.

The inception of the kolkhoz wasn't merely an agricultural shift but a political and social one too. Initiated in 1929, it stemmed from a state-led expropriation of private landholdings, aiming to create a voluntary union of peasants to collectively work the land. The state maintained operational control through appointed chairmen and, until 1958, through political units in machine-tractor stations (MTSs) that provided equipment in exchange for agricultural produce.

Initially retaining individual households within the kolkhozy, a significant amalgamation drive took place in 1949, increasing the average number of households per kolkhoz significantly by 1960. After the abolition of MTSs in 1958, kolkhozy were tasked with investing in their heavy equipment. Their production quotas were established through contracts negotiated with the State Procurement Committee, aligning with centrally planned regional goals. These kolkhozy sold their produce to state agencies at fixed prices, with surplus goods from garden plots sold on the kolkhoz market.

The system's dissolution began with the collapse of communism and the Soviet Union in 1990–91, leading to the gradual privatization of the kolkhozy.

Now, breaking down the concepts used:

Collective Farm/Kolkhoz: A cooperative agricultural enterprise in the former Soviet Union, where peasants from multiple households worked as salaried employees on state-owned land.
Machine-Tractor Stations (MTSs): These were political units that provided heavy equipment to kolkhozy in exchange for agricultural produce until 1958.
State Procurement Committee: Responsible for negotiating contracts and establishing production quotas for kolkhozy in line with centrally planned regional goals.
Amalgamation Drive: An initiative post-World War II aimed at consolidating smaller household units into larger kolkhozy, significantly increasing the average number of households per collective farm.
Privatization of Kolkhozy: A process initiated after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990–91, involving the transition of collective farms into private ownership or management.

Understanding the intricacies of Soviet agriculture and the kolkhoz system provides a glimpse into the historical, social, and economic dynamics that shaped agricultural practices during that era.