5A

The Agricultural Year in the Service of the State: The Harvest

During the period of collectivisation, the harvest was closely tied to the system of compulsory deliveries. This system dictated how much grain each farmer had to hand over to the state, regardless of weather conditions or the actual yield. The traditional highlight of the agricultural year thus became a time of fear, as meeting the absurdly high quotas determined whether a farmer would avoid criminal persecution. Night-time threshing, carried out under the supervision of politically appointed commissions, was common practice during this period. The agitation campaigns that accompanied the harvest exploited the tense atmosphere in the countryside to pressure farmers into joining the JZD. For many, their final private harvest marked the end of a family tradition and the loss of independence in favour of an anonymous 'collective' that was responsible for the compulsory deliveries.