The quality of goods was often poor despite targets being met
The growth rate seemed impressive compared to the USA's 2.9%, but the USSR was starting from lower base
Many basic economic problems remained such as low productivity, inefficiency and waste
Attempts to decentralise some decision making to the Sovnarkhozy just resulted in confusion, as did the division of the party into industrial and agricultural branches
By 1964 growth had slowed. Spending on consumer goods was reduced and the housing programme was cut back
Resistance to Khrushchev by Party bureaucrats who preferred the Stalinist approach of emphasis on heavy industry and by the Military-industrial complex meant that many of his proposals were watered down or even ignored
The scrapping of the MTS meant that peasants now had to buy their own machinery, which many could not afford
The large agrogoroda were unpopular with the peasants
The incomes of farmers were still far below those of workers and agricultural productivity remained low with too many people involved in farming
Some of Khrushchev's schemes were viewed as hare-brained. The Virgin Lands Scheme began to fail as the land was dry and only suitable for grazing. Successful cash crops such as cotton were replaced by food crops in 'maize mania', but without irrigation the plants died
Increased investment in agriculture was not enough to make up for years of underinvestment and a lack of infrastructure such as roads and storage facilities held back progress
The poor harvest of 1963 illustrated the problems. Millions of animals had to be slaughtered due to lack of feed, and the USSR was forced to import grain from the USA
Agricultural failure was a significant reason for Khrushchev's dismissal in 1964
