Grain procurement campaign of 1931-1932 in west siberian region

The authors reconstruct the course of grain procurement campaign of 1932-1933 in the state farms of West Siberian region. The analysis provides an opportunity: to determine the basic features of agricultural and procurement policy of Soviet state in the early 1930s; to show the specifics of functioning of agriculture at the first stage of the socialist modernization and to identify the basic methods of managing Stalinist mobilization economy. The state farms were to demonstrate the advantages of large-scale mechanized agriculture, however hopes placed on them were not equaled. Despite the administrative pressure and repressions, the annual grain procurement plan in state sector of agrarian economy of West Siberian region was fulfilled only by 86%. Among the reasons of the failure were the low level of production organization, non-compliance with the norms of agricultural technology, shortage of labor and equipment. Grain in the fields and on the way to pour out points was plundered. Systematic non-fulfillment of grain procurement plans was also typical for state farms in other Soviet regions. The cost of grain production on state farms was much higher than on collective farms. Hence, the program of state farm construction was curtailed.