Annotation on the Report on the Agricultural Cooperativization Movement
(August 26, 1955)

To the Shanghai Bureau, provincial and municipal Party committees, and the Party committees of the autonomous regions:

The Guangdong Provincial Party Committee’s report of August 19, 1955, on earnestly advancing the agricultural cooperativization movement [1] is hereby forwarded to you for reference.

The Central Committee deems the guidelines, policies, and specific measures described in this report to be correct.

Central Committee
August 26, 1955

[1]
The report submitted to the Central Committee by the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of China states:

On August 11, 1955, the Provincial Party Committee convened an enlarged meeting attended by the secretaries of various regional Party committees and the Qinzhou Prefectural Party Committee, among others, to study and discuss the following issues:

1. It is imperative to strictly criticize right-deviationist thinking and, first and foremost, thoroughly resolve the problem at the leadership level.
2. The conditions for the large-scale development of cooperatives are in place, and the difficulties can be overcome. In the past, there was vacillation regarding the policy that cooperatives also require large-scale development in new areas, mainly due to the perception of certain difficulties and a lack of concrete analysis of the favorable conditions for large-scale development. At this meeting, while the difficulties were laid out, greater emphasis was placed on studying the favorable conditions, and it was unanimously agreed that the favorable conditions are primary.
3. Further consolidate existing cooperatives, reorganize and improve mutual-aid teams, and comprehensively carry out the late-season production to create even more favorable conditions for large-scale development.
4. The methods and several policies for large-scale development have been determined. Guangdong currently has approximately 7 million rural households. By next spring, the number of cooperatives will grow to 70,000, covering 40% of the total rural households, and by 1957, cooperativization will be basically achieved. To ensure that this large-scale development both fulfills the task and guarantees quality, it is necessary to make year-round preparations, especially by vigorously strengthening leadership over mutual-aid teams and promoting the transition from teams to cooperatives in establishing cooperatives. The best time for establishing cooperatives is concentrated in winter and spring. The consolidation of existing cooperatives should primarily rely on the responsibility of resident cooperative cadres, so that leadership remains uninterrupted, with development and consolidation proceeding in batches. Several policies for newly established cooperatives have been clarified: (1) Regarding the form and content of cooperatives, do not demand excessively high or complex levels within one or two years. In general, each cooperative should ideally consist of 25 households, and the practice of establishing large cooperatives from the outset should be halted. (2) Proper arrangements must be made for land shares; issues concerning the pooling of other livestock, farm tools, and similar assets should be gradually resolved when conditions are ripe. (3) Do not rush into excessively large investments or overly centralized sideline production. (4) Implement the policy of mutual benefit. (5) To meet the needs of cooperative members for livestock feed, vegetables, and certain customary means of livelihood and production, an appropriate portion of arable land must be reserved for each member household.

August 26, 1955