Era: I was a farmer at the foot of Yaoling Mountain

Chapter 368 Maximizing Profits, Taking Things Seriously

Zhao Jinsheng then had the sales plan announced to the public. Many customers, feeling hopeless about purchasing "Nanguang No. 4", turned to purchasing "Nongyou 82" rice seeds instead.

Some customers still prefer to grow indica rice and plan to buy other hybrid rice seeds from seed companies.

Currently, there are three other good hybrid indica rice varieties in the province, with a yield of around 1,000 jin (500 kg), decent taste and flavor, and a lower price.

Perhaps learning from past experiences, the prices of rice seeds on the market have been raised. Although they are cheaper than the [Nanguang No. 4] rice seed, the price difference is no longer as outrageous as before.

The summer harvest and planting work is proceeding in an orderly manner. Fang Wei inquired about the application for tax reduction and exemption again, but there was still no news.

They only said it was still under review; they neither said it was impossible nor that it was certain it would be possible.

Fang Wei sneered, knowing that someone was interfering in this matter again.

morning.

Fang Wei made a phone call to the county and said he wanted to meet with Secretary Cui.

The secretariat immediately reported the matter to Cui Yiming. Cui Yiming inquired about the schedule for the next two days and then instructed his secretary to inform Fang Wei that they would meet in the office at 3 p.m.

Fang Wei breathed a sigh of relief. He was not familiar with the other person at all, so it was normal for the other person to see him or not.

After having lunch at home and resting for a while, he drove straight to the county town. Upon arriving in the county town, he went to Cui Yiming's office at the agreed time.

"Secretary Fang, please sit down. Xiao Tang, bring out my good tea leaves and brew Secretary Fang a cup of tea."

Cui Yiming smiled, which made Fang Wei feel quite uncomfortable.

The other party visited the cooperative that day and didn't smile at all. He even thought that Secretary Cui couldn't smile.

"Secretary Cui, I have something I'd like to tell you today."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Fang Wei got straight to the point.

He mentioned the relevant national regulations on reducing or exempting agricultural taxes for breeding enterprises, and also mentioned that after previous investigations by relevant departments, agricultural taxes were added to the cooperatives.

"I have applied for a partial reduction or exemption of agricultural tax in accordance with regulations, but the application materials have been submitted for quite some time, and every time I ask, they say it has not been reviewed yet."

Fang Wei stated that applying for a reduction or exemption of eligible agricultural taxes is the cooperative's right. The relevant departments must provide a clear answer regarding whether or not the application is approved; they cannot simply drag things out without any justification.

"I know about this. You've offended the regional agricultural bureau and several other departments. They just want to make things difficult for you and vent their anger."

Don't worry, the review period for agricultural tax reduction applications is three months. You'll get a response within three months.

After listening to Fang Wei's explanation, Cui Yiming couldn't help but shake his head, and then bluntly exposed the truth.

Fang Wei looked at Cui Yiming with surprise; this was the first time he had encountered a leader who spoke so directly.

So he nodded. Some people are going to use this trick again, trying to annoy people within the rules, right?
"Secretary Cui, deadlines are deadlines, but some departments also need to improve their efficiency! This is all I have to say, so I won't bother you any longer."

Fang Wei then got up to take his leave. He had already achieved his purpose for coming today, and there was no point in staying any longer.

His goal was to talk to Cui Yiming about this in person. In reality, he wasn't in a hurry for the agricultural tax reduction; the cooperative wasn't short of cash. He just couldn't swallow this insult.

Since Cui Yiming is clear about the root of the matter, there is no need for him to say anything more.

“Secretary Fang rarely comes all this way, and you’re in such a hurry to leave? Come on, how about we talk about some of the companies under the cooperative?”

Cui Yiming stopped Fang Wei, preventing her from leaving.

So the conversation shifted to township enterprises, and after a short while, Fang Wei could tell that the other party was very interested in vigorously developing industry.

“Secretary Cui, developing industry is definitely the right thing to do, but our county is located in a remote area with inconvenient transportation, so it is actually very difficult to develop industry.”

There's a concept called the cluster effect. To use an imperfect analogy, the reason Yaoling Township has so many lock manufacturers is precisely because of this.

Developing industry vigorously is certainly promising, especially developing advanced manufacturing, which has an even brighter future.

However, the problem is that developing industry requires a certain foundation, including human resources, material resources, financial resources, transportation, and so on. Just the issues of talent and transportation alone can cause a great deal of headaches.

Fang Wei also gave specific examples, talking about hardware factories and lock companies of all sizes.

“What you said makes a lot of sense. I have no intention of making unrealistic promises, so I have considered all these issues. Secretary Fang, what do you think about the county giving strong support to the lock industry? After all, it’s very difficult to create such an industrial cluster these days.”

Cui Yiming was not ambitious; on the contrary, he wanted to do something practical.

After listening to Fang Wei's explanation, he knew that Fang Wei was a man of substance. The cooperative's success today was not due to luck, but rather to the selection of the right leader.

Looking across the entire county, lock manufacturing is currently the only industry that can drive growth; nothing else can be replicated.

For example, furniture factories and chili sauce factories are virtually impossible to replicate. The entire industrial chain of the chili sauce factory is controlled by the cooperative, while the furniture factory possesses core technologies such as design and manufacturing processes, and also has unparalleled advantages in raw materials.

Therefore, he set his sights on the seemingly ordinary lock manufacturing industry, which is currently the industry with the largest number of enterprises in the county.

“I personally think this is a great idea. Lock manufacturing doesn’t require that much talent and technology, but we have a first-mover advantage. As long as we can grow big, we’ll have a moat in the industry.”

Fang Wei thinks it's good to have more small hardware factories. The key is that this spontaneously formed industrial cluster already has considerable competitiveness.

If the county government can provide strong support, it might actually be able to grow bigger and stronger.

“Secretary Fang, your words are more valuable than ten years of study. Please come visit me more often in the future.”

Cui Yi was clearly still feeling quite pleased with himself, but he had an important event to attend next, so he had to end the conversation for the day.

Fang Wei then left the county, still feeling quite fortunate. After all, Cui Yiming was a man of action; as long as the other party had some ideas, their relationship wouldn't be too bad.

With Cui Yiming's support, the cooperative's development in the following years was greatly boosted.

A few days passed quickly.

After the cooperative finished its summer harvest and planting work, Fang Wei announced that rice seeds could be sold.

The Nanguang No. 4 rice seed was undoubtedly the most sought-after. All the contracted farmers purchased the full amount of rice seeds, and the rest were snapped up by some long-term customers.

The sales of the 【Nongyou 82】 rice seeds were also very brisk, and the entire sales process was completed in just 10 days. The cooperative has formed a monopoly on the entire industrial chain of the 【Nanguang No. 4】 variety, from rice seed breeding to rice production and deep processing of rice.

This has largely eliminated the rampant counterfeit products of Yaoling Rice.

After all, the difference in raw materials is very obvious. If other varieties are used instead, ordinary people can tell the difference. So wouldn't the fake rice be immediately exposed?
Even established brands like Wuling Rice have switched to producing this product, keeping the brand the same but using [Nongyou 82] as their raw material.

【Yaoling Rice】is indica rice, while Wuling Rice became japonica rice after changing its raw materials. From now on, the two will not compete with each other.

When Cui Yiming visited the cooperative again, he even tasted the Yaoling Rice. He then understood why this rice was so expensive and in short supply.

The most distinctive feature of Yaoling rice is its fragrance, which is fragrant but not greasy, making it more suitable for the taste of Chinese people than Thai jasmine rice.

“I used to wonder why you insisted on going against the local agricultural bureau over the yield of the Nanguang No. 4 rice variety. Now it seems that everything you did was right.”

After eating, Cui Yiming and Fang Wei walked out of the large canteen together.

The two strolled slowly along the mountainside, and Cui Yiming revealed his true thoughts.

He originally came here to persuade Fang Wei not to antagonize some people in the region. It's just about increasing the yield of some [Nanguang No. 4] rice seeds, right? Just agree to their demands and that's it.

It doesn't matter what you plant, the returns won't be much different anyway.

Now he realized that what they wanted was not just the profits from breeding, but a complete monopoly of the entire industrial chain of [Yaoling Rice].

This would result in much greater profits, and it would also guarantee the quality of [Yaoling Rice] 100%. He wouldn't easily increase production if it were him.

"The main reason is that the province has several good hybrid rice varieties. Those rice varieties have undergone so many years of improvement and are relatively mature. We have to leave some opportunities for them."

【Nongyou 82】is a hybrid japonica rice variety, and so far there is no domestic substitute, which is why we are trying to maximize its production. In fact, from a broader perspective, we are contributing to the country's overall grain production increase.

Fang Wei spoke the truth: changes in the planting area of ​​the two rice varieties will only affect a small number of people.

From a broader perspective, they are all the same.

"Well said!"

Cui Yiming completely accepted Fang Wei's argument. The region felt that Fang Wei was wrong because it was a result of considering things from a local perspective.

When it comes to vision and perspective, those people should really feel ashamed.

Of course, Fang Wei is not the kind of person who makes selfless sacrifices; he also takes into account maximizing his own interests when he does this.

The two arrived at the protective forest, where Cui Yiming saw so many precious trees for the first time, which made him deeply appreciate the cooperative's strength and capabilities.

The two then discussed some issues related to the development of a lock industry cluster before Cui Yiming returned to the county.

After repeated discussions, the county's support measures were finally introduced. First, the county designated a piece of land in Yaoling Commune to become a county-level industrial park.

Then the county pieced together funds and built standard factory buildings in the industrial park.

After the county mobilized, hardware factories, bamboo ware factories, chili sauce factories and other enterprises were the first to move into the industrial park, and the county provided full compensation for the losses caused.

Other small factories followed suit, since moving into the industrial park would bring them tax breaks, loans, and other benefits, and the cluster effect would be even more pronounced.

Some lock manufacturers from other regions have also begun to move their production to the industrial park.

Yaoling Township has long been renowned, earning the nickname "Hometown of Locks," and quickly developed a complete industrial chain. Locks may seem like small items, not uncommon in big cities, but this industrial chain is crucial for Xinlin County.

Fang Wei didn't care much about this matter. He went directly to the relevant department to inquire when the company's tax reduction and exemption application would be reviewed.

"Secretary Fang, don't worry, we are reviewing it now, it should be done soon."

The relevant department head received Fang Wei, smiling throughout and displaying an impeccable attitude.

"How long exactly do you mean 'soon'? I need a concrete answer. Actually, we both know perfectly well that you're just dragging your feet. As long as it doesn't exceed the deadline, I can't complain, right?"

Fang Wei sneered and made her point clear.

"No way! Secretary Fang, let me tell you the truth. We have no grudges against each other, so why would I make things difficult for you? There is a crucial step that requires approval from higher authorities. Without their approval, my review process cannot be completed."

The other party still had a smile on their face, but subtly explained the crux of the problem.

Fang Wei must have understood. He shook his head, then took his leave.

the next day.

He took two people with him and went straight to Xiangling City to inquire about the approval process for tax reductions and exemptions from the relevant departments.

Their attitude here was so good; they impatiently told Fang Wei to go back and wait, and that they would naturally notify the county when there was a result.

Without saying a word, Fang Wei turned and left. He didn't go to find Huang Zhigang, as Huang Zhigang was new to the area and certainly couldn't solve the problem. He went directly to the provincial capital.

Even the person who started this whole thing probably didn't expect Fang Wei to take it so seriously.

He went to the provincial capital, found the relevant higher authorities, and directly complained about the deliberate delays and obstruction by the local departments. He didn't mention retaliation; those things couldn't be discussed openly, and there was no point in dwelling on them.

At the same time, he also contacted Wu Yaoyang's secretary to report the situation.

After hearing his secretary's report, Wu Yaoyang couldn't help but laugh: "This Party Secretary Fang has actually learned to be serious. Then let's give him a hand and make this a big deal."

The secretary understood immediately, and within a few days, the matter became common knowledge.

The truth couldn't be hidden forever, and the province had no choice but to send an investigation team to the region to investigate the matter.

Fang Wei visited Wu Yaoyang and spent a few days inspecting the furniture company before returning to the cooperative. No sooner had he arrived home than the cooperative's tax reduction and exemption application was approved.

Because of this incident, some people were punished. Now everyone knows that Secretary Fang of the Yaoling Cooperative is full of thorns, and anyone who deliberately provokes him might get hurt.

Of course, Fang Wei's actions have both advantages and disadvantages. Those who like him like him even more, while those who dislike him find him troublesome.

However, in any case, there will be far fewer similar harassments in the future. Most people wouldn't resort to such a tactic simply to annoy someone if they weren't confident they could defeat them.

(End of this chapter)