1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 454 Opponents and Internal Strength

Spring returns to the earth and everything revives.

The influx of vegetables into the market is impacting prices, but the entire staff of Kaopu Fresh is still forging ahead and honing their skills.

Tai Kee in Yuhe District is not doing so well. Even though the late-season cabbage at Tongxingtai is coming to an end, the two companies cannot win back the customers they have lost.

At the Jade Vegetable Market, March is a time of beautiful scenery, but the meeting room felt somewhat somber.

Yang Jianzun and his team analyzed the situation of jade in the Hong Kong market. It would be an exaggeration to describe it as precarious, but the situation was definitely very serious.

Jade sales in Hong Kong have dropped by more than 5%.

Tongxingtai is gaining momentum.

But everyone knows that the root of the problem is reliable freshness.

Liu Yunfan was also aware of this.

He also kept in touch with Fang Shaohua, even though Fang Shaohua might not have wanted to contact him, he took the initiative to do so.

Despite the heavy blow dealt to jade in Hong Kong, Liu Yunfan's export department continued to thrive, with larger export volumes and higher profits.

Especially after the volume of jade sales in Hong Kong was affected, it inevitably shifted towards exports.

Liu Yunfan felt that business was going very well and his income was high, so he contacted Fang Shaohua and even arranged to have dinner together during the Chinese New Year.

He wanted his old classmates to see the difference in their circumstances.

But Fang Shaohua remained calm after hearing about his income, which he had inadvertently revealed, as calm as if he had just eaten a bowl of rice noodle rolls for breakfast.

He was unwilling to accept it, he pressed for answers, and then he saw the gap between his expectations and reality.

Fang Shaohua was even standing higher than him, looking down at him from above.

Fanrong Vegetable Market earned US$284 million in foreign exchange last year, which was lower than that of Congyu. Even Kaopu Fresh Market earned less in foreign exchange than Congyu.

But so what? Fang Shaohua's income was no less than his, and his position was even higher. He even heard that the boss intended to put him in full charge of Kaopu Fresh's export business.

It's been less than a year.

How could Kaopu Fresh dare to trust a newcomer so much!
Although it doesn't prioritize exports, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse. The sheer size of Reliable Fresh is undeniable. Cong Yu Xiangjiang's business is in a state of chaos because of it, and Yang Jianzun has to convene meetings every few days to solve the problems.

Even a department head in such a large company is better than him; he's still just a nobody in Congyu.

Liu Yunfan felt resentful.

Moreover, judging from Fang Shaohua's words, his boss did not seem to have given up on the export business, but had other ideas.

Liu Yunfan felt terrified.

He knew the man had a good understanding of exports, and he was particularly impressed by the application of seasonal tariffs on broccoli exports to Japan.

Moreover, it achieved a resounding victory over Tai Kee in Yuk Wo District in the Hong Kong market.

Liu Yunfan was very annoyed as he listened to Yang Jianzun, Chang Hao, and others discussing how to reverse the decline of the Hong Kong market.

“Tongxingtai has not expanded in the past month or two and has been maintaining its existing customers.”

"The late-season cabbage season is coming to an end. Based on last year's situation, the chicken heart mustard will also be coming to an end soon. That will be an opportunity for a comeback."

"In production, Congyu has always focused on quality, craftsmanship, and quality control, and has made great progress recently. In terms of choy sum, it is now able to compete head-on with Kaopu Fresh..."

Liu Yunfan knew that Congyu had indeed made great progress in quality control. In order to improve, Congyu sent people to Jiangxin Vegetable Market to learn from them many times, and also indirectly bought vegetables from Kaopu Fresh, all in order to replicate the product one-to-one.

They succeeded with jade.

However, as the defender, Kaopu Fresh still has many advantages, and he is not optimistic about Yu's ability to achieve much.

Moreover, Liu Yunfan was very wary of Kaopu Fresh reinvesting its resources in exports.

He suppressed the urge to speak up. Yang Jianzun was a patriarchal manager with a strong desire for control, and speaking rashly would only displease him.

"The drip irrigation technology imported from Israel will soon be put into use. Technically speaking, it can make water and fertilizer management more unified, scientific and balanced, which will greatly benefit the overall improvement of vegetable quality."

"The details regarding the production bases for late-season bok choy and mustard greens are also being finalized..."

"Everyone else, please share your thoughts!"

Liu Yunfan finally heard these words. He stretched out his hand, and after Yang Jianzun called his name, he said in a deep voice:

"Chairman, we must be wary of Kaopu Fresh continuing its export business!"

Exports are currently the only source of cash flow for jade, and it's the only business that remains strong and is even growing.

Exports have allowed the Yu Cai Market to maintain a relatively stable supply of vegetables even after losing most of the Hong Kong market.

The high profits from exports also supported a series of transformation and expansion plans for the jade vegetable industry.

If Kaopu Fresh is targeting the export business again, it's hard to say that it's not aimed at Congyu, since Congyu has stolen Kaopu Fresh's customers.

The crowd around Yu looked worried.

Some people are saying, "Kaopu Fresh has been unusually quiet lately. Is it really planning an exit strategy?"

"Do they have that many vegetables to export? Besides Hong Kong, their delivery and stalls also support a large number of customers."

"High export profits."

"But the reliable boss guessed that there was a financial crisis in Southeast Asia, so he took the initiative to cut off the export business to Southeast Asia."

"Is it possible that he has now admitted that he made a mistake in his judgment? Nowadays, there are many orders for vegetables exported to Southeast Asia, and the profits are high. Kaopu Fresh wants to turn around in time. I think Yunfan's words make some sense."

Liu Yunfan was overjoyed to see that someone was supporting him, but Chairman Yang Jianzun remained silent with his hands under his chin.

"I have inside information that Kaopu Fresh is interested in resuming its export business!"

Initially wary, Liu Yunfan then slowly recounted the whole story, slightly embellishing his account of his contact with Fang Shaohua according to his own speculation.

More people believed it.

Yang Jianzun also chimed in, "The Southeast Asian economy is indeed a bit overheated."

He paused, which almost made Liu Yunfan break out in a cold sweat.

"But to say that an economic crisis will occur is indeed too alarmist. It's a pity that Mr. Chen has realized this, but it's too late."

"Yu has a great advantage in exports, while Kaopu Fresh is hampered by its domestic business and has insufficient export supply, so there is no need to worry too much."

"But Yunfan is right, we must remain vigilant and not give him a chance."

"We cannot afford to lose our export business either!"

Only Yang Jianzun's voice could be heard in the conference room; his tone was calm and composed.

However, from Yu's slightly emphasized last sentence, everyone could sense the turbulent undercurrent beneath the calm surface.

For Congyu, the export business is indeed something that cannot be lost.

There's also the drip irrigation system upgrade in Yu County, with a total investment of 1800 million yuan; a new base under construction; to counter Tongxingtai's offensive in Hong Kong, there's a need for late-season bok choy and mustard greens; and there's also the procurement of materials and workers' wages...

There are many places where money is needed.

Exports are something that cannot be lost.

After the meeting, Yang Jianzun kept the export department staff behind for a long meeting.

Liu Yunfan was very satisfied with the result, with the company's full support and shareholders providing overseas resources.

He couldn't figure out how to lose.

...

Since learning from the Jiangxin vegetable market, Li Jiyong feels he has made great progress.

Under his management, Dongsheng Farm is getting better and better, and the amount of vegetables produced is increasing day by day. However, the smile on the boss Qu Jingtai's face has become less frequent.

He's in a tough spot too; production is almost up, but sales are faltering.

Au King-tai first went to Taiwan and then to Japan. Besides Hong Kong, these two places were also important sales areas for Au King-tai's products.

Fortunately, the markets in both places remain stable. Japan is the only source of leafy vegetables from Shanghai, but the quantity is small and the customers do not overlap, so it has not affected Qu Taiji.

With the Hong Kong market suffering a major setback, Au King-tai had no choice but to increase his efforts to expand into overseas markets. Japan and Taiwan were traditional regions, while Southeast Asia was an emerging market.

...

In Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong, a henchman walks toward Wong Ho, the boss of Hop Hing.

"Brother Hao, another container of American lettuce has arrived at the port, and we've already received it."

Wang Hao, with a cigar in his mouth, asked, "How's the quality?"

The henchman replied, "It's very stable and meets the standards."

"Okay, go ahead and get busy."

In the past, Wang Hao rarely inquired about the quality of American lettuce, as mainland lettuce, apart from being cheaper, was difficult to compete with American lettuce.

This is especially true in the summer, when Hong Kong wholesalers will not buy lettuce from the mainland, and the market is full of American lettuce.

He Xing and Yong Long control the vast majority of imported lettuce supplies.

But the situation has changed now; the market for lettuce in mainland China has improved.

To be precise, the lettuce grown by Reliable Fresh is no worse than that grown by Americans, and Tongxingtai, with its exclusive source advantage, has become another option in the market.

In other words, Hop Hing has a strong foundation, and wholesalers and retailers in the middle are afraid to offend Hop Hing easily due to pressure from the association.

But after doing business for a long time, Wang Hao also realized that force could not last, and that only interests could win people's hearts.

As long as Tong Hing Tai's lettuce can bring enough profit to middlemen and retailers, more and more people will take the risk.

What's more, there are still more than three months until his return.

Wang Hao also frequently travels to the mainland and has visited many cities. His biggest impression is that they are huge, extremely huge.

In contrast, Hong Kong is a tiny place where competition in all kinds of businesses is fierce.

In recent months, chaos has broken out at the Xiangjiang Vegetable Wholesale Market, and Hexing has also been actively expanding its reach, grabbing any meat it can find.

However, after doing the math, Wang Hao realized that while the business hadn't made any progress, it was barely any improvement.

Because Hexing already occupies the largest share of the Xiangjiang vegetable market, it is difficult to make a significant breakthrough further.

He turned his attention to the mainland.

This is a market with a population of over one billion, and the economy is developing rapidly, making the market vast.

He recently learned more about Kaopu Fresh, which has a strong growth momentum and attaches great importance to the mainland market, with outlets in major cities in the Pearl River Delta.

Reliable Fresh has been making waves in the Hong Kong market, and Wang Hao also wants to go to the mainland to test his skills against them.

...

In April, Xiaolou Town is full of spring. The river meanders around the vegetable market, and the water is crystal clear. The paths along the riverbank have become a great place for leisurely walks.

In the evening, Chen Jiazhi and Li Xiu, who had just returned from the city, rode their bicycles side by side along the path.

The path is lined with rice paddies.

Li Xiu rode very slowly, partly because of his poor riding skills and partly because he wanted to take a closer look at the newly built road.

"Jiazhi, this road looks great, there are so many villagers coming and going."

This road is naturally one of Chen Daguan's masterpieces, part of the supporting project, and there are also several canals next to it that have been paved.

Chen Jiazhi laughed and said, "The old Heli Farm was like a poor boy in the countryside, with few people coming to propose marriage. Now that the roads and canals have been repaired, its image has been greatly changed, and it has transformed into a wealthy family. Naturally, more people are coming to propose marriage."

Li Xiu glanced at him sideways and said, "Your twisted logic is quite something."

"Just tell me if it makes sense?"

"Mr. Chen is right about everything."

"It's completely fake."

But Li Xiu had to admit that Heli Farm had changed a lot in the past two months.

This is what Jia Zhi meant by diligently practicing internal skills.

Since breaking even, Heli Farm and other vegetable markets have slowed down, busy sorting out their own problems.

Unblock the ditches clogged with debris, repair the collapsed roads and ditches, scrap and replace old machinery, upgrade the irrigation equipment, and conduct an inventory check and clean the warehouses...

The work that was neglected in the first half of the year in order to produce vegetables as soon as possible and boost sales performance has gradually been completed.

The market has money, so it does these things in an orderly manner, turning what was originally an imperfect place into a perfect one.

After riding for a while, past the rice paddies, we arrived at the vegetable fields.

Yi Dinggan waved from the front.

Li Xiu said, "Jiazhi, Brother Yi is over there!"

Chen Jiazhi joked, "I saw it, his lips are pouting, it must be good news again."

Li Xiu: “…”

Before even getting close, Chen Jiazhi could see that the vegetable garden at Yi Dinggan's feet was filled with lettuce, arranged in neat rows.

He roughly guessed what it was about.

Li Xiu guessed it too; no wonder she went to great lengths to urge them to come back.

Yi Dinggan proudly put his hands on his hips and shouted, "Boss Chen, look at these acres of lettuce, they've all been turned over and shaped."

Chen Jiazhi knew it was a success after just one glance.

He walked among the vegetable plots, looking at the rows of lettuce. The lettuce leaves, which had been turned over and shaped, were more spread out, and the heart leaves in the middle could be seen directly from top to bottom, giving a very full appearance.

Its appearance, leaf color, and taste are all more in line with market consumer demand.

After inspecting the two vegetable plots, Chen Jiazhi nodded and said, "It's done. Turning over and shaping the lettuce is very useful. Lettuce like this will be more popular in the market."

"Great!" Yi Dinggan clenched his fist and asked, "When will it be rolled out nationwide?"

"Wait a little longer," Chen Jiazhi said thoughtfully. "We need to summarize and try more technical points to ensure a high success rate. In addition, we also need to be efficient, and it would be best to use machines to solve the problem."

This isn't the first batch of lettuce to be turned over and shaped; I've tried it twice before, but the results were mediocre.

Either the pressure wasn't applied hard enough and the blades recovered, or the pressure was applied too hard and the blades broke.
This time, however, the success was widespread.

Yi Dinggan also knew that the time was not yet ripe and that he needed to continue to improve his strategy of lying low.

He then introduced the results of his recent hard work in improving his skills, including the use of vegetable markets, machinery and equipment, warehouses, cold storage, and micro-sprinkler irrigation.

Chen Jiazhi then asked, "How's the plant protection plan coming along?"

"Uh……"

Chen Jiazhi hit the bullseye, and the result was clear from Yi Dinggan's expression.

"Didn't do it?"

"Are so many medication regimens really necessary?"

"need."

"We are already using low-toxicity pesticides."

“We need more alternatives.” Chen Jiazhi pondered. “I’ve provided Qian Hua from the technology (research) department with a few directions, and the farm can cooperate with him to conduct experiments.”

"alright."

"Mr. Yi, you still need to hone your internal skills, otherwise you'll be in trouble if you can't unleash the 'Regretful Dragon' technique at crucial moments."

(End of this chapter)