Land Reform in China

1
Land Reform in China

• Since 1950

2
Transition to Socialism

• Before 1949
• Feudal warlords controlled much of the land
• Tenancy was prevalent
• Introduction of Peoples Republic of China
• Redistribution of land
• Elimination of landlord class

3
Collectivization

• First Stage (Mutual Aid Teams)
• Consisted of 5 to 6 households
• Peasants encourage to join MATs
• Equipment and labor shared only during the busy
  season
• Followed plan similar to Soviets
• 40 joined MATs by 1952

4
Collectivization

• Second Stage (Agriculture Producers
  Cooperatives)
• Equipment and labor shared permanently
• Consisted of entire or part of village
• Formed a common land pool
• By, 1956 96 of rural families were organized
  into collectives.
• Point system used to determine income

5
Collectivization

• Third Stage
• Advanced Cooperatives
• Income based according to needs and labor
  contribution.
• Land became property of the cooperative
• No longer voluntary
• Average of 150 to 200 households

6
Collectivization

• From 1953-1957 grain production increased 3.5
  each year.
• Dramatic increase in industrial production.
• Heavy Industry absorbed 85 of investment.
• Only 8 of state investment was towards
  agriculture.
• Learned from the Soviet Union mistakes

7
Payment System in Collectives

• Time-rate method
• Based on a combination of observable and
  unobservable characteristics.
• Observable
• Age, sex, physical strength, and farming skills
• Unobservable
• How hard one is working

8
Rural Peoples Communes

• Time-rate method
• Based on a combination of observable and
  unobservable characteristics.
• Observable
• Age, sex, physical strength, and farming skills
• Unobservable
• How hard one is working

9
Great Leap Forward

• 1958-1960
• Unrealistic production goals
• Attempt to move industry to countryside
• Food shortages
• Caused by inflated production stats
• Weather unfavorable 1959-1961

10
1960 to 1978

• Balance GLF
• Material economic development
• Recovery from
• Incentives reemerged
• Re-introduction of private plots
• Importance placed on efficiency

11
Household Responsibility System

• Introduce in 1978 by Deng Xiaoping
• Brought collectivization to an end
• Restrictions remained on availability of land
• Fragmentation
• Not as efficient as hoped

12
Two Land System

• First attempted in Pingdu in 1984
• Maintain social equity
• Achieve economic efficiency
• Total cultivated land divided into two parts
• Food Land
• Contract Land
• By the 1990s was nationally accepted

13
Conclusion

• Growth was achieved but with many setbacks
• Still trying to find an equitable and efficient
  farming system
• The growing economic gap between the rural and
  urban areas has been causing growing disturbances
  in the rural areas. What will result in this and
  what steps should the CCP take to calm the
  peasants?