In a number of post-war measures to strengthen collective farms, their consolidation occupied an important place. In the late 1940s, many collective farms began to apply to regional, district and central authorities with a request for their consolidation. The government of the Soviet Union believed that by creating large farms it was possible to reduce the number of weak collective farms, improve maintenance of machinery, and mechanize many processes.
Having studied the first experience of unification, the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) on May 30, 1950 adopted a resolution "On the consolidation of small collective farms and the tasks of party organizations in this matter." Consolidation was seen as an opportunity for collective farms to survive and develop in the difficult post-war years. The main reason for the enlargement in the resolution was the inability in small farms to effectively use machinery and ensure the rapid growth of collective farm production. When carrying out the consolidation, local leaders were required to comply with the principle of voluntariness, taking into account each specific case (whether or not the consolidation of these collective farms was necessary).
The massive consolidation of collective farms was mainly carried out in 1950. If at the beginning of the year there were 255,314 collective farms in the Union, then on January 1, 1951 their number decreased to 125,294. To some extent, the consolidation continued in subsequent years. By the end of 1953, the number of collective farms had decreased to 93 thousand. Collective farms became larger farms: if in 1949 there were an average of 80 collective farm yards per collective farm, then in 1951 there were already 172; able—bodied — 113 and 242, respectively, public arable land — 579 and 1292 hectares.
The consolidation had a positive effect on the placement of collective farm personnel. The administrative and managerial staff has been reduced, and many former chairmen of small collective farms have moved to work in the field. Due to the consolidation of collective farms, the use of the MTS machine and tractor fleet has improved, its productivity has increased, and idle crossings have decreased. After the consolidation, it became possible to better coordinate and combine the work of tractor and field teams. Before that, on average, two collective farms in the Union were serviced by one tractor brigade. Now a course has been taken to ensure that each collective farm is serviced by one tractor brigade.
At the same time, serious mistakes were made during the consolidation of collective farms: in some areas, the consolidation was carried out in a hurry, without sufficient consideration of the economic necessity of uniting collective farms. Consolidation was often reduced to the mechanical unification of small collective farms. Sometimes bulky, difficult-to-manage farms were created, which then had to be reduced.