Honey Bee Farming in the Udmurt ASSR in the Latter Half of the 1940s – Early 1950s

Abstract

The article traces the history of the Central Russian honey bee breeding station in the Udmurt ASSR after World War II. The research objective was to determine the main trends and results of beekeeping in the Bolshaya Ucha rural area in the postwar years. The research involved a retrospective analysis of archival materials and annual reports of bee farms. The development of collective-farm beekeeping proved uneven because of poor motivation, labor discipline, and management. In May 1950, the local collective farms merged together to create more favorable working conditions. The reform improved labor productivity, increased mechanization of the most labor-intensive production processes, and lowered production costs. It also developed favorable conditions for the future Central Russian bee breeding farm.

Keywords

• archive
• report
• collective farm
• beekeeping
• bee hive
• honey
• planted acreage