Page 356 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 356
integr ated peasant economy in a compar ative perspective
some extent, in Italy (Ilešič 1940, 62–3). The density and percentage of the
farming population was particularly high in the Styrian and Prekmurje
districts of Eastern Slovenia, followed by those in Bela Krajina (southern
Slovenia). It should be noted that the farmland in these regions also tended
to be the most fragmented (Statistični godišnjak 1939, 98).
The overpopulation of the Slovenian countryside was the result of the
poor development in other sectors, as well as technological improvements
and increased productivity in an industry that could no longer employ all
the “surplus” population from the countryside. Additionally, foreign coun-
tries were closed to these people, forcing them to stay at home. Overpopu-
lation of the countryside also had an adverse effect on farming technology,
as the abundance of capable workers meant that there was no stimulus forc-
ing the peasants to modernise (Grafenauer 1970, 218). Slovenian agricul-
ture thus remained dominated by manual work, with farmers consequent-
ly facing great physical demands (Maister 1938, 93–116), which is attested
to very evidently by Erjavec’s data from 1925 on the equipment of Sloveni-
an farms with agricultural machinery and implements used, which was, to
put it mildly, very modest (Erjavec 1928, 37).
The low level of mechanisation on Slovenian farms, not to forget the
insufficient use of chemicals and other fertilisers, resulted in inefficient and
unprofitable production, clearly reflected by low crop yields, especially in
terms of the general European environment. While it is true that Sloveni-
an agriculture was much more productive than the Yugoslav average, its re-
sults were still poor when compared to agriculturally and otherwise devel-
oped countries of western Europe.
This will be illustrated by the example of wheat, the most important
crop at the time. In the interwar period, Slovenian farmers managed to in-
crease their wheat yields by approximately 15% (from 8.4 to 9.6 q/ha) and
thus to decrease Slovenian food supply deficits (Erjavec 1928, 17–34). Nev-
ertheless, they were still far from the average yield in Europe, which was
16.5 q/ha. Slovenia remained at the bottom of the scale, in the company of
Spain, Portugal, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. The middle part of
the scale included Eastern European countries, while central and western
European countries occupied the top of the scale. By way of example, we
may note that Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, the countries with
the previously highest crop yields in Europe, managed to increase these
even further in the 1930s. Specifically, wheat yields in Denmark were 29 q/
ha (Bilten 1937).
354
some extent, in Italy (Ilešič 1940, 62–3). The density and percentage of the
farming population was particularly high in the Styrian and Prekmurje
districts of Eastern Slovenia, followed by those in Bela Krajina (southern
Slovenia). It should be noted that the farmland in these regions also tended
to be the most fragmented (Statistični godišnjak 1939, 98).
The overpopulation of the Slovenian countryside was the result of the
poor development in other sectors, as well as technological improvements
and increased productivity in an industry that could no longer employ all
the “surplus” population from the countryside. Additionally, foreign coun-
tries were closed to these people, forcing them to stay at home. Overpopu-
lation of the countryside also had an adverse effect on farming technology,
as the abundance of capable workers meant that there was no stimulus forc-
ing the peasants to modernise (Grafenauer 1970, 218). Slovenian agricul-
ture thus remained dominated by manual work, with farmers consequent-
ly facing great physical demands (Maister 1938, 93–116), which is attested
to very evidently by Erjavec’s data from 1925 on the equipment of Sloveni-
an farms with agricultural machinery and implements used, which was, to
put it mildly, very modest (Erjavec 1928, 37).
The low level of mechanisation on Slovenian farms, not to forget the
insufficient use of chemicals and other fertilisers, resulted in inefficient and
unprofitable production, clearly reflected by low crop yields, especially in
terms of the general European environment. While it is true that Sloveni-
an agriculture was much more productive than the Yugoslav average, its re-
sults were still poor when compared to agriculturally and otherwise devel-
oped countries of western Europe.
This will be illustrated by the example of wheat, the most important
crop at the time. In the interwar period, Slovenian farmers managed to in-
crease their wheat yields by approximately 15% (from 8.4 to 9.6 q/ha) and
thus to decrease Slovenian food supply deficits (Erjavec 1928, 17–34). Nev-
ertheless, they were still far from the average yield in Europe, which was
16.5 q/ha. Slovenia remained at the bottom of the scale, in the company of
Spain, Portugal, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. The middle part of
the scale included Eastern European countries, while central and western
European countries occupied the top of the scale. By way of example, we
may note that Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, the countries with
the previously highest crop yields in Europe, managed to increase these
even further in the 1930s. Specifically, wheat yields in Denmark were 29 q/
ha (Bilten 1937).
354
