1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 257 New Base Site Selection
The three grown men continued to squat on the ground, playing with the nutrient soil.

Qi Yongfeng said, "Brother Zhi, the seeds are already being dried in the sun. This afternoon, the substrate will be loaded into trays, and small arched sheds will be set up. After soaking and disinfecting the seeds the day after tomorrow, they can be sown."

Chen Jiazhi laughed and said, "That's right, I see you really do have the potential to be the field manager."

“Uh…” Qi Yongfeng scratched his head. “Brother Zhi, don’t misunderstand, I have nothing to do with that Xu guy.”

“I’m not kidding, I really believe you have the potential to be a field manager,” Chen Jiazhi said. “Of course, the premise is that you continue to maintain this learning drive. You can certainly improve through experience, but the more you remember, the faster you can grow.”

"If I can earn more and more money by following you, then I'm definitely willing to learn."

"As for me," Chen Jiazhi said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll definitely get my salary before the Lunar New Year holiday on the 23rd."

Although Qi Yongfeng is a bit impulsive, he did a good job directing the delicate seedbed and nutrient soil this time.

Chen Jiazhi stood up and scattered the nutrient soil he was holding. It was very soft, breathable and permeable, making it a superior substrate for seedling cultivation.

After spending a short while in the second group of the northern section, Chen Jiazhi pulled Yi Dinggan forward again.

Fertilizer has been applied to the open space again. This time, the fertilizer is only partially composted. The vegetable workers spread it evenly in the vegetable field with shovels, emitting a faint stench.

Neither of them cared about the stench; they were already used to it.

Yi Dinggan took out cigarettes and lit one for each of them. "Director Chen, how's your new base coming along?"

"Getting impatient?" Chen Jiazhi raised an eyebrow and said, "Also, it always feels awkward when you call me Director Chen."

"So, I'll call you Brother Zhi?"

"..." Chen Jiazhi: "You should still call me Director Chen."

“That’s more like it. When you’re working, you should use your job title.” Yi Dinggan exhaled a puff of smoke. “I think you’re sometimes too casual. Being too sentimental isn’t good either. Even close brothers should keep clear accounts to ensure a long-term relationship.”

Chen Jiazhi pursed his lips, "How did we get so far off topic? We were just asking about the new base."

"Oh right, has the location for the new base been finalized?" Yi Dinggan asked. "When will construction begin?"

Chen Jiazhi pondered for a moment and said, "I have a few potential locations, but we haven't discussed them yet. I'll take you to see them before you go back to your hometown."

Yi Dinggan thought for a moment, "Let's not wait that long, let's go tomorrow. We'll go together tomorrow. They can handle the market stuff!"

“Okay, I’ll bring Dehai along too.”

The faint smell of manure disappeared, replaced by a faint floral fragrance. Rows of neat bean seedlings were entwined with vines on the trellis, and plump, tender snow peas hung among the green leaves, showing a promising growth.

Farmers moved among the plants, carrying plastic buckets or cloth bags, nimbly and quickly harvesting the ripe bean pods.

Others were using hoes to dig fertilizer furrows in the harvested vegetable rows to apply fertilizer.

Several group leaders were also scattered in various corners, and everything looked well-organized.

The next morning.

After Ao Dehai arrived in the car, Chen Jiazhi drove Yi Dinggan and Ao Dehai to Jianggao Town in the northern suburbs of the city.

Jianggao Town is currently the largest agricultural product distribution center in the northern suburbs of Huacheng.

The Hengguang Railway double track, Guanghua Highway, Guangqing Highway, and Liuxi River all pass through the town, and the railway freight marshalling yard is located here, making transportation convenient.

It is also adjacent to the Jiangnan, Yuexiu, and Dongwang agricultural wholesale markets, which are located in the new relocation site. The agricultural potential value of this area is huge in the future.

After passing Zengcuo Road, about ten kilometers later, the van entered a village called Nangang.

This is Chen Jiazhi's preferred spot.

Nangang Village is located north of the Liuxi River and close to the Guangqing Highway. The land in the village is very flat.

During this season, the fields are mainly planted with various vegetables, mostly cabbage and leafy greens.

The soil is mostly loam, and its fertility is high due to long-term intensive cultivation.

Seeing this land, Yi Dinggan and Ao Dehai also felt it was a good fit.

"Jiazhi, is this land easy to rent out?"

Chen Jiazhi laughed and said, "Did you guys notice how many chicken farms you saw on the way in?"

"There are many, not just chickens, but also many duck and goose farmers."

"Yes, and they raise quite a lot of them."

Chen Jiazhi pondered and said, "Jianggao Town has only 9 fen of land per person, so after the reform and opening up, the local area has been vigorously developing animal husbandry. There are at least a thousand professional farmers raising chickens, ducks, geese and pigs."

Because of the development of the aquaculture industry, many farmers have stopped farming, and land has begun to be consolidated.

So, if you want to lease land, there are still quite a few opportunities. Of course, Nangang Village is just one location; there are several other options.

Then, Chen Jiazhi took the two to several locations, including Changgang, Shuili, and Jiangcun, to take a look. Generally speaking, the terrain was flat.

And they are all vegetable gardens.

Both Yi Dinggan and Ao Dehai said the land was good and couldn't find any fault with it; the problem was mainly with the people.

Everyone says there are many tricks in the city, but the roads in the countryside are even more slippery.

Having dealt with farmers for a long time, Chen Jiazhi and Yi Dinggan both knew how troublesome land leasing was. "Jiazhi, are you really sure you want to do this?"

"Do it!"

Have you contacted anyone from the village committee or the town government?

“No.” Chen Jiazhi pondered, “The Dongxiang vegetable market still has six months left on its lease, so there’s still time to investigate. We need to find a place with better local customs.”

“I feel it’s the same everywhere; every village has its share of local bullies,” Yi Dinggan said. “But as long as we can stabilize things in the early stages and employ two or three hundred workers, we won’t be afraid of people causing trouble.”

“We need force, but we can’t rely on force alone.” Chen Jiazhi shook his head. “Let’s go find a place to have lunch first.”

I spent most of the morning in the car.

In Shijing Town, south of Jianggao Town, the three found a restaurant to eat. A short distance ahead were various wholesale markets under construction.

Ao Dehai asked, "Boss Chen, why didn't you choose to rent land in Shijing? It's closer here."

Chen Jiazhi pondered for a moment and said, "Firstly, the land is not contiguous enough, and secondly, it is located downstream of the river, where water pollution is much more severe. I'll take you there to see for yourself later."

Jiangnan Market is sandwiched between Zengcuo Road and Shijing River.

After the meal, seeing the pollutants blocking the river and the black, smelly water, Ao Dehai and Yi Dinggan almost vomited.

"Damn, this is way more disgusting than using manure!"

After complaining a bit, they lost all interest in renting land nearby. In comparison, the Liuxi River next to Nangang was much clearer because of its large flow.

“Actually, the soil in Jianggao also has many problems.” On the way back, Chen Jiazhi drove and talked to the two of them about the problems he had found on his previous visits.

“The vegetable farmers in Jianggao Town apply a lot of chemical fertilizers and are used to using large amounts of imported compound fertilizers with a nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio of 15:15:15. The soil fertility is very high. I estimate that the phosphorus and potassium content in the soil is very rich, much higher than that in ordinary soil.”

Yi Dinggan frowned and said, "Isn't being nutritious a good thing?"

Chen Jiazhi tilted his head and asked Ao Dehai, who was sitting in the back, "Dehai, what do you think?"

Ao Dehai shook his head. "Boss, I don't understand either."

"This involves the quality of vegetables. You must remember one thing: pursuing quality and high-end products has always been our principle."

After emphasizing the issue of the route, Chen Jiazhi then explained the soil problems in Jianggao Town to the two of them.

"If phosphorus and potassium accumulate excessively in the soil, it will lead to a serious over-excess of nitrate content in the soil. Vegetables grown in such soil will also have a serious over-excess of nitrate, and nitrate is a carcinogen."

In addition, it also affects the soil's pH level, making the soil more acidic, which may be toxic to crops.

Finally, excessive phosphorus and potassium can inhibit the absorption of trace elements by vegetables. Just now, there was a field of bok choy where the leaves were turning yellow and were very thin and easily broken. The farmer was applying urea, but he was actually using the wrong fertilizer. I think it was a magnesium deficiency.

In short, the biggest problem with the soil here is the imbalance of nutrients.

Therefore, after acquiring the land, we still need to gradually improve the soil conditions.

Although Ao Dehai and Yi Dinggan didn't remember everything, they understood that if too much chemical fertilizer was applied, organic fertilizer should be used to adjust it.

"Wait a minute, Jiazhi," Yi Dinggan suddenly remembered something, "We're also using imported compound fertilizer with a concentration of 15%!"

Chen Jiazhi said, "It's different. We also added urea. I've mentioned the application ratio of compound fertilizer and urea before."

Generally speaking, vegetables have a moderate ability to absorb nitrogen, a weaker ability to absorb phosphorus, and the highest ability to utilize potassium.

When we apply compound fertilizer, we mix it with urea, and for different types of vegetables, we also add superphosphate, potassium sulfate, etc. to adjust the nutrients, so that the nutrients meet the needs of the vegetables.

Local vegetable farmers are accustomed to using large amounts of imported compound fertilizers. Compared to the nutrients needed by vegetables, the amount of nutrients added to the soil is very high. In addition to being absorbed by the vegetables, the nitrogen applied is also easily lost through various means, while phosphorus and potassium are easily retained in the soil, forming a relatively rich accumulation.

This ultimately leads to excessive nitrate levels and soil acidification.

Of course, it's not just because of fertilizers. In Jiangcun, which we visited this morning, there's a watercress farm. Every time I went there, I saw farmers using sewage to irrigate their farms.

Some vegetable farmers like to bury uncomposted chicken feathers, goose feathers, and urban garbage as base fertilizer before planting vegetables. These organic materials are rich in calcium and phosphorus, and long-term application will also promote their accumulation in the soil.

"And that Shuili Village, the one where they grow scallions, it also has problems..."

Yi Dinggan and Ao Dehai listened in silence.

Regarding the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the two of them had always followed the requirements. They seemed to have heard the reasons before, but hearing it again made them feel that there was something new in it.

There were also issues from visiting several villages. Thinking back carefully, I saw things like chicken feathers, goose feathers, and sewage irrigation.

But neither of them felt there was a problem.

Ao Dehai said, "Boss, I suddenly have even more confidence in the new base. Your technology is amazing!"

"The biggest problem right now isn't technology," Chen Jiazhi shook his head.

With capital, personnel, market, and technology all in place, Chen Jiazhi is very confident that he can grow and expand as long as he operates normally.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that only the external environment can affect him.

Although the business environment seems alright, there's no guarantee that something unexpected might happen in the future.

If Xu Wenxiang and others also have connections in Baiyun, it might be worth considering bringing them in, but we can't agree to that so easily.

(End of this chapter)