Evolution de la recherche en economie agraire en Union Sovietique

This article describes recent history of science of agricultural economics in the USSR. After a long interruption, research work on this subject began once again in the mid-fifties. Then it a network of 14 research agricultural economic institutes was created, and corresponding departments were opened in 102 agricultural colleges and some universities. Traditionnaly all this scientific institutions were mainly oriented to practical work for central and local agricultural authorities for purpose of economic analysis, drafting of plans, studying of cost of production, efficiency of capital investments and preparation of proposals for investment allocation and increase of farm procurement prices. But in the new political, social and economic situation during last years the direction and nature of scientific research work are changing. There are several lines of such changes : 1. Studies of farm property problems, which have become very acute, because of transformation ofcoilective and state farms, introduction of land rent system and peasant and farmer types of property. It is becoming not only academic, but also an very important practical issue, because of the necessity of preparing of new laws and government orders, regulating relation between peasants, a collective and state farms, and government agencies. 2. Methods of transformation of centrainly planned economy into regulated market economy. All this set of problems comprises price management, planning procedure, system of supply and marketing new credit and banking arrangements. 3. Problems of agrobusiness are becoming more and more important. It is connected with policy of reallocation of resources in fa vour of food processing and storage industries, new types of management of marketing, new managerial systems of agrobusiness companies. 4. The growing importance of human factor, migration of rural labor made it necessary to significantly increase studies in rural sociology. 5. Internationalization of USSR economy in world food system, trade, comparative economic development.