1894-1914 - Agricultural Developments

• The rural economy was vital to any economic development as it involved 80-90% of the population.
• Agriculturual developments under Nicholas II were difficult because many of the remnants of his father and grandfather's reigns were still.
• Serfs had been freed but they were tied to the mir and made to pay redemption payments.

  • They suffered the burden of high taxes.
  • Although Nicholas abolished redemption payments following the 1905 Revolution, problems remained.
• The subdivision of land among all males in the mir meant average holdings fell from 35 acres in 1877 to 28 acres in 1905.
• Technologically, farming was backward with wooden ploughs and medieval crop rotation still being practiced.

  • The low level of livestock meant there was insufficient manure.
  • British farms were producing 4 times the amount of grain on equivalent amounts of land.
• The kulaks had improved their position by buying up land and introducing more efficient methods.

  • This group appeared key to agricultural progress.