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

“Research on second-generation soybeans can be done gradually. I now have a new task for you. I plan to re-cultivate some rare herbs so that they can be planted on a large scale under the forest.”

Fang Wei concisely issued the new task, which actually helped everyone in a way.

These researchers are now stuck on the research of new soybean varieties. The project has been slow to progress, which is making everyone's morale unstable.

Now a new task has come up, and the research on new soybean varieties can be put on hold, which has actually relieved the researchers.

Of course, research on new soybean varieties has not stopped, but rather the pace has been slowed down to avoid people getting bogged down in details.

"Okay, Secretary Fang, we will definitely complete the mission as soon as possible."

The project of re-cultivating wild herbs is definitely easier than the development of new soybean varieties.

Therefore, both the head of the research institute and the head of the crop research institute's dispatched personnel were full of confidence in this new project.

Fang Wei nodded and said nothing more. Soon, someone brought over samples of wild and rare herbs.

The rest is left to the researchers at the research institute and the crop research institute. Once they have achieved results, they can then promote them in the forestry brigade.

three days later.

The agricultural production units in Yaoling have ushered in the summer harvest, and various large-scale agricultural machinery are working in full force, completing all tasks ahead of schedule despite the reduction in personnel.

Next comes summer planting. During this season, all the paddy fields belonging to each unit will still be used to cultivate rice seeds.

However, there is a significant change this season: the cultivation area for the [Nongyou Boutique 016] rice variety has expanded to 4 mu, while the cultivation area for the [Nongyou 82] rice variety has decreased to 2 mu.

This production plan is not considered aggressive, because the company previously received a large foreign trade order, and most of the 【Nanguang No. 5】 rice seeds produced this season will be exported.

Therefore, Fang Wei and Cai Tong both believe that the inventory pressure after the autumn harvest is not significant.

"Secretary, the statistics for [Nongyou Boutique 016] are out. The yield per mu reached 1720 jin, which is simply a miracle. Should we release this news to the public?"

Cai Tong and other senior executives of the company have all come to the production line during this period.

After learning about the yield of [Nongyou Boutique 016], they even tasted the new rice variety. To be honest, it was even better than [Nanguang No. 5].

For many people, japonica rice has a better taste and texture than indica rice. However, Fang Wei's hybrid indica rice varieties have overturned this perception, offering excellent taste and texture.

However, when [Nongyou Boutique 016] suddenly appeared, it once again subverted people's perceptions.

At least Cai Tong felt that this was the best rice he had ever eaten in his life.

"Let's not release it to the public yet. I've handed over the application to Director Sun of the Crop Research Institute. Let's talk about it after he completes the application."

Fang Wei did not forget Sun Shili and gave this honor to him.

He no longer had any desire to show off. Besides, the Institute of Crop Science and Sun Shili only wanted academic achievements; they couldn't escape the practical benefits. Sooner or later, Yaoling Agriculture would become popular again because of this rice variety.

noon.

Fang Wei, Cai Tong, and others went to the cafeteria for lunch. Today, they specially cooked [Nongyou Boutique 016] rice. The rice smelled delicious as soon as it was served, and it was so fragrant that it made your mouth water.

Both in terms of texture and flavor, it surpasses the Nanguang series and is even better than [Nongyou 82].

"President Cai, you should discuss with Zhang Chu that Yaoling Rice should launch a high-end rice product, 【Nongyou Boutique 016】 would be perfect."

Fang Wei considered the issue of maximizing profits. There was no need to eliminate [Nongyou 82], [Nongyou Premium 016] would take the mid-to-high-end route, and [Nongyou 82] and the other batches would take the mid-to-low-end route. They might not necessarily be in competition with each other.

In any case, the promotion of [Nongyou Boutique 016] will take time, so this arrangement should be appropriate.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll call tonight and ask Zhang Chu to come over tomorrow.”

Cai Tong thought it was a good idea. [Yaoling Rice] is already a well-known rice brand in China, and it should also have multiple varieties of rice of different grades.

Currently, the company produces a wide variety of rice varieties, which clearly indicates that the development of the food company's rice mill is somewhat lagging behind.

The next day.

Fang Wei arrived at the office early in the morning, handled a few official matters first, and then began to look at the documents.

Around noon, Cai Tong and Zhang Chu walked in together.

He invited the two men to sit down, and a staff member brought them tea. "Old Zhang, the rice mill needs to make some changes. Right now, you only have the [Nanguang No. 4] variety. Although this rice variety is good, it relies on farmers to supply the rice, which has a natural drawback."

Fang Wei later expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the rice mill. To be honest, Zhang Chu's main focus was on the chili sauce factory, and he had clearly neglected the factories belonging to other food companies.

"Yes, Manager Zhang, you're like someone holding a golden rice bowl but drinking thin porridge. You're not making the most of your expertise. Yaoling Agriculture's strength is rice varieties. You should think of more ways to improve in this area."

Cai Tong also gave Zhang Chu a warning, but the other party did not defend himself and immediately admitted his mistake.

However, he was still somewhat apprehensive, fearing that he would not be able to handle the new situation.

“Secretary, General Manager Cai, I’m hesitant to expand because I’m worried about sales. Our licensing agreement with them expires this year, and they’ve clearly stated they won’t renew it, so I don’t dare to add more products.”

Previously, [Nongyou 82] was licensed to a grain company, which then used this rice variety to establish its own brand.

However, the other party seemed dissatisfied with the pricing of this rice variety and decided to abandon further cooperation.

This incident greatly affected Zhang Chu, which is why he is so conservative when it comes to rice.

“We have a complete industrial chain, so we should explore its potential even more. This is how I see it: for premium indica rice, we should promote Nanguang No. 4, and for the main indica rice variety, we should promote Nanguang No. 5.”

As for japonica rice, we also have two varieties. Our premium japonica rice is [Nongyou Premium 016], and our main japonica rice variety is [Nongyou 82]. This way, we have a full range of high, medium, and low-end products.

Starting next season, we will no longer purchase any raw materials from outside the rice mill; we will operate entirely in-house, strictly controlling both output and product quality.

Fang Wei proposed his own solution: the company's rice seeds could be sold externally, but all the rice grown by the company would be supplied to rice mills.

Furthermore, the rice mill no longer purchases rice from external sources; all four varieties of rice are grown at their own bases to ensure the safety of the raw materials.

There's a deeper issue here: the rice produced by the company is grown within the designated planting area, and both the product and its quality are higher than rice grown in other places.

This gap is irreparable. Rice grown from the same rice will vary in yield and quality, especially in taste and flavor.

Fang Wei plans to properly manage the [Yaoling Rice] brand. Previously, the company lacked the necessary resources and land. Now that it owns a 50-mu rice planting base, wouldn't it be a waste not to make good use of it?
"Okay, Party Secretary, we will do these things according to your instructions."

Cai Tong and Zhang Chu both expressed their determination to successfully manage the [Yaoling Rice] brand.

The remaining issue is terminating contracts with farmers. This isn't a major problem; the rice can be sold in bulk after the harvest. Although there's not much profit in this process, a gradual transition and not renewing contracts when they expire won't cause too many long-term consequences.

In fact, the number of farmers has been decreasing rapidly in the past two years. Farming is really not as good as working outside. The large-scale loss of young labor force and the rapid decrease in the amount of rice purchased are also the main reasons why Fang Wei decided to make changes.

If things don't change now, the [Yaoling Rice] brand might be ruined when the day comes that we can't keep up with the demand for raw materials.

This was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment decision. The two major rice planting bases had already considered the planting share of each rice variety during the summer planting season.

The company cultivates varieties including Nanguang No. 5, Nanguang No. 4, Nongyou Boutique 016, and Nongyou 82, which lays a solid foundation for its future brand strategy.

As for sales, Fang Wei felt there wouldn't be much of a problem.

The company has a complete sales channel and the reputation that [Yaoling Rice] has accumulated in the market over the years. As long as the price is not too outrageous, it can be sold smoothly.

A few days passed quickly.

The rice seeds produced this season have begun to be sold. Sun Shili has completed the application process, and with the strong recommendation of the Crop Research Institute, [Nongyou Boutique 016] won a major award.

The emergence of this hybrid japonica rice has immediately garnered a large following.

The new rice seeds sold out within three days of hitting the market. While the limited quantity was a factor, the key reason was the strong recommendation from various experts.

As for the trial planting of the "Nongyou Boutique 016" rice, it was all given to the rice mill, with the hope of creating a mid-to-high-end variety.

The yield of Nanguang No. 5 rice is relatively large, so there is no need to worry about raw materials. In contrast, Nanguang No. 4 rice is purchased directly from farmers at a lower price.

Four varieties of Yaoling rice—two indica and two japonica—have begun to flood the market through sales channels.

Sales are decent, but it will probably take time for this to take hold and for word-of-mouth to build up before sales really take off.

Given the consistently strong market performance of Yaoling Rice, many customers are willing to try it. Once the rice is home, the difference in Yaoling Rice becomes immediately apparent.

This feeling is much stronger than with the previous "Nanguang No. 4" variety, since apart from the acquired "Nanguang No. 4", the other three types of rice were all grown in the "planting area".

With the added attribute bonus, the rice produced in the rice-growing base has a significantly improved taste and flavor, which is incomparable to rice grown in non-growing areas. (End of Chapter)