Agricultural Collectivisation in China
- Created by: evasophia
- Created on: 27-03-18 19:08
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- Agricultural Collectivisation in China
- Agricultural Co-Operation
- For the peasants, land reform meant achieved their long awaited dreams of owning their own land free from exploitation.
- The CCP however, saw land reform as the very first step in the longer process of creating a truly socialist, modern and industrialised economy.
- Vice Chairman of the CCP Liu Shaoqi stated the land reforms were in order to 'develop agricultural production and open the way for the new China's industrialisation', i.e ending private ownership and private production.
- The CCP however, saw land reform as the very first step in the longer process of creating a truly socialist, modern and industrialised economy.
- At first, farmers would be encouraged to share tools, fertiliser and animals and later agriculture would be 'collectivised'.
- The increased production would create a surplus which could be used to feed to industrial work force in their modern factories.
- For the peasants, land reform meant achieved their long awaited dreams of owning their own land free from exploitation.
- Mutual Aid Teams (MATs)
- Despite landlordism being abolished, richer peasants still had more land than poorer peasants so further reform was needed.
- In Dec 1951, the CCP decided to introduce co-operative ownership of land. However, were mindful of the tragic results that rapid collectivisation brought about in the USSR.
- Resources, tools and animals were 'pooled' between farms. This began at just harvest time, but soon became an all-year-round thing.
- MATs were generally small scale groups, usually of extended families and were of particular benefit to poorer peasants.
- By 1952, around 40% of peasant households belonged to an MAT.
- MATs were pragmatic and popular.
- Despite this, members of the CCP were worried that they allowed the continuation of capitalist ideas with buying and selling land being available.
- To reduce these economic freedoms, in 1953, Voluntary Agricultural Producers Co-Operatives (APCs) were set up.
- APCs now meant the land peasants owned was shared.
- Land was reorganised into a single unit and peasants were compensated using a points system according to the value of the land, labour and tools they had contributed.
- Once the harvest was collected and the state had taken its share, peasants received either money or grain in payment.
- APCs were larger than MATs and often comprised of 3-5 MATs together.
- They allowed the poorer peasants access to the weathier peasants property however were less popular than MATs.
- Most did not want to share their new land and only 14% of peasants joined the new units.
- By June 1955, there were only 19.9 million peasant households in APCs out of 110 million.
- Some cadres also undervalued property when deciding compensation and richer peasants slaughtered their animals rather than be forced to give them the the APC.
- Most did not want to share their new land and only 14% of peasants joined the new units.
- They allowed the poorer peasants access to the weathier peasants property however were less popular than MATs.
- Land was reorganised into a single unit and peasants were compensated using a points system according to the value of the land, labour and tools they had contributed.
- APCs now meant the land peasants owned was shared.
- To reduce these economic freedoms, in 1953, Voluntary Agricultural Producers Co-Operatives (APCs) were set up.
- Despite this, members of the CCP were worried that they allowed the continuation of capitalist ideas with buying and selling land being available.
- Collectivisation refers to the process of encouraging / forcing farmers to reorganise their individual private farms in to much larger 'collective farms'.
- Pooling resources meant that farmers would have acces to more advanced machinery and share experiences of new techniques to improve production and so increase production rates.
- To reduce these economic freedoms, in 1953, Voluntary Agricultural Producers Co-Operatives (APCs) were set up.
- APCs now meant the land peasants owned was shared.
- Land was reorganised into a single unit and peasants were compensated using a points system according to the value of the land, labour and tools they had contributed.
- Once the harvest was collected and the state had taken its share, peasants received either money or grain in payment.
- APCs were larger than MATs and often comprised of 3-5 MATs together.
- They allowed the poorer peasants access to the weathier peasants property however were less popular than MATs.
- Most did not want to share their new land and only 14% of peasants joined the new units.
- By June 1955, there were only 19.9 million peasant households in APCs out of 110 million.
- Some cadres also undervalued property when deciding compensation and richer peasants slaughtered their animals rather than be forced to give them the the APC.
- Most did not want to share their new land and only 14% of peasants joined the new units.
- They allowed the poorer peasants access to the weathier peasants property however were less popular than MATs.
- Land was reorganised into a single unit and peasants were compensated using a points system according to the value of the land, labour and tools they had contributed.
- APCs now meant the land peasants owned was shared.
- Disagreements over collectivisation
- Gradulists like Liu Shaoqui and Zhoe Enlai claimed that China was not yet ready for a large-scale farming initiative.
- China lacked mechanised equipment and there was a shortage of chemical fertilisers. They denounced the 'premature' establishment of APCs.
- Fearful of being denounced as 'rightist opportunists', CCP members such as these has little choice but to follow Mao's lead.
- China lacked mechanised equipment and there was a shortage of chemical fertilisers. They denounced the 'premature' establishment of APCs.
- Mao argued that collectivsation was a key step towards a socialist society and said his gradualist Party collegues were 'tottering along like women with bound feet', constantly complaining.
- With his encouragement, membership of peasant farmers in APCs reached 96% in December 1956.
- Gradulists like Liu Shaoqui and Zhoe Enlai claimed that China was not yet ready for a large-scale farming initiative.
- Enforced collectivisation
- By Jan 1956, 80% of peasant households were in APCs and by now 30.7% of those were high-level APCs and pragmatism had been completely abolished.
- Membership was now compulsory.
- Except for small private plots, privately owned land ceased to exist and no compensation was provided suggesting as to why some historians argue that a 'new Mao' emerged through the process of collectivisation.
- By Jan 1956, 80% of peasant households were in APCs and by now 30.7% of those were high-level APCs and pragmatism had been completely abolished.
- Agricultural Co-Operation
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