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

"Okay, I'll do it right away."

Zhao Jinsheng dared not delay and immediately went to various townships to remind the farmers who had signed contracts to abide by them.

If any breach of contract occurs, the cooperative will fight to the bitter end.

The farmers who had been clamoring for credit immediately fell silent. They weren't planning anything; they just instinctively asked for credit, thinking it was foolish not to take advantage of a bargain.

That's why they say rural work is difficult.

However, the cooperative still wields considerable influence. It never shortchanges growers on prices, and correspondingly, its contract breach clauses are very stringent.

When dealing with farmers, simply showing them goodwill won't work; you also need to establish your authority when necessary.

Fang Wei then asked around about the company, and found out that it was a Sino-foreign joint venture seed company that was actively expanding into the domestic market.

The other party has good breeding technology, covering the breeding of rice, wheat, corn, various vegetables, and cash crops.

"Therefore, it is no coincidence that the other party came to Xinlin County to challenge us."

Fang Wei convened a council meeting and announced that the cooperative had a competitor.

The competitor is [New Kaiqi Seed Industry Co., Ltd.], whose major shareholder is an international giant that has dealt with Fang Wei before.

The other party once tried to acquire Fang Wei's hybrid rice breeding technology, but ultimately failed.

Later, they established a joint venture with a domestic breeding company, directly aiming to become a cooperative.

"Don't be afraid of them. Our Yaoling chili peppers are excellent, and the chili sauce factory will guarantee to buy them. They don't have such conditions."

Several board members disagreed, feeling that the other party was not worthy of being the cooperative's opponent.

Fang Wei shook his head. The so-called visitors were not friendly. That international giant did not follow any principles and would use any underhanded means.

"This is nothing. If I'm not mistaken, this opponent may be our adversary for a long time. Everyone should be prepared."

It is foolish to underestimate one's opponent's actions or thoughts, and Fang Wei will not make such a mistake.

He urged everyone to take their opponents seriously, saying that the chili seed issue was just the beginning and there would be many more clashes to come.

Fang Wei then adjourned the meeting.

Today's meeting is mainly to remind everyone that as for future competition, we'll have to take it one step at a time and gradually figure out our opponents' strategies.

Fang Wei has absolute confidence in rice seeds, but it's hard to say about other aspects.

With the development of biotechnology, foreign countries will adopt genetic engineering technology extensively, which is similar to the effect of attribute enhancement.

However, the varieties produced by the cooperative are free from human intervention and therefore do not have those inexplicable side effects.

The issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will become a focus of debate in the future, but it is not an issue that needs to be considered now.

"Secretary, does Xinkaiqi Seed Industry produce finished chili peppers?"

As Zhao Jinsheng and Fang Wei left the conference room, a question suddenly occurred to him.

If the other party has commercially available chili peppers, you can buy them and study them to see how they taste and are of good quality, so that you can have a clear understanding of their quality.

"Yes! I'll get the actual product in a couple of days, then I'll see what their chili peppers are like."

Fang Wei nodded. Although he spends most of his time in the village, he actually has many friends, most of whom he met at meetings over the years.

Take Wu Tianming, for example.

After making a few phone calls, someone told him the details of New Kaiqi Seed Industry and helped him find actual samples of the chili peppers they cultivated, which have already been shipped out.

the next day.

Fang Wei received a packet of chili peppers, even faster than expected.

So he went to the research institute and called Zhang Chu and the factory's key technical personnel over. They began to analyze various data about this variety of chili pepper.

Of course, tasting it firsthand is also essential. We had stir-fried pork with chili peppers for lunch, and everyone thought the chili peppers used by our opponent were pretty good.

"It's not as spicy as Yaoling chili peppers, but it has a unique, refreshing aroma. Overall, it's slightly less spicy than Yaoling chili peppers, but the difference isn't significant."

"The other person's chili peppers are not suitable for making chili sauce or chopped chili peppers, but they are very suitable for making dried chili peppers or chili powder."

After preliminary analysis and research, everyone reached a conclusion.

It's not like writing a thesis. You just need to understand the basic data of this chili pepper. The rest is about the taste and whether it's suitable for further processing.

In summary, Xin Kaiqi's chili peppers are not as good as Yaoling chili peppers, but they do have some advantages. In terms of competition, the other party cannot replace Yaoling chili peppers, and the purchase price offered is not particularly high, so they are not very competitive.

People's worries have eased a little, but we can't rest easy yet.

Zhao Jinsheng began to strengthen his ties with farmers to prevent New Cage from poaching them. On the other hand, he also worked to expand the supply chain and strengthen cooperation with surrounding counties and cities.

As long as the chili sauce factory's raw materials are fine, we're not afraid of anything New Cage does.

Fang Wei still had some concerns. After so many years of comfort, he had finally encountered a formidable opponent. The cooperative was unlikely to abandon the chili pepper industry chain, and he estimated that there would be further competition in this area in the future.

morning.

Fang Wei and Zhao Jinsheng went to Qianjin Township together.

The two visited chili farmers and learned in detail about the conditions offered by Xinkaiqi Seed Industry. Apart from the fact that chili seeds were sold on credit, the other conditions were similar to those of the cooperative, so most people would not change their chili varieties.

"Secretary, what do you think they're after? Since the conditions are similar, farmers generally won't change varieties. Isn't this just a waste of effort?"

Zhao Jinsheng couldn't understand Xinkaiqi Seed Industry's approach and couldn't help but complain.

"They're testing us; they need to know the details, don't you think?"

Fang Wei felt that the other party was not simple. He didn't know exactly what they wanted to do, but it would definitely be detrimental to the cooperative.

The two had just left a farmer's house and were planning to wander around a bit more before heading back. They had already gotten a basic understanding of the situation, and there was no point in lingering any longer.

At that moment, a few people approached from the opposite side, led by a woman in her thirties.

The woman, dressed in casual clothes, walked with a graceful sway; she was not only beautiful but also had a stunning figure.

Fang Wei looked up at the other person, then walked towards his Jeep parked by the roadside.

The other person also saw Fang Wei, their gaze lingered on him for a while, and then they walked into the courtyard of a farmer's house with their companion.

Fang Wei and Zhao Jinsheng had just come out of this house when Fang Wei seemed to have thought of something and suddenly smiled: "What a small world! If I'm not mistaken, those people are from Xin Kaiqi Seed Industry."

It's not unusual to encounter people from Xinkaiqi Seed Industry here. They are still in the early stages of market development, and on-site research is an essential step.

Fang Wei had no intention of talking to the other party and drove away from the village.

Over the next few days, he and Zhao Jinsheng visited several townships and interviewed numerous farmers. They then discovered that very few of the farmers who had previously signed contracts with the cooperative intended to join Xin Kaiqi. However, many of the farmers who hadn't previously signed contracts with the cooperative had switched their allegiance to Xin Kaiqi.

This is easy to understand. Many farmers didn't grow chili peppers before, but now that they've seen others making good profits, they've naturally become interested. Fortunately, Xinkaiqi Seed Industry proactively approached them, and these farmers readily signed contracts with them.

This group comprises a considerable number of people.

Fang Wei suddenly felt like his home had been raided. Zhao Jinsheng lowered his head, realizing that he had made a mistake.

Zhao Jinsheng did not do his job carefully enough and failed to thoroughly explore potential partners, which allowed New Kaiqi to take advantage of the situation.

"Forget it this time, it won't happen next time."

Fang Wei knew she shouldn't be too harsh on Zhao Jinsheng, so she didn't criticize him either.

NewCage itself doesn't buy chili peppers; it only supplies the seeds. The buyer is another food factory whose chopped and dried chili peppers are very popular.

The two companies insisted on coming to Xinlin County to stir up trouble, their purpose being to target the cooperative and the chili sauce factory.

"I understand. I'll make sure to do my job thoroughly in the future so that similar things don't happen again. Secretary, where are we going next?"

Zhao Jinsheng did not defend himself but took the initiative to admit his mistake.

Fang Wei nodded, no longer dwelling on the matter, and said, "Let's go back!"

The two were about to return to the company when they ran into the same group of people from the new Cage.

This time, it was the same woman leading the team. When she saw Fang Wei, she took the initiative to walk over.

"Are you Secretary Fang of the cooperative? I'm Yang Meijuan, the deputy manager of the sales department at Xinkaiqi. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The woman introduced herself and then extended her right hand to Fang Wei.

Fang Wei shook hands with the other person lightly and then let go, saying, "I'm Fang Wei, Manager Yang, hello."

"Secretary Fang, are you leaving?"

"Yes, I came here to visit farmers and I'm about to go back after I've finished my business. Manager Yang, the world is both big and small. I didn't expect your company to also have its eye on Xinlin County."

“Your county has excellent soil and water, and Yaoling chili peppers and Yaoling rice sell well all over the country. Our company would like to benefit from this.”

After exchanging a few casual words, Fang Wei and Zhao Jinsheng got into the car and headed straight for the cooperative.

Fang Wei is now even more certain that New Cage is up to something. In the first round, the opponent successfully launched a surprise attack and signed planting and purchasing agreements with many farmers in some towns.

The key point is that New Cage's chili seeds successfully entered Xinlin County, making him feel threatened.

Having worked in breeding for so many years, this was the first time Fang Wei had felt threatened.

The next day.

Fang Wei convened a board meeting, demanding that everyone take the competition with New Cage seriously. While New Cage was indeed a new company, its major shareholder was a renowned international giant with strong technological capabilities.

The competitor has already brought out chili seeds, so it's not surprising what other competitive products they might come up with in the future.

"We need to focus on two things: the seed and purchase of chili peppers, and the planting and purchase of the 'Nanguang No. 4' rice variety. Our breeding work focuses on these two rice varieties, followed by the seeds of various cash crops."

Fang Wei outlined the cooperative's future development, emphasizing the need to ensure the production and sales of the two rice varieties, and secondly, to be flexible in the breeding of other cash crops.

We must firmly safeguard our advantages in rice breeding, focus on brand building, and strengthen sales efforts.

Each council member actively participated in the discussion, offering numerous suggestions and demonstrating remarkable enthusiasm.

Fang Wei was very satisfied. From a certain perspective, having rivals is a good thing; pressure is what motivates people.

After the meeting, everyone went about their own business and quickly implemented the arrangements made at today's meeting.

Fang Wei returned to her office, and a staff member brought in a small basket of strawberries.

"Secretary Fang, the strawberries from the greenhouses are ready this year. They sent some over for all the council members to try and give us their feedback."

Since there weren't many strawberries, Fang Wei didn't say anything.

The strawberries had been washed clean, so he grabbed one and popped it into his mouth to taste. And he had to admit, the strawberries tasted really good, even better than before—sweet and sour with a very rich fruity aroma.

This variety of strawberry has become a hot commodity in the market, and many customers have come hoping to import it.

Fang Wei thought that this strawberry variety could be exported in large quantities. Just then, Zhao Jinsheng walked in carrying a small basket of strawberries, and the two of them talked about it while eating strawberries.

"Now we can export this strawberry variety. We can sell strawberry seedlings directly to other countries, which will make good use of the seedling base."

Fang Wei asked Zhao Jinsheng to make arrangements to produce strawberry seedlings using the seedling nursery.

It's currently the time between spring sowing and summer planting, and the seedling nursery is completely empty, so it can be put to good use now.

"Okay, I'll arrange it right away."

After finishing the strawberries, Zhao Jinsheng went to arrange the seedling cultivation.

This is a piece of cake for the cooperative. They have accumulated enough strawberry seeds to support seedling production for several seasons.

Fang Wei remembered that he still had some points, so he directly upgraded the [Seedling Base].

Temporary facilities → Production facilities → Seedling nursery

[Facility Level: (Level 16, 0.5 billion)]

[Facility Attributes: High Resistance, Robustness, Accelerated Growth, High Adaptability, Increased Survival Rate]

[Raising seedlings in this building will grant an additional 80% increase to all attributes and a 100% survival rate +1.]

Total points: 191281360.

Since I don't have enough points, I can only upgrade the [Seedling Base] to level 16 this time.

However, I was quite lucky and actually got a great bonus: [100% Survival +1]. This means that all the seedlings produced at the seedling nursery will survive after transplanting.

This attribute is very useful, and Fang Wei is very satisfied.

After eating the strawberries, Fang Wei washed her hands and then went to the experimental field of a large team.

The experimental field is currently cultivating the [Yuxiang 083] corn seed. By next year at the latest, this high-yield corn seed will be cultivated on a large scale and then promoted throughout the country.

"There's still not enough land!"

Looking at the thriving corn plants, Fang Wei couldn't help but sigh.

In fact, this high-yield corn seed should have been cultivated on a large scale this year, but due to the sharp rise in the prices of peanut, soybean, and soybean seeds this year, the plan to cultivate large quantities of corn seeds has to be postponed. (End of Chapter)