ABSTRACT
In the midst of the total disarray of Russian farming's public sector, galloping inflation, and the scarcity of food items in country stores, people survive as they have always done—through personal auxiliary farming. This chapter examines the same issues while focusing on specific regions of European Russia: the Central Chernozem economic region; one of its provinces, Belgorod; the Non-Chernozem Zone; and one of its provinces, Yaroslavl. According to Yeltsin's March 1996 Decree, it is now possible for members of socialized farms to claim up to five hectares of land for PAF from a personal land share. In 1994, PAF produced 88% of Russia's potato output, 67% of its vegetables, 42% of its meat, and 39% of its milk. PAF's proportion of cattle and pigs grew from one-fifth in 1991 to one-third in 1995; about half of the total number of sheep and goats are also in personal ownership.
