1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 359 Water Mustard Base

Water mustard is almost out of stock again.

In addition to the increasing difficulty in finding high-quality Shui Dong mustard greens, even some ordinary mustard greens with poor management have become sought after.

Moreover, due to their rush to buy, the price of water mustard has risen significantly this year.

Chen Jiazhi had conducted research near Pengcun and had anticipated this outcome.

The planting scale of water mustard is small and scattered, and the management level of farmers varies.

Chen Jiazhi offered his suggestions.

"If we run out of stock, we will make it clear to the customers. If we can use mustard greens from the market as a substitute, we will continue to deliver. If they are unwilling, we will stop delivering for now and contact them again after our own base in Shuidong starts producing vegetables."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Cut off?

It's easy to say, but many of our new customers were acquired through our persistent efforts.

I finally managed to get it, but now it's out of stock, and I'll have to start all over again in a few months. It's a terrible thought.

Chen Zhengxu pondered for a moment and said, "I'll have Zhang Qiang look again and try to maintain the relationship for as long as possible. It will be easier to replace him once the relationship is established."

"You decide what to do, but my requirement is that the quality cannot be compromised."

Chen Jiazhi emphasized: "This is our high-end product. In the future, the delivery price can be as low as 5 or 10 yuan per kilogram. Once we ruin our reputation, it will be difficult to negotiate prices later."

"Understood." Chen Zhengxu replied, "I personally taste every batch of vegetables that come back. If they don't meet the standards, I'll send them to the stalls to sell."

hang up the phone.

Chen Jiazhi decided to head to Shuidong first.

Ideally, the site should be selected and the land acquired before the end of the year, and the land should be prepared and planted as early as possible after the end of the year. This way, two crops of water mustard can be harvested before the start of the hottest period of summer.

Upon closer reflection, I realized that I still had a lot of work to do before the New Year, and the vegetable market needed to prepare kale seedlings.

Shanghai also needs to prepare broccoli seedlings.

In addition to broccoli, which he is considering, he plans to have local farmers grow cucumbers, bitter melons, eggplants, and tomatoes at the cooperative base in Lianzhou. The nursery will provide grafted seedlings, which will also require seedling cultivation.

He also wants to prepare for broccoli sales.
After reviewing his tasks, Chen Jiazhi remarked that he was in for a long time to work.

After an unknown amount of time, Yi Dinggan knocked on the office door.

"Jiazhi, it's time to get off work. Xiaolong is here to urge us to go home for dinner."

Chen Jiazhi then looked up; it was pitch black outside.

"it is good."

After leaving the office building, Yi Long was riding his bicycle around.

"Uncle, when are you going to sell vegetables? I want to go with you to sell vegetables."

Chen Jiazhi replied, "I haven't had time to sell vegetables lately, so you can just focus on working at the market."

Yi Long sighed, "Working at the market is too boring. It's much more interesting to sell vegetables."

Yi Dinggan was displeased at this moment, "You're just making a fuss. Xiao Hu is doing just fine at the market."

Yi Long scoffed, "He's ignorant. He'll learn much more selling vegetables with his uncle than working with you!"

"You little brat, you need a good beating!"

Before Yi Dinggan could make a move, Yi Long had already run away.

Yi Dinggan grumbled, "This kid is getting more and more impetuous, he can't concentrate on his work!"

Chen Jiazhi smiled and said, "I actually think Xiaolong is doing quite well now."

When they got home, Li Xiu and Chen Jiafang were still waiting, but Dou Dou was the only one eating, shaking his head and eating.

Upon seeing the two return, Chen Jiafang said, "You're finally back. The food would have gotten cold if you hadn't come back soon."

Before sitting down at the table, Yi Dinggan took two cups of medicinal wine, placing one in front of Chen Jiazhi, and then said:

"Jiazhi is building a new base and has also set a new planting plan for the vegetable market. Now is the busiest time!"

"Busy, busy, busy! When we had no money, we were busy making money. Now that we have money, we're even busier!" Chen Jiafang sighed. "I don't understand you guys, Li Xiu, don't you think?"

Yi Dinggan joked first, "Hey, why are you asking Li Xiu? She'll probably just say she's listening to Jia Zhi again."

Chen Jiazhi, drunk from his wine glass, squinted and stole a glance at Li Xiu, who was also looking at him.

Li Xiu smiled and asked, "What's wrong with Ting Jiazhi again?"

"Well, I shouldn't have said anything." Yi Dinggan, feeling embarrassed, drank and sighed, "My son doesn't listen to me, my wife complains that I'm too busy, and my brothers are adding to my burdens. I, Old Yi, am a man with a hard life!"

The night passed.

After settling things at the market, Chen Jiazhi, along with Fang Xuelin and Ao Deliang, drove to Shuidong in Maoming.

Ao Deliang also got his driver's license and improved his driving skills, so he and Chen Jiazhi took turns driving on the road.

Just by hearing the name Shui Dong Jie, you can tell that this is a brand with a strong regional character.

It has very strict requirements regarding the location of the area.

Based on Chen Jiazhi's previous investigation, and combined with the local terrain and soil conditions, it is not difficult to conclude that the area near Pengcun is one of the most suitable locations.

Pengcun is a natural village with lush trees, nestled against the mountains and by the sea. Its east, south, and west sides embrace Shuidong Bay in a C-shape.

The bay's seawater, influenced by the moon's gravity, ebbs and flows, continuously infusing the natural environment and soil of Pengcun and Shuidong with water, air, fog, negative oxygen ions, and various chemical elements.

Its soil is mostly red and yellow, and the soil is extremely loose.

During his conversation with Liu Haitao, Chen Jiazhi also learned that their irrigation water mainly came from a natural reservoir behind the village.

Legend has it that the water in this small reservoir originates from underground springs in Pengcun Village.
Furthermore, the local mustard seeds have been propagated and passed down through generations, and now some breeders are conducting research in this area.

Therefore, it is not difficult to guess that the excellent quality of the water mustard is due to a combination of factors.

Improvements in planting techniques and industry protection are only supplementary measures.

Therefore, site selection is very important.

After several hours of driving, the three arrived at a hotel in Dianbai before dark. Zhang Qiang, whom Chen Zhengxu had arranged to be in charge of purchasing water mustard, had already booked a room.

"Mr. Chen, let's go eat first. I've already asked the restaurant to prepare the dishes."

"Okay, let's fill our stomachs first."

After arriving at the restaurant and having a bite to eat, Chen Jiazhi inquired about the purchase of water mustard.

Zhang Qiang sighed, "There are still too few people in Pengcun who specialize in growing mustard greens. Because we offer good prices, some locals have harvested the slightly smaller mustard greens ahead of time."

The situation was just as Chen Zhengxu had described; they simply didn't have any food.

Chen Jiazhi then asked, "Do you think it's easy to rent land in Pengcun?"

Zhang Qiang: "It should be feasible, since many young and middle-aged people in the area go out to work."

Chen Jiazhi: "We can't take this as the sole basis for judgment. Some people go out to work, but there are also many who are willing to stay in their hometowns to farm."

However, it turned out that Chen Jiazhi was overthinking things.

The reform and opening up policy has taken root in people's hearts.

Pengcun is relatively close to the city, and in twenty or thirty years, the farmland may have been developed, and it may be impossible to eat the most authentic Shuidong mustard greens.

Therefore, the local villagers are quite accepting of renting out their land.

After offering a sufficiently high rent and negotiating for half a month, he successfully rented 300 mu of land in Pengcun.

There are still two weeks until the Spring Festival.

However, there are three completely different viewpoints in the local area regarding the practice of renting land specifically to grow mustard greens.

One side is not optimistic.

The second approach is to give it a try.

The other side is very supportive, and You Fei, who is dedicated to screening the varieties of Pengcun mustard greens, is one of them.

Another person is Du Jianfeng, a local village official.

Chen Jiazhi employed different strategies when persuading the two men.

They promised Du Jianfeng benefits, offered him higher land rent, and the rent would be first transferred to the village committee's account before being distributed to the villagers, leaving room for manipulation.

As for You Fei and others who were more focused on technology, Chen Jiazhi mainly focused on making empty promises.

They claimed that they would make Pengcun mustard greens famous in the Pearl River Delta, drive the development of the village's mustard green industry, and promote local mustard green seeds.

To make this claim more convincing, he even had Huang Jianyuan and Xia Youche from Hong Kong make a special trip.

It also attracted some attention at a higher level, but that was all.

After all, it's only an investment of 300 acres.

Some people even spread rumors that growing mustard greens has no future and that the construction of vegetable bases for transporting vegetables from the south to the north should continue.

Even village officials and villagers are mostly drawn by the rent and income from working there.

They dismissed the claim that the water mustard had become famous in the Pearl River Delta as mere boasting.

However, all of that is now in the past.

With a series of firecrackers, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Shuidong Mustard Green Base came to a close.

Village official Du Jianfeng shook hands and said, "Boss Chen, congratulations! Wishing you a prosperous start to your business."

Chen Jiazhi laughed and said, "Secretary Du, we have to thank you a lot, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to start construction so quickly."

Du Jianfeng: "I also hope to see Pengcun mustard greens become famous in the Pearl River Delta as soon as possible!"

"Haha, this day will come."

Chen Jiazhi firmly believed this.

Du Jianfeng simply laughed it off and didn't take it too seriously.

Pengcun mustard greens have been around for quite some time, and while they have a unique taste, they are also loved by the locals.

However, most of them are sold locally in Maoming.

Occasionally, someone will bring them to Zhanjiang, but there should be no sales records in Guangzhou and other places yet.

Compared to the winter-grown vegetables transported to the north, the production and sales volume of Pengcun mustard greens are very small.

Making a name for themselves in the Pearl River Delta? Haha, young people are too naive.

Du Jianfeng said hello and left first, followed closely by village chief Wu Weimin. "Mr. Chen, if you need more land, you can come to me. There are quite a few villagers who are interested."

"Okay, Director Wu, take care."

After everyone had left, Xia Youche felt somewhat indignant.

"Mr. Chen, you're treating people like suckers, aren't you? You've probably thrown in a lot of money, haven't you?"

Chen Jiazhi lit a cigarette. "If we want to get the land as soon as possible, how can we do it without spending some money?"

They acquired 300 acres of land in half a month. Besides the rent, they would inevitably have to compensate for the loss of the seedlings.

Fortunately, most winter and early spring vegetables are nearing the end of their harvest season, so the cost of seedlings is not high.

"I think it's worth it," Huang Jianyuan said with a smile. "President Xia, you haven't tried the mustard greens here, so you don't know how good they are. They're also amazing at cutting through grease!"

Xia Youchedao: "Is it really that good?"

Huang Jianyuan: "Anyway, if you try it, you'll definitely cause trouble for General Manager Chen. It's only 300 acres of land, that little bit of mustard greens won't even fill your teeth!"

Xia Youche looked at Huang Jianyuan with a mocking expression, "You're quite the braggart."

He's tried water mustard in the last couple of days; it tastes good, but it's not top-notch.

Moreover, does A Yuan even know how many kilograms of mustard greens can be produced from 300 mu of land in one crop?
At least 150,000 jin (75,000 kg).

It's difficult to target the entire high-end market!

(End of this chapter)