--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Consequently, in 1958 the Chinese…" description: "\"“Consequently, in 1958 the Chinese government was informed that annual grain production was 50 per cent more than it actually was. Believing the report..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/yuval-noah-harari-100_politics_consequently-in-1958-the-chinese-governm_2235584.jpg" --- # Consequently, in 1958 the Chinese government was informed… ![“Consequently, in 1958 the Chinese government was informed that annual grain production was 50 per cent more than it actually was. Believing the reports, the government sold millions of tons of rice to foreign countries in exchange for weapons and heavy machinery, assuming that enough was left to…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/yuval-noah-harari-100_politics_consequently-in-1958-the-chinese-governm_2235584.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/yuval-noah-harari-100_politics_consequently-in-1958-the-chinese-governm_2235584.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/yuval-noah-harari-100_politics_consequently-in-1958-the-chinese-governm_2235584.jpg) > ““Consequently, in 1958 the Chinese government was informed that annual grain production was 50 per cent more than it actually was. Believing the reports, the government sold millions of tons of rice to foreign countries in exchange for weapons and heavy machinery, assuming that enough was left to feed the Chinese population. The result was the worst famine in history and the death of tens of millions of Chinese.3 Meanwhile, enthusiastic reports of China’s farming miracle reached audiences throughout the world. Julius Nyerere, the idealistic president of Tanzania, was deeply impressed by the Chinese success. In order to modernise Tanzanian agriculture, Nyerere resolved to establish collective farms on the Chinese model. When peasants objected to the plan, Nyerere sent the army and police to destroy traditional villages and forcibly relocate hundreds of thousands of peasants onto the new collective farms. Government propaganda depicted the farms as miniature paradises, but many of them existed only in government documents. The protocols and reports written in the capital Dar es Salaam said that on such-and-such a date the inhabitants of such-and-such village were relocated to such-and-such farm. In reality, when the villagers reached their destination, they found absolutely nothing there. No houses, no fields, no tools. Officials nevertheless reported great successes to themselves and to President Nyerere. In fact, within less than ten years Tanzania was transformed from Africa’s biggest food exporter into a net food importer that could not feed itself without external assistance. In 1979, 90 per cent of Tanzanian farmers lived on collective farms, but they generated only 5 per cent of the country’s agricultural output.4”” [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exaggerated production reports led to disastrous policy decisions, causing famine and later failed agricultural reforms in Tanzania. **In simple terms:** False data caused deadly policies and later false promises in Tanzania. Key Takeaway Check data before acting on it. Themes history politics agriculture propaganda policy failure Mood cautious critical reflective Type historical political When to use this quote - government planning - international aid - agricultural policy - food security - political decision-making Key Concepts statistics central planning misinformation colonial influence development economics Questions to Reflect On - How can societies verify critical data? - What safeguards prevent policy based on false reports? A Different Perspective Data can be manipulated to justify harmful actions, and later corrections may be too late. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. 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The result was the worst famine in history and the death of tens of millions of Chinese.3 Meanwhile, enthusiastic reports of China’s farming miracle reached audiences throughout the world. Julius Nyerere, the idealistic president of Tanzania, was deeply impressed by the Chinese success. In order to modernise Tanzanian agriculture, Nyerere resolved to establish collective farms on the Chinese model. When peasants objected to the plan, Nyerere sent the army and police to destroy traditional villages and forcibly relocate hundreds of thousands of peasants onto the new collective farms. Government propaganda depicted the farms as miniature paradises, but many of them existed only in government documents. The protocols and reports written in the capital Dar es Salaam said that on such-and-such a date the inhabitants of such-and-such village were relocated to such-and-such farm. In reality, when the villagers reached their destination, they found absolutely nothing there. No houses, no fields, no tools. Officials nevertheless reported great successes to themselves and to President Nyerere. In fact, within less than ten years Tanzania was transformed from Africa’s biggest food exporter into a net food importer that could not feed itself without external assistance. 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