1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 333 Starfire Village

As of now, Yunnan does not have any vegetable bases supplying Hong Kong. If Yuanmou can establish one, it will be the first in the entire province.

The pie in Chen Jiazhi's picture was very tempting, and he inevitably drank a few more cups with Ma Ming and others that night.

The group were all regulars at drinking parties and had considerable fighting power, but the Jiangxin vegetable market side was no slouch either. The two sides went back and forth, making for quite a lively scene.

After a heated discussion, Chen Jiazhi got into the car after settling Ma Ming and the others. Yi Dinggan and Li Mingkun, who did not drink, were also in the car.

Yi Dinggan, slightly drunk, said, "Old Li, after you go to Yuanmou, you still have to stick to your principles. If you say you won't drink, then you won't drink."

Li Mingkun replied, "You should mind your own business first. Besides, I'm here to do work, not to drink."

However, as he watched Chen Jiazhi get into the car, he first reached for a cigarette and lit it, then said, "If there's a real need, I can have a drink or two."

Yi Dinggan's eyes widened. "You?"

"It's just a glass of water, I can drink it even if I have to force myself to," Li Mingkun said confidently.

Chen Jiazhi believed him. Li Mingkun was principled when it came to drinking, but he wasn't inflexible.

He opened the window of his Jetta, enjoying the natural night breeze, and, emboldened by the alcohol, chatted with Li Mingkun and Yi Dinggan about their work at the vegetable market and seedling nursery.

Just then, the market received another batch of high-priced vegetables, and the situation was very good.

The next day.

A gentle breeze and a sunny day make the vegetable garden look beautiful.

Chen Jiazhi, Peng Qian, Ji Song, and Hong Zhong walked along a country path, with vegetable workers cutting bok choy beside them. The vegetable plots were covered with a layer of peeled yellow and rotten leaves.

"The heat resistance of bok choy is not ideal. If it is sown directly instead of transplanted, the uniformity will also be poor."

Hong Zhong said, "Does Boss Chen mean we should look for more bok choy seeds?"

“Hmm~” Chen Jiazhi nodded and said, “Let’s find them in Japan. Although they are expensive, we are transplanting and mainly supplying Hong Kong, so we can afford the price of the seeds.”

The current low cost of labor has given vegetable markets the opportunity to transplant crops on a large scale. If labor costs rise again, live streaming will be the only option.

However, bok choy has a short production cycle, requires a large amount of seeds, and is therefore cheaper, with seeds also being very inexpensive.

In many places, the propagation conditions for various varieties are very poor, and the seed quality is also questionable. If it is direct seeding, in addition to bok choy, you can also see all kinds of other vegetables, which are basically hybrids.

Hong Zhong responded.

Besides bok choy, he also had the task of importing seeds of broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, and ridged loofah from Japan.

Chen Jiazhi then looked at Peng Qian and Ji Song, "Old Peng, Little Ji, well, the seedling farm could also try to do some breeding and propagation work in Yuanmou."

The seeds are mainly for our own use and will not be sold to others. Hmm, we can keep it discreet.

Peng Qian and Ji Song will also be going to Yuanmou, requiring them to travel between the two places, but their focus will definitely be on Yuanmou.

Peng Qian's original research focused on leafy vegetable breeding and seed production, so he asked, "Is it done at the Yuanmou demonstration base?"

Chen Jiazhi thought for a moment and said, "We can plant eggplant and solanaceous vegetables for half a year as a demonstration, and use the remaining half year for seed production."

“It won’t take more than six months,” Peng Qian said. “I checked the climate in Yuanmou. Besides bok choy, we can also try seed production for other vegetables like choy sum. It should be enough to meet the market’s needs for a year.”

"So much the better."

Chen Jiazhi wondered if the demonstration base could be expanded, or if he could cooperate with local farmers.

Never mind, we'll talk about it when we get there.

Before setting off, Chen Jiazhi made all the arrangements for the work at the vegetable market, and then went to the office of Kaopu Fresh in Baiyun.

I also had a conversation with Chen Zhengxu and Li Cai.

Now that the market has the endorsement of "pollution-free vegetable base", its delivery business is booming, but it also faces competition.

Many local fruit and vegetable companies and large stalls in wholesale markets have also started to offer delivery services, creating competition in the business of government agencies and factories. However, Reliable Fresh still holds an absolute advantage in the hotel and restaurant business.

Similarly, imitators have appeared at stall number 63, with more vegetables such as bok choy packaged in styrofoam boxes.

Moreover, the current market rebound is not as strong, and the market situation in July and August this year is slightly different from that of last year.

The competitive landscape of the market has undergone slight changes.

Chen Jiazhi reminded Li Cai to strictly control the quality of the market. If the quality does not meet the standards, he should report it to the market in a timely manner, and he should not hesitate to return or scrap the goods that should be returned.

We must always maintain the image of stall number 63 as a place that sells high-quality vegetables in the minds of our customers.

At the same time, Chen Jiazhi also assigned the task of building vegetable bases in Zengcheng, Lianzhou and other places to Li Cai and Xue Jun. They could ask shareholder Huang Jianyuan for assistance or negotiate on their own.

The new stall had to be postponed again due to supply issues.

After sorting everything out, Chen Jiazhi led his team to Yuanmou again.

...

The banks of the Longchuan River are filled with the fragrance of fruits and vegetables.

Zhong Jiakai, a village official from Xinghuo Village in Yuanma Town, went directly to the office of Mayor Mi Yong after entering the town government gate.

He took a deep breath at the door and started shouting as he knocked and entered.

"Mayor Mi, seed breeding is an industry that benefits the country and its people; we can't give it up so easily!" There were other people in the office, and Mi Yong said with a hint of helplessness, "Zhong Jiakai, you should contact the seed company about the base!"

"If I could find someone, would I need to come to town every day!" Zhong Jiakai stood there, rooted to the spot. "The farm has been breeding for so many years, and in another month or so, a large number of experts will come to Yuanmou. This year, with no one managing it, what if they come and there's nowhere for them to stay?"

Mi Yong's lips moved as if he wanted to say that the farm had dormitories, but those dormitories were already dilapidated, and if something happened to the breeder, no one could bear the responsibility.

"Jiakai, you are the head steward of the farm. In the past, you were responsible for the experts' food, drink, and daily needs. This year, you should do your best to create conditions and continue to shoulder the heavy responsibility of serving the scientific researchers!"

Yuanmou County Farm is located in Yuanma Town, north of the county seat. Since 1981, Yuanmou County Farm has been designated as the "Yuanmou Base of China Seed Company" by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Every year from September to April of the following year, scientific research experts from all over the country would gather in Yuanmou for the purpose of southern breeding and generational breeding.

Zhong Jiakai was selected by breeders from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences to join their training team when he was 19 years old, and has been doing so for more than ten years.

However, with the wave of state-owned enterprise reform, the 'China Seed Company Yuanmou Base' is now in a state of neglect.

However, as is customary, every late autumn, research institutions and breeders from Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, and Qinghai-Tibet regions will return to Yuanmou like migratory birds.

The head butler, Zhong Jiakai, was in a hurry.

“In Mizhen, I plan to raise funds to build an expert building to provide accommodation for visiting researchers.”

Only the two of them remained in the office. Mi Yong asked in surprise, "Where are you going to raise the funds?"

Zhong Jiakai gritted his teeth and said, "The village committee will contribute part of it, we'll ask the villagers to raise some more, and I'll make up the rest myself. I've saved up some money over the years by working with the expert team, so it should be enough."

Once the building is completed, I'll only charge the experts for utilities. The priority is to retain them; only with people here can we have a business.”

Over the past decade, Zhong Jiakai has developed a deep connection with seeds, working alongside breeders from all walks of life, and various research projects have enabled him to grow rapidly.

He has a comprehensive grasp of various fields, including seed breeding, crop cultivation, plant physiology, insect pathology, and biostatistics.

The existence of the breeding and seed production base has also brought benefits to the village, making it one of the wealthiest villages around the county seat.

Zhong Jiakai's modest wealth is largely due to the development of the breeding industry.

However, building an expert building is quite a challenge.

Mi Yong tapped his fingers on the table, remembering something, and quickly found a document.

"By the way, Jiakai, the Agriculture Bureau has brought in investment from Guangdong, totaling 200 million yuan. The plan is to cultivate vegetable seedlings. Can the farm do that?"

"Yes, definitely!"

Upon hearing about the 200 million yuan investment, Zhong Jiakai agreed without hesitation. 200 million yuan was already a huge investment; it could support at least dozens of breeding research projects.

"Mizhen, we absolutely must bring this project here!"

“It’s a bit difficult, not easy to handle.” Mi Yong pondered, “According to the bureau leaders, this company from Guangdong grows vegetables. In addition to seedling cultivation, the county hopes that it can drive the development of the vegetable industry. It would be more appropriate to place it in Nengyu Town.”

Nengyu Town is located directly on the banks of the Longchuan River. The Chengdu-Kunming Railway passes through here and has a station in Yuanmou. National Highway 108 also passes through here. There is also the Nengyu Agricultural Products Wholesale Market, the county's agricultural machinery factory, and so on.
Mi Yong listened to the bureau leaders' analysis, and he then repeated it to Zhong Jiakai exactly as it was.

"If Nengyu can grow vegetables, so can we in Yuanma! And our farm also has vegetable breeding and seed production facilities!"

Zhong Jiakai's mind raced. Although the farm mainly focused on breeding and producing seeds of corn, wheat, and highland barley, it also produced a considerable amount of vegetables.

"Mizhen, you absolutely must fight for it!"

"We at Xinghuo also have many advantages. The villagers have more than ten years of experience in breeding and seed production. Technically, they can't compete with us. Whether it's seedling cultivation, planting, or management, we have the advantage!"

Mi Yong glared at him: "Don't yell at me, go yell at the bureau leaders if you dare."

Zhong Jiakai said, "Okay, I'll go to the bureau with you and go find the leaders together. If that doesn't work, you can let me meet with the boss who wants to invest, and I'll talk to him in person!"

Mi Yong readily agreed and dialed Ma Ming's number in person. After Zhong Jiakai confirmed that the message had been conveyed, he also pondered how to persuade the investors.

He went back and found experts in vegetable breeding, and also consulted seed production companies.

After hanging up the phone, Ma Ming from the Agriculture Bureau sighed and discussed the matter with Ge Qihua, the top official.

"Smelling the aroma of meat, everyone gathered around."

Ge Qihua smiled and said, "The farm's conditions are quite good. Let President Chen decide for himself."

Ma Ming could only nod. He originally wanted to place the project in Nengyu Town, since he came from Nengyu and naturally felt a connection to the past. However, he couldn't stop the many people eyeing it.

Two days later, Chen Jiazhi and his men arrived in Yuanmou, and were immediately greeted by the warm hospitality of the locals.

In the conference room of the Agriculture Bureau, several alternative sites prepared by the counties were placed in front of Chen Jiazhi.

Ma Ming also introduced them one by one, all of which are located around the county seat and have excellent finances, transportation, water and electricity resources, which are among the best in the county.

Chen Jiazhi, Li Mingkun, Peng Qian, Ji Song and others listened attentively, and then they planned to go and see for themselves.

According to Ma Ming's introduction, Nengyu's vegetable industry is more mature.

However, during the on-site inspection, Zhong Jiakai from Xinghuo Village showed even greater enthusiasm and sincerity.

Vegetable seed production also requires seedlings, and seed companies understand the power of technology better than farmers.

By going to Xinghuo, the seedling nursery can get orders faster.

(End of this chapter)