agra 74 ­– Forum

From 1950 to 1990, the GDR's annual agricultural exhibition took place in Markkleeberg, south of Leipzig, and from 1967 it was known as "agra". GDR television recorded the agra forum discussions for its agricultural policy education program. The half-hour recording of agra-Forum 74, combined with impressions of the trade fair, was broadcast on August 29, 1974. The discussion was devoted to the topics of shift work and increasing yields in agriculture. Helmut Schiek from the Institute of Agricultural Economics took the view that only industrial shift work would lead to an improvement in living and working conditions in the countryside. Furthermore, investments would have to be made in more intensive land use and higher labor productivity in order to increase yields.