1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 336 Dai Fan
Li Xiu's willingness to help made Chen Jiazhi smile slightly.

He couldn't help but feel a little guilty. He had been out for quite some time, and perhaps he should go back and check on things first.

"Yes, I need to." Chen Jiazhi said seriously, "You wait at home, I'll tell you when I get back."

"Okay, huh? An?" Li Xiu asked in surprise, "You're coming back? You're not going to Shanghai?"

Chen Jiazhi smiled and said, "There's no rush. I'll come back and spend more time with you all."

“It’s time to come back. DouDou is already trying to call me ‘Dad’.”

Li Xiu laughed, releasing the recent pressure. Chen Jiazhi chatted with her for a while about everyday things before hanging up.

I can't help but start reflecting again. I keep telling myself to slow down, but I also want to finish many things at once.

In reality, the conditions are not available now. Although he knows a lot about growing vegetables in Shanghai, the situation is quite different now.

In my past life, I was an employee; now I'm my own boss.

It's not just about farming; you have to consider all aspects, including land rental, personnel, infrastructure, and markets.

Land rents in Shanghai are low, but vegetable prices are also lower than in Huacheng. There are no channels for supplying Hong Kong, so it is not easy to increase the output value per mu.

Without high output value, the high-wage system of Huacheng cannot be applied.

Thinking about it this way, the Shanghai Stock Exchange is also quite challenging.

These are just some of the problems that need to be solved when building a vegetable market in Shanghai.

With these thoughts in mind, Chen Jiazhi went to the Yuanmou Seedling Farm, which was under construction.

After the first greenhouse was completed, the seedling racks and seedling sheds inside the greenhouse were also put into construction.

"Old Li, call Wang Yongxiang and a few others for a meeting. I'm leaving in a couple of days."

"You're leaving already?" Li Mingkun was still a little uneasy. "Okay, leave the seedling nursery to me."

The changes in the past year or so have been too rapid. Perhaps only Yi Dinggan can keep up with his pace. Li Mingkun, Ao Dehai, and others are probably still a bit behind.

"Believe in yourself and take it one step at a time."

Chen Jiazhi patted Li Mingkun on the shoulder, saying that the man still had potential.

He then informed Peng Qian and Ji Song, and the existing core members of Yunling Agriculture quickly gathered together.

There was no meeting room; the surrounding area consisted entirely of flat fields, which were then surrounded by barren mountains.

Li Mingkun, Peng Qian, Ji Song, Wang Yongxiang, and Gao Wei and Cheng Liben, who also came from a science and technology background, along with the rest of the logistics staff.

After everyone had arrived, Chen Jiazhi began to explain his recent work.

Because it was just in time for crop rotation, all 150 plots of land in the county farm had already been handed over.

In addition to the 50 mu of greenhouses, the remaining 100 mu should also be utilized.

We're starting to cultivate seedlings of cucumbers, eggplants, and other vegetables now, and they'll be ready for transplanting by October.

However, given Yuanmou's climate, the harvesting period for open-air winter vegetables is very short, gradually decreasing and eventually ending around December 20th.

However, there are other crops to choose from, such as green beans. Green beans can be planted after the cucumbers have finished growing, which is a suggestion put forward by Wang Yongxiang, Gao Wei and others.

At the same time, General Peng and Ji Song can also conduct planting and seed saving experiments on various leafy vegetables.

In short, be flexible and adaptable.

Chen Jiazhi was prepared to lose money this season on his 100-mu (approximately 6.7 hectares) open vegetable field.

In the 50 seedling nursery, besides the greenhouse vegetables where there is still hope of making money, the seedling sector is also prepared for losses.

Chen Jiazhi considers this as an investment in scientific research.

The meeting ended quickly.

Chen Jiazhi shouted, "Let's go, let's get off work early today. I got two bottles of wine, let's go to town and have a get-together."

Peng Qian asked, "What kind of wine did you buy today? Do I need to mention it specifically?"

Chen Jiazhi smiled. "Wuliangye."

"Hey, I guess I'll have to give it a try. Director Li, how about you have a couple of drinks today?"

Peng Qian teased Li Mingkun, who simply waved his hand and said to everyone, "Everyone's going today, the boss is going back to Guangdong with us."

"Haha, good, Wuliangye is a fine wine, we can't miss it," Gao Wei laughed.

Chen Jiazhi noticed that Wang Yongxiang seemed a little uneasy. "Yongxiang, is something wrong at home that makes it inconvenient for you to go?"

Wang Yongxiang nodded awkwardly, "There are some things going on at home."

Gao Wei said with dissatisfaction, "Don't worry about that little bit of farm work. You have a wife and children at home, they'll take good care of it."

Another logistics staff member said, "That can't be right. Yongxiang, you finished harvesting your rice the day before yesterday, so what could have happened?"

"Let's go, let's go together."

Chen Jiazhi thought something had really happened to his family, so he asked, "Yongxiang, what's wrong? Tell us and see if we can help."

Everyone was waiting for him, and Wang Yongxiang didn't know where to put his hands.

"It's nothing much, just that the tangerines at home are waiting to be picked and sold. They're almost ripe, and it would be a waste to let them rot in the ground."

Chen Jiazhi remembered that his family did indeed have a grove of citrus trees, probably covering an area of ​​one or two acres.

Then, Gao Wei and other locals offered their advice.

"The price of tangerines is low this year, and you can't make any money selling them, so why bother trying to sell them?"

"Exactly, it's only a few cents a pound, it's not even worth feeding pigs."

"Citrus fruits don't sell well here. I told you to grow jujubes or longans, which are much better than citrus fruits!"

After staying here for a while, Chen Jiazhi also felt the abundance of fruit varieties in Yuanmou.

Jujubes, mangoes, longans, grapes, and small dates are all grown on a considerable scale and are common export fruits.

There are also many citrus fruits, but few farmers specialize in their cultivation.

However, he has tasted quite a few of Wang Yongxiang's tangerines these days, and they taste very good.

After listening for a moment, Chen Jiazhi pondered and said, "How about this, Yongxiang, how many oranges do you have at home? I'll buy them all."

"Boss Chen, why did you buy so many oranges?" Wang Yongxiang asked in surprise, and for a moment he thought he would take them to Huacheng to sell.

"Eat!"

Chen Jiazhi laughed and said, "The oranges at your house are good for quenching thirst. Have your wife pick some and bring them to the nursery every day as a perk for her work."

"This...this won't do!"

"Hey, you want to interfere with my distribution of benefits? Ask Gao Wei and the others if they agree." Chen Jiazhi shifted the blame to a few locals.

Gao Wei was actually quite surprised, but he quickly realized, "That's right, Yongxiang, if you pick a few baskets of those citrus fruits from your trees every day, you'll finish them in just a few days."

Li Mei, who was in charge of keeping records for the workers, also said, "Brother Wang, if you refuse, and the workers find out, be careful they'll talk about you behind your back!"

"Hey~ let's go for a drink." Wang Yongxiang shrugged and said, "I can pick the tangerines, but I won't charge you."

Chen Jiazhi said a few more words, but didn't argue with him, intending to have Li Mingkun give the money to his wife.

The base is only one or two kilometers from the county town. Chen Jiazhi provided Li Mingkun with a motorcycle and also bought a tricycle and a bicycle for the seedling nursery.

Before long, they sat down in a restaurant in the county town, ordered a table full of dishes, and some drank alcohol while others drank beverages.

Li Mingkun wasn't one to dabble in social situations; he preferred to work quietly behind the scenes. Most of Chen Jiazhi's team members were similar.

In terms of social interactions, one might have to rely on Yi Dinggan, but he becomes irrational when he's drunk.

Anyway, it's enough to give Chen Jiazhi a headache. He can only try it first, and if it doesn't work, he'll think of another way.

Fortunately, the atmosphere seems pretty good right now.

When the drinking session reached its peak, everyone at the table started to have their own ideas. Chen Jiazhi first pulled Ji Song aside to talk about grafting, discussing the selection of rootstock and scion, especially the combinations he suggested, urging them to experiment boldly.

He then started chatting with Peng Qian.

Yuanmou has little tradition of growing leafy vegetables, but the conditions here are suitable for breeding and seed production.

Peng Qian exclaimed, "President Chen, you really have a special passion for breeding!"

Chen Jiazhi also drank quite a bit of alcohol, and patted his chest, saying, "If I weren't tied up right now, I would actually prefer to spend more time on breeding experiments."

As Peng Qian savored the rich aroma of Wuliangye, his opinion of Chen Jiazhi changed time and again.

From a small vegetable farmer to a market manager, and now to where he is today, it's not just luck that's played a part.

He pondered for a moment and asked, "Mr. Chen, do you have any plans to breed seed?"

"I want to," Chen Jiazhi said without hesitation, "but the seed management rights are not currently open to private enterprises."

“Seed production doesn’t necessarily require seed management rights.” Peng Qian asked with slight surprise, “Haven’t you heard of seed breeding by proxy, Mr. Chen?”

Chen Jiazhi shook his head.

Peng Qian then explained that "Daifan" means that the seed company outsources seed production to others.

"Take Chinese cabbage for example. Huacheng needs tens of thousands of kilograms of Chinese cabbage seeds every year, but the price of vegetables in Huacheng is high, and local vegetable farmers are gradually becoming unwilling to keep the seeds."

Every year, the seed company fails to meet its assigned seed production area, so it has to outsource seed production to other regions, both within and outside the province.

Chen Jiazhi asked, "Does Yuanmou have it?"

Peng Qian shook his head. "In the southwest, only Chengdu has it. Other provinces like Heilongjiang, Fujian, Liaoning, Shaanxi, and Shandong also have Chinese cabbage seed production."

"What a waste!" Chen Jiazhi exclaimed. "Yuanmou has such good conditions, yet no one is interested in it?"

“Maybe it’s too remote and not well-known,” Peng Qian said. “I only learned about Yuanmou, a natural greenhouse, through General Manager Chen.”

In the past, Yuanmou's vegetable market was mainly located in the three northern regions (North China, North China, and Northeast China), with less interaction with South China.

But it shouldn't be like that either~
Wait, shouldn't this be an opportunity?
Chen Jiazhi then inquired with Peng Qian about the situation of contract breeding.

The more you know, the more interesting it becomes.

Peng Qian has also dealt with seed companies.

Currently, Huacheng's seeds mainly come from two sources: the seed wholesale department of the municipal vegetable company and the Baiyun District Seed Company, which was established in 1979.

In addition, there are a small number of seed companies from other provinces, cities and counties, as well as seeds imported from overseas.

However, the first two companies still hold the vast majority of the market share, with numerous breeding bases both within and outside the province.

Chen Jiazhi was intrigued. "Old Peng, why don't you come back with me and visit the people at the seed company?"

Peng Qian was surprised by his decisiveness: "President Chen, you've made up your mind so quickly?"

"It won't hurt to give it a try," Chen Jiazhi laughed. "We still have a hundred acres of open vegetable fields. Besides, if it doesn't work this year, there's always next year."

Peng Qian pursed his lips, pondered for a moment, and then nodded.

The dinner party started early and ended early, but everyone had a great time.

Wang Yongxiang returned home drunk. When he arrived, his wife and children had just finished picking a basket of oranges and were also there. They were angry but dared not say anything.

He is Han Chinese, and his family doesn't have women working themselves to the bone; the men are used to drinking and lying around.

I casually picked up a tangerine, peeled it open, and ate the segments one by one. The effects of the alcohol seemed to dissipate quite a bit.

"Let's pick another basketful tomorrow morning and take it to the seedling nursery. The people there like to eat it."

"Did you sell it?" The voice was light and cheerful.

“No, I’ll give them to the nursery.” After a pause, Wang Yongxiang added, “The nursery pays me a high salary, and these oranges won’t fetch much money.”

Wang Yongxiang's wife and children remained silent.

But the next day, after starting work, he still followed Wang Yongxiang and carried two large baskets of tangerines to the seedling nursery.

The oranges were mostly ripe, golden in color, with thin skin, few seeds, and a strong, sweet flavor.

Most people like to eat it.

However, they are difficult to sell locally, especially this year.

Wang Yongxiang's wife and children watched as everyone eagerly ate the oranges, their faces showing regret.

At this moment, Li Mingkun walked over and handed her two ten-yuan bills.

"Let's deliver two more baskets tomorrow."

Wang Yongxiang saw it, took the money again, and said, "Director Li, we agreed not to take money, you can take it back."

"After years of hard work planting, picking and giving away the produce, how could we not charge you? Here, take this; it's what the boss arranged."

Li Mingkun had a stern face. He had heard Chen Jiazhi mention the citrus trees in Wang Yongxiang's house, saying that they looked like they had been carefully tended to.

After some back and forth, Wang Yongxiang finally gave in and had to let his wife and children take the money back home.

I figured I could only work hard at the seedling farm.

But he wasn't really optimistic about running the seedling farm. With an investment of over 20,000 yuan per mu in greenhouses, how many seedlings and vegetables would he need to sell to break even?

...

On September 8th, Chen Jiazhi returned to Huacheng. He gave Peng Qian a day off and asked him to contact his friends at the seed company first.

He himself went to Kaopu Fresh, where the distribution center was busy during the day, and he saw it from the office.

"Zhengxu, do you know where the Baiyun District Seed Company's branch is located?"

"I know, it's in Baiyun."

"..." Chen Jiazhi was speechless, feeling that asking was pointless.

Chen Zhengxu asked, "Uncle, shall I take you there?"

Forget it, forget it, going directly to their door probably won't get us anywhere.

Perhaps we should wait for news from Peng Qian.

Chen Jiazhi shook his head and became concerned about the development of the delivery business. The momentum was still good, but there were more competitors.

Chen Zhengxu sighed, “There are two or three state-owned and collective enterprises that are also doing distribution. They have bases and connections, which gives them a great advantage when dealing with government agencies and schools. Some local businesses and factories also cooperate with them for various reasons.”

"However, we are also doing very well in the hotel and catering business. I have focused my main efforts on this area, and Mr. Xu and Mr. Huang have provided a lot of help."

Chen Jiazhi nodded: "The market is huge, and there are still many incremental markets waiting for us to develop. There is no need to compete directly now."

Delivery is still a blue ocean market; such a large city can easily accommodate several delivery companies.

After confirming that the work was on the right track, Chen Jiazhi did not interfere with the delivery process any further.

Li Cai also went to Lianzhou, and Ding Qiao took over the stall. After entering September, the vegetable price plummeted again, with a pound of bok choy falling to three or five cents, vividly demonstrating the dramatic ups and downs.

(End of this chapter)