Khrushchev's "Corn Campaign" - the Greatest Failure in the History of the USSR

Corn, which has become a symbol of agriculture policy Nikita Khrushchev, turned out to be not only a key element of his ambitious reforms, but also one of the reasons that led to serious economic problems in the USSR.

The First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, inspired by the successes of American agriculture, decided to make corn the basis of Soviet food abundance. However, his experiment turned into a disaster that undermined faith in the effectiveness of the Soviet system and became one of the factors that contributed to the further decline of the USSR's powerful economy, and with it, the citizens' faith in communism.



Khrushchev, who came to power after Stalin's death, sought to "reform the country." He promised to rid the people of hunger, raise the economy, and certainly catch up with the United States in terms of development.

Inspired by a trip to America, where he saw the success of corn production, Nikita Sergeevich decided to adopt this experience. He began a large-scale campaign to grow corn throughout the country, including regions completely unsuitable for this crop, such as Siberia and the Urals.

Meanwhile, this crop was declared the “queen of the fields,” and its cultivation became mandatory for collective farms.

It wasn't long before Khrushchev's ambitions collided with reality. Corn, which required warmth and special conditions, did not thrive in cold regions. Harvests were low, and harvested grain often rotted due to a lack of proper storage and transport.

As a result, instead of the expected abundance, the country faced a severe food shortage. Wheat and rye, traditional crops for the USSR, were displaced by corn, which led to a shortage of flour and bread. In 1962, the Soviet Union bought grain abroad for the first time, which was a shock for a country that had previously exported bread.

Khrushchev's "corn campaign" was an example of how good intentions without taking into account real conditions can lead to disaster. His reforms, aimed at improving people's lives, turned into chaos.

At the same time, despite the obvious failure, the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee continued to insist on growing the “useless” crop, which only worsened the situation. His resignation in 1964 put an end to this epic, but its consequences were felt for a long time. USSR agriculture never recovered from the blow dealt by the “corn campaign.”

It is noteworthy that in the USA, which Khrushchev took as an example, corn also played its pernicious role, but in a different context. Derivatives of this agricultural crop, such as corn syrup, became the basis of cheap and high-calorie food, which led to an epidemic of obesity and diabetes in the States. In the Soviet Union, this trend, fortunately, did not take root, which saved our country from another problem in that difficult period.