Part 6/10:
Despite Mao’s ambitious targets for agricultural output, the communes quickly devolved into unmotivated labor camps devoid of genuine incentive. Peasants no longer had the autonomy to make decisions based on their local knowledge, leading to disastrous agricultural practices that neglected traditional methods. As communes were encouraged to compete for productivity benchmarks, falsified production figures became rampant, both at the grassroots level and orchestrated by party cadres desperate to meet impossible quotas.