Household allocation of commune land
Also called: Household plots, Household responsibility system, HRS · Topic: Comparative Development: India, China and Pakistan · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 8 "Comparative Development Experiences of India and its Neighbours"
Meaning
This was the first step of China's 1978 reforms. Commune land was divided into small plots, and the plots were given to households for use, not ownership. The land stayed collectively owned. Each household paid the stipulated taxes (a fixed amount set by the state) and kept all the income left over. Because families now gained directly from harder work, farm output and rural incomes rose. This new wealth later fed the boom in rural industry.
Example
After 1978, a farming family in China received a small plot from its commune. After paying the fixed tax, it could keep or sell whatever extra grain it grew. This reward for effort brought prosperity to a vast number of poor people and built support for more reforms.
Don't confuse with
- Land privatisation: Under privatisation, households would own the land and could sell it. Under the Chinese system, households only had the right to use and farm it.
- Commune system: In the commune system, villagers farmed the land together and shared the output. Under household allocation, each family farmed its own plot and kept its surplus.
Related concepts
- Chinese economic reforms of 1978
- Township and village enterprises
- Dual pricing
- Decentralised planning