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The People's Commune (1958 to 1978)
 Following the
agricultural cooperation, in 1958, China began to build the people's commune
featured a three-level system of ownership with the production team as the basic
form and the integration of government administration with commune management.
20 years of people's commune was a time when China's agriculture
experienced many ups and downs. It can be divided into three stages:
a)
The Great Leap Forward in 1958-1960 when policy errors plus serous natural
disasters led to severe setback in agricultural production. The total
agricultural output value in 1960 dropped by 23.1% and grain production
decreased by 51.5 million tons compared with 1958, resulting in three years of
difficult times for the Chinese national economy.
b) The readjustment
stage in 1961-1965 when the government adopted the principle of "readjustment,
consolidation, supplementation and improvement" to restore the Chinese national
economy. As a result, agricultural production was quickly restored and
developed. The output of grain, cotton and oilseeds in 1965 increased by 36%,
98% and 87% respectively compared with 1960 and all rural undertakings
experienced growth.
 c)
The Cultural Revolution during 1966-1976 when class struggle was taken as the
key and free market, private plot, enterprises responsible for their own profit
or loss and output quota contracting were strongly condemned, resulting in
stagnation of agriculture and rural economic development.
During these 10
years, although the state provided great financial and material support to
agriculture and the farmers were working very hard, the grain and oilseed output
in 1976 increased by only 3.6% and 0.9% compared with 1965, the cotton output
even experienced negative growth and other farm produce witnessed very slow
output growth.
Edited by CECAT
2002/10/18 |
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