Declassit1ed in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved tor Release 2016 06 14 CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010029-8 The President s Daily Brief 3 February 1973 45 I 1 DecIassItied in Part - sanitized copy Approved tor Release 2016 06 14 CIA-RDP79 l00936A011500010029-8 Lack of Snow Endangers Soviet Winter Grain 25X1 554078 2-73 CIA Snow Depth 0 D LJ 0·2inches 2·4 inches Over 4 inches uecIassItIed In --'art - cianItIzed Copy Approved tor t- elease LU1b Uo 14 CIA UI--' 81 UU8 lbAU11 tiUUU1 UUL8-l l FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY USSR Dmitry Polyansky demoted yesterday from USSR First Deputy Premier to Min ster of Agriculture is an obvious scapegoat for the country's continuing harvest difficulties He has been the Soviet Union's top agricultural administrator since 1962 It is likely however that the broader scale of Kremlin polities is equally important in causing his fall Following Khrushchev's ouster Polyansky was an important member of the Ukrainian clique surrounding Brezhnev As Brezhnev has moved in the past two years into a position of greater dominance in the leadership he has espoused the twin programs of detente abroad and consumer interests at home--moves that opened a gap between him and his relatively conservative Ukrainian allies Polyansky's demotion is the second blow to this Ukrainian group in the Politburo since last May Observations of a US Embassy agricultural officer suggest that the winter grain crop losses will equal or even exceed those of last year when only 23 million hectares· were harvested compared to a normal average of 31 million The officer who recently traveled by train through some of the major winter grain areas reports that snow cover was no more than two inches over the entire route Fellow passengers told him that there would normally be over 20 inches of snow at this time of the year Soviet weather maps indicate that the same general weather conditions--little snow combined with extreme cold--prevail throughout most of the major winter grain areas 4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY