Russian Food Shortages
Aid Is Not What's Needed
By Thomas S. Sigel

While Western nations are euphorically handing out food credits and granting humanitarian aid packages to what was the USSR, they need to step back for a moment to analyze the reality of the situation. The people of the Commonwealth of Independent States are far from starving. The agricultural and climatic potential of this rich and vast territory is capable of producing more than an adequate amount of food for the population.

According to figures from the old Soviet Ministry of Agriculture, over the past four years the gross product of agriculture has grown seven percent. In terms of per capita consumption and per capita production of the most important agricultural products, the Republics are on a level with many developed countries, including the United States.

For example, the production of milk per capita in 1990 in the former Soviet Union was 277 kilograms, in the United States 268, in Great Britain 263, and in (West) Germany 400. Soviets consumed 340 kg. of sugar beets, Americans 91 kg., British 140 kg. and Germans 125 kg. Vegetable and fruit consumption by Soviets was 121 kg., by Americans 106 kg., British 66 kg. and Germans 38 kg.

So what problems are the peoples of the CIS facing and why do they lack consumer food products?

First, the former Soviet food industry chronically lags behind the Western world in the technology needed to produce, store, preserve and transport food products. This results in tremendous losses of agricultural goods. Consequently, 25 to 30 percent of all agricultural harvests needlessly perish due to the simple fact that no system-wide, reliable, agricultural infrastructure exists....

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