1968: Started from breeding

Chapter 267 Once I make this call, you won't have any room for backing out!

Then a brief silence fell over the room, the only sound being the friction of the pen against the paper after writing.

a long time.

The old man put down his pen, closed the document, placed it on the table, and then got up and walked towards the sofa where Su Wenchen was sitting.

Seeing this, Su Wenchen also stood up, but the old man gestured for him to stand up.

"Sit! Sit! Sit!"

As they were talking, he walked to a seat next to Su Wenchen's sofa.

"I called you here today for two reasons. First, I want to hear your views on the management of the Yellow River flood area. Second, I want you to take this opportunity to get to know your colleagues in the agricultural system."

"After all, we can't develop agriculture in isolation. Only by exchanging and cultivating different species and learning advanced technologies from each other can we make progress together!"

"I saw your earlier plan to start by raising meat rabbits at your branch farm, which is a good direction!"

"The pork supply is tight across the country right now. Your use of saline-alkali land that cannot produce grain for the time being to raise meat rabbits can greatly alleviate the local meat supply."

"Moreover, your farm has done in-depth research on rabbits, and I have a lot of confidence in your farm."

"So, in my opinion, you should mainly focus your efforts on meat rabbits, and it would be best to breed meat rabbits with more fat."

"As for the pigs and cattle that follow, we can discuss that later!"

For the old man, the main purpose of calling Su Wenchen over was to hope that the other party could focus on breeding meat rabbits at this stage.

After all, looking at the entire farm system, Blue Water Farm is the only one that has done the most in-depth research on rabbits and has achieved results.

At this point, he actually didn't want Su Wenchen to get involved in anything related to pigs, dairy, beef, or cattle.

Because from a very early stage, the ministry had already arranged for some farms to be specifically responsible for introducing and breeding high-quality pigs and various cattle breeds.

However, as the leader of the agricultural system, he knew all too well how quickly this kind of thing could produce results.

It's not something that can be achieved in a year or two.

Because their department has invested a lot of resources in introducing many high-quality foreign varieties from the very beginning, but the ones they have cultivated so far are only able to survive normally in the experimental field.

They will die immediately if the environment is even slightly harsh.

There is still a long way to go before we can actually reach the standards that can be promoted.

However, upon hearing this, Su Wenchen scratched his head.

"I understand, leader. When we get back, our farm will definitely continue to invest in the breeding of meat rabbits."

"But regarding live pigs..."

Before Su Wenchen could finish speaking, the old man raised his hand to interrupt him.

“Xiao Su, I understand your farm’s eagerness to help the country solve its problems. I am also very anxious, and most of our colleagues in the agricultural system are also very anxious.”

"But rushing won't solve the problem, right?"

"The problem now is that people all over the country are in dire need of meat supply. I can tell you the truth: this year, our ministry sent people to investigate most regions and cities. Currently, the average pork supply per person for our people is only 14 jin per year."

"That means on average it's about one pound a month, but that's only the meat supply in major cities and counties."

"Because the rural population did not receive a monthly ration of meat coupons, they could not be included in the statistics, and therefore the various communes and production teams below were not counted."

"If we take that into account, I believe the number would have to be reduced by at least half, or even more."

“You also come from a rural area, so I believe you are well aware of the meat supply problem in rural areas.”

"Thanks to the opportunity brought by your Moon Rabbit this year, many countries have seen our attitude, and we have also used this opportunity to establish communication channels with many countries. Although we have not established diplomatic relations in name only, through the export of the Moon Rabbit, some countries are willing to make tentative contacts with us."

"To be honest, this channel itself is actually more valuable than the export value of the Moon Rabbit."

"We have already reached agreements with several countries and are preparing to import ten large-scale fertilizer production lines at once."

"So the ministry wasn't too worried about increasing grain production, but meat supply is different from grain. We can produce it ourselves once we bring in fertilizer equipment."

"However, if excellent foreign livestock breeds are introduced, they cannot be promoted without localized breeding."

"This is a long and arduous project, so we can't just wait around. That's why I hope you will focus on meat rabbit breeds."

"Your farm has a lot of successful experience in rabbit breeding and has achieved results, which is why I mainly place my hopes on your Blue Water Farm."

"So, is your team willing to take on this arduous task?"

For the elderly man, given the nationwide shortage of meat, he felt that allowing Lanshui Farm to invest as much as possible in rabbit breeding was also a way to effectively alleviate some of the pressure on meat supply.

Of course, the main reason is that rabbits reproduce quickly, so their breeding cycle is much shorter than that of pigs and cattle.

After all, rabbits only need four or five months from birth to become pregnant again.

Unlike black pigs, which take a year to grow and then three or four months for gestation, making each litter take about half a year, cows take even longer, with growth alone taking almost two years.

In addition, rabbits mainly eat grass, leaves, soybean meal, etc., so they don't have to compete with humans for food. Therefore, the old man felt that, given that other livestock could not be promoted quickly, meat rabbits were a very suitable breed to help alleviate the shortage of meat supply.

Su Wenchen scratched his head.

"Boss, our farm is certainly willing to take on the task of breeding meat rabbits, but what I want to say is that our farm has already made great progress in breeding white pigs."

"Actually, we started breeding white pigs a long time ago."

"The reason we are only talking about it now is because the third-generation white pig breed that has been crossbred can now be reliably inherited. The third-generation piglets are now over 100 days old and weigh an average of over 120 pounds."

"The heaviest of them was over 160 pounds at 107 days old."

After Su Wenchen finished speaking, the room fell into a brief silence.

The old man looked at Su Wenchen with a slight frown.

"Do you know what you're talking about?"

"Xiao Su, if you're just trying to take credit for me this time, I'll be very disappointed!"

Upon seeing this, Su Wenchen immediately spoke very seriously.

"I vouch for this with my Party spirit; every word I've said is true, absolutely not a single lie!"

"And the pigs are all being raised well on our farm!"

"The ministry can come and inspect anytime!"

"After all, whether it's a pig that's around 100 days old or a pig that's been raised for more than half a year, the ministry isn't incapable of detecting it!"

Looking at Su Wenchen's confident expression.

A glimmer of hope rose in the old man's heart, after all, anyone who dared to say such a thing at this time must have a lot of confidence.

So he said it directly.

"If that's the case, why didn't you inform the department sooner?"

Su Wenchen shook his head, both amused and exasperated.

"Boss, think about what happened just now. Would you have believed me if I had told you beforehand?"

"If I hadn't already made up my mind, how could I dare to make such a boast? Who knows, you might just send me away somewhere if you're unhappy!"
Hearing this, the old man was a little embarrassed, but he still said something.

"You should have given us a heads-up beforehand!"

"For example, if there's a breakthrough or something, that would give me some mental preparation!"

Su Wenchen said with some helplessness.

"Boss, I'm telling you this in advance!"

“When I wrote to you, I specifically mentioned our farm’s development plan and also revealed that our farm’s pig breeding program, which allows pigs to be slaughtered in six months, is nearing maturity.”

"You don't believe me? You even wrote me a letter to warn me to be humble and not arrogant. What can I do?"

"That's why I can only come to report to you after I've completely confirmed it!"

Upon hearing this, the old man was so embarrassed that he could hardly sit still, because he had never considered the possibility that what the other person said might be true.

All I could do was mutter a sentence.

"I thought you were trying to take credit!"

"Besides, if you write a few more letters carefully, won't I believe you?"

After all, the ministry had arranged for many experimental stations and farms to cultivate the species for ten years without success, but you succeeded in just two or three years. How could he dare to believe that?

However, upon realizing that pigs that could be raised to market weight in six months had actually been bred, the old man stood up and paced back and forth in the room.

He walked to the table and was about to pick up the phone when he hesitated for a moment. Finally, he put his hand on the phone and looked up at Su Wenchen.

"Are you sure you're telling the truth? Once I make this call, there's no going back."

For an elderly person, if the person is just trying to take credit, they can pretend they didn't hear the story once it reaches them, and it won't have a very bad impact.

At most, it would just lower his own opinion of Su Wenchen.

However, if his phone call summons the department leaders and it is ultimately confirmed that the fraud was fabricated, the seriousness of the matter will be quite different.

He will have no choice but to deal with it seriously, because this kind of trend certainly cannot be allowed to develop freely.

Su Wenchen naturally understood the meaning behind the other party's words and immediately assured him.

"Rest assured, leader. Our Blue Water Farm can absolutely withstand any inspection from the ministry. If there is even a single falsehood, you can deal with me directly."

"Moreover, I brought all the information about the breeding of white pigs with me this time, and I can withstand any scrutiny."

Seeing Su Wenchen's confidence, the old man took a deep breath.

"Okay, if it's true, once this is over, I'll personally go to the institute to report your success!"

After saying that, he picked up the phone.

"Notify the main leaders of the Agriculture Bureau, the State Farms Bureau, the Animal Husbandry Bureau, and the Animal Husbandry Improvement Station, as well as the main researchers of the Animal Husbandry Research Institute of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, to immediately put down their work and come to Conference Room No. 1 for a meeting one hour later."

After hanging up the phone.

"Let's go! Xiao Su, take your documents with you. I hope you can withstand the department's scrutiny."

"They're not as easily fooled as I think, but it's too late for you to regret it now."

Su Wenchen stood up straight and made a promise.

"Sir, our true gold is not afraid of being tested by fire; even on-site testing will show no problems."

"But all my documents are at the guesthouse. I came here to apply for a conference attendance pass, so I didn't bring them with me!"

The old man waved his hand. "Go back and get it quickly!"

After thinking for a moment, he shouted directly outside.

"Xiao Lin! Xiao Lin! Call the security team and send a few people with Xiao Su to the guesthouse to get some documents."

At the entrance of the guesthouse.

After getting out of the car, Su Wenchen looked at the two bodyguards who were closely following him on either side.

It's a bit frustrating, because we're afraid he'll just brag and run away!
Of course, it could also be out of fear of some unexpected event.

Regardless, Su Wenchen wasn't afraid, since they had actually succeeded.

It's not just empty talk.

Conference Room 1.

When Su Wenchen pushed open the heavy mahogany door, there were already several people sitting inside.

A very long, large conference table was set up, and the old man was now seated at the head of the table.

Several people below were a bit confused.

The National Conference on the Promotion of State Farms is not until tomorrow, so what's going on today?
What puzzled most people was that leaders usually arrive right on time, so why did they arrive half an hour early today?

This kind of thing usually only happens in extremely urgent situations.

After Su Wenchen pushed the door open and came in, many people were even more confused.

Which one is this?
Clearly, most people are completely clueless about Su Wenchen, a completely unfamiliar face.

However, since the leaders were already seated upstairs, the people below couldn't even whisper to each other; they could only communicate with their eyes.

Su Wenchen noticed the curious looks on everyone's faces.

He smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, then prepared to go to the back to find a seat.

Just then, the old man who had been sitting in the middle spoke up.

He also pointed to the top left seat, a spot that had been deliberately left out.

"Xiao Su, you're the star today, so you should sit here."

These words immediately puzzled the others even more.

This young man?
protagonist?

No one could figure out what the leader was trying to tell them.

After Su Wenchen sat down, he saw that everyone below was looking at him with curiosity.

They were immediately filled with helplessness.

Because anyone would feel extremely awkward facing a bunch of curious, staring eyes.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long.

Since the Academy of Agricultural Sciences is located next to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, all the participants arrived in less than an hour.

After the conference staff refilled the teacups in front of everyone.

"Crack!"

The entire mahogany gate was closed.

The old man also opened his eyes.

"The reason I called everyone here for this emergency meeting is to discuss the matter of Blue Water Farm breeding pigs that can be slaughtered in six months."

Many people below were stunned by these words.

next moment.

Instantly, everyone's eyes turned to Su Wenchen.

Because of the great fame of Moon Rabbit, many people know about Blue Water Farm, but most people probably don't know or have ever seen the leaders of Blue Water Farm.

No one who came to the meeting was a fool. Although they didn't know each other, the person sitting in that seat must be from Blue Water Farm.

So seeing how young Su Wenchen was, the surprise was no less than that of raising pigs that were ready for market in six months.

The people in the Agriculture Bureau, the State Farms Bureau, and the Animal Husbandry Bureau were able to sit still because, for them, this was a good thing.

Regardless of which organization trained them, once they've graduated, it's definitely a great thing.

So, upon hearing the old man's words, the researcher from the Animal Husbandry Research Institute under the Academy of Agricultural Sciences spoke up directly.

"That's impossible. Based on the current progress of our research institute, we can only achieve a stable localization method by selecting and breeding generations and constantly trying and failing."

"We have also learned about other pig breeding farms, and none of them are progressing faster than us. According to our calculations, it will take at least five to six more generations of continuous crossbreeding and selection before this white pig can be completely domesticated."

"It takes a long time to accumulate experience and find the optimal solution through continuous breeding and hybridization."

"Sir, I wonder if the white pigs bred at Blue Water Farm can consistently produce offspring that are adapted to the environment?"

"If only a single pig adapts, its offspring will simply revert to the original breed, and such success is meaningless."

"After all, a single pig can't solve any problems."

The old man waved his hand.

"You need to confirm the specific data with Director Su of Lanshui Farm. I called you here so that you can verify whether this type of pig is suitable for large-scale promotion."

He then nodded to Su Wenchen in acknowledgment.

Seeing the gazes below, Su Wenchen took a deep breath, stood up, and spoke calmly.

"Distinguished leaders and experts, this year our Blue Water Farm has not only bred the Moonflower Rabbit, but we have also made some breakthroughs in breeding white pigs."

"Currently, the third-generation crossbred pig breeds, after careful confirmation by us, have an average weight of over 120 jin at 100 days old, with the heaviest reaching over 160 jin at 107 days old."

As soon as these words were spoken, murmurs arose from the audience. A researcher from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences frowned and interrupted.

"Director Su, may I ask which breed of white pig you bred this type of pig with? The growth rate is too fast! It's almost reaching the level of the original foreign breeds."

"As far as I know, your farm is not listed among the breeding farms that the ministry has designated for the introduction and subsequent placement of white pigs."

Su Wenchen nodded.

“We didn’t import them directly from abroad. Our farm’s white pigs were imported from Shanghai Qianjin Farm, and as far as I know, they were also imported from Hangzhou Breeding Pig Experimental Farm.”

"Therefore, the first generation of white pigs we bred should be the offspring of crossbreeding Hangzhou Taihu pigs and white pigs introduced from abroad."

Upon hearing this, a leader from the livestock improvement station sitting on the other side stroked his chin.

As the National Livestock Improvement Station under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, they were in charge of all livestock breeding farms across the country. All livestock imported from abroad were allocated by their unit, so he naturally knew the whereabouts of most of them.

So he said it directly.

"Hangzhou Breeding Pig Experimental Farm? That must be one of the batches introduced in 1964."

"At that time, a breed of pig called Landrace was imported from Denmark to crossbreed with the local Taihu pig. The purpose was to improve the growth rate and lean meat percentage of the local pig breed."

"A portion was also allocated to Jinhua in Zhejiang Province to improve the Jinhua pigs there, and it seems to be working well."

He then spoke to his colleagues.

"Old Yu, I told you that introducing those Landrace pigs was the right thing to do! Look, the first breakthrough was right here."

For their livestock improvement station, whenever there is a breakthrough, they must be the first to speak out. This way, no matter what, they will have a share of the credit, since they were the ones who led the introduction.

However, the leader from the agricultural bureau next to him rolled his eyes.

"Don't rush to claim credit yet. We haven't even figured out the specifics of the situation! Don't be thinking about taking credit first."

He then asked Su Wenchen.

"Director Su, to be honest, the white pigs imported from abroad come from our Agricultural Bureau, Animal Husbandry Bureau, and a large number of farms under your State Farms Bureau."

"Most organizations have tried various methods."

"They've been trying to domesticate them for ten years without success, and your farm has only been doing it for a few years? 160 pounds at 100 days old? Can you really guarantee that?"

Upon hearing this, Su Wenchen calmly opened his briefcase and took out the documents inside.

"Distinguished leaders, I understand your concerns. We also had doubts at the beginning, so we repeatedly verified the genetic stability of the three generations of pigs."

"Up to the third generation, all the piglets produced, except for those that died at the beginning, all of them inherited the ability to grow rapidly."

"Only in this way can we dare to announce the news; otherwise, I wouldn't dare to say these words to everyone!"

Seeing how cautious Su Wenchen was, and how certain he was, even the Animal Husbandry Research Institute of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, who initially thought it was unreliable, were now unsure about it.

After all, as a subordinate department of the National Academy of Sciences, they are well aware that geniuses truly exist in this world.

So I asked directly.

"How stable are the specific genes? What is the mortality rate of the piglets? What about disease incidence? Can it be scaled up on a large scale?"

Su Wenchen took out the documents and handed one to the other party.

"The mortality rate is currently very low, basically only about five percent. A large proportion of the deaths were caused by the sows biting themselves. As for diseases, they are currently mainly intestinal diseases such as diarrhea and constipation."

Upon seeing the documents handed over by Su Wenchen, several people immediately stood up to take them, but the leader of the animal husbandry research institute at the front intercepted them.

The other person said as they looked at it.

"Based on your records, the sows often actively cull weak piglets, which suggests that they do indeed have some Taihu pig blood. Taihu pigs have always had the habit of actively culling weak offspring."

Then the other party frowned slightly.

"Based on the data I've gathered, the diseases are mainly concentrated in the intestinal tract, which clearly indicates a problem with the feed. Haven't you considered switching to better feed?"

Clearly, after reviewing the data recorded by Blue Water Farm, this person felt that this was probably not just empty talk, but rather a breakthrough.

Because you can't just randomly shout out information and fabricate such rigorous data. Only someone who has actually raised these white pigs and made breakthroughs in their breeding can record such detailed data.

Upon hearing this person's question about the feed, Su Wenchen shook his head immediately.

“Our farm certainly has the conditions to feed them well, but for this batch of pigs, we only use concentrated feed for a small portion, and for the rest we mainly simulate the feeding environment of a normal production team.”

"Because most production teams were not able to feed their pigs with coarse grains like cornmeal, most of them could only use a mixed feeding method of wheat bran or rice bran plus straw plus wild pig feed."

“If we simply feed them high-quality cornmeal and soybean meal as their main feed, it won’t make much sense to promote it.”

(End of this chapter)