anged very little in the
1960-70 period, a significant shift took place in the relative size of
the individual crop areas. While the acreages of oilseeds and tobacco
expanded significantly, the acreages of fibers, particularly cotton, and
of essential oils and medicinal plants declined sharply.

The area devoted to vegetables expanded by 20 percent. The tomato
acreage expanded at about twice that rate and accounted for one-fourth
of the vegetable acreage in 1970; tomatoes constitute an important
export crop. The potato acreage, on the other hand, declined by roughly
20 percent during the period.

The area of fodder crops suffered a substantial decline, particularly in
the case of annual grasses and silage crops. The loss was only partially
offset by the expansion of the perennial grass acreage.

Rapid expansion also took place in the areas of apple orchards and
vineyards. The acreage of bearing apple trees increased by about 70
percent in the 1970-70 period. During the same period the acreage of
producing vineyards grew by 24 percent, while the acreage of table
grapes increased by 2.3 times. Fruits and grapes are also important
export commodities. Expansion of the total acreage under fruit trees and
berries, however, was much slower--17 percent in the 1960-68 period--and
a decline in the acreage set in after 1968. In the spring of 1973 Todor
Zhivkov, the communist party leader, called for decisive action to halt
the unfavorable trend. He reported that plans for orchard and berry
plantings were not fulfilled in 1972; that from 27,000 to 40,000 acres
of orchards had been uprooted over a period of a few years; and that the
vineyard acreage had declined by 25,000 acres compared with the acreage
in 1968. Reasons for these developments had not been made public.

The little information available on the subject suggests that price
considerations have been the major reason for the crop acreage changes.
The price system and official regulations governing farm production have
not always operated in the manner planned by the government. Farms, for
instance, have steadfastly refused to enlarge the acreage of irrigated
corn to the extent demanded by the government, preferring to use
irrigation for more profitable crops. In 1971 the farms failed to plant
the prescribed acreage of feed crops or to expand the production of
vegetables. Public statements by the government on the reasons for these
problems have been most guarded. After