1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 469 Site Selection; Certificate

Even when the requirements became stricter, Qi Yongfeng readily agreed when Chen Jiazhi approached him.

The test results for Jiangxin Vegetable Market are also in. They meet the company's standards, with a few indicators on the borderline, but these are not related to pesticide residues; rather, they are due to the location.

However, the results of persistent soil improvement over the past two or three years are quite evident.

After leaving Jiangxin Market, Chen Jiazhi went to Pengcun, which was under fallow, and stayed there for half a day before heading to Shanghai Prosperity Market.

The trip was rushed, but the result was satisfactory.

Although the reduced use of pesticides has resulted in losses for various vegetable markets, quality is now the top priority.

Aside from the several bases of Yunling Agriculture, Heli has the lowest pesticide residue levels, followed by Jiangxin Vegetable Market and Pengcun Base, while Fanrong has the worst.

The primary reason for the prosperity of farmers' markets is their location; being too close to big cities and surrounded by many factories inevitably leads to their being affected.

However, the various testing indicators for the prosperity project basically meet Japan's requirements.

As for national standards, as long as vegetables are grown normally, they will generally not exceed the limits.

The Shanghai market was also very hot in August. After Chen Jiazhi, Fang Xuelin, Fang Shaohua, and Ao Dehai walked around the venue at three o'clock in the afternoon, they were all covered in sweat.

Standing under a banyan tree, Chen Jiazhi, wearing short sleeves and shorts, put his hands on his hips and said to Ao Dehai, "The environment of the market has improved; it has been carefully maintained."

"To control pesticide residues, the surrounding ditches must be kept clean, and plastic waste must be cleaned up in a timely manner, otherwise it will be difficult to control."

The downside of having many factories nearby is that if the data from the tests isn't cleaned up in time, it won't look good.

In addition, Ao Dehai also knew that the boss liked to inspect the fields, so he should naturally do a good job of maintaining appearances.

"Old Fang."

Chen Jiazhi called out, "Now that you've finished watching, what are your thoughts?"

Fang Xuelin pursed his dry lips and said, "The current data is sufficient to deal with the current situation. If we want to meet the boss's requirements, we will need other means of controlling pests and diseases."

There are few pesticide residue testing items in China, but Western countries may require hundreds of testing items, which is why Chen Jiazhi wants to introduce high-end equipment.

For indicators that are not explicitly required in China, Chen Jiazhi's reliable fresh food enterprise standards are all below 0.01ppm, which are extremely high requirements.

Chen Jiazhi pondered for a moment and said, "Then let's study the control technologies such as insect nets, insecticidal lamps, and sticky insect boards in more depth. We should also keep a close eye on some new low-toxicity pesticides."

In addition, there's the long-term renovation of the base; Dehai, you'll have to persevere in this aspect for the long term.

Ao Dehai: "I will, boss."

"Let's go back to the office first, the sun is out now."

After resting for a while, while the sun was blocked by clouds, the group headed back. Halfway there, the sun came out again. Patrolling the fields on a hot day was indeed quite an experience.

It is precisely because of long-term exercise that there are few fat people in the market. They may be fat when they first come, but anyone who comes to the market knows how effective the weight loss is.

After arriving at the office, the workers gradually began to arrive and start working.

Ao Dehai turned on the fan and went to buy a bag of popsicles. Chen Jiazhi took one, licked it, and instantly felt his health bar reviving.

"Dehai, have you inspected the proposed site for the broccoli base?"

"I've looked at it." Ao Dehai pondered for a moment and said, "I feel that Xiangshui in Yancheng is the most suitable."

"Huh?" Chen Jiazhi was somewhat surprised: "Why did you choose that place? Xiangshui is quite far from Shanghai!"

Ao Dehai said, "I've visited all the places you recommended, and Xiangshui has a slightly larger number of farmers growing broccoli among all the areas."

This will encourage surrounding farmers to plant crops, and once the processing plant is built, the supply of goods will be more secure.

In addition, I consulted experts from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, who said that Xiangshui's geographical location and climate make it extremely suitable for growing broccoli during the spring-summer and autumn-winter transition seasons every year..."

Chen Jiazhi listened quietly. Ao Dehai's explanation was very detailed, which showed that the work was done very thoroughly.

He just didn't expect that after going around in circles, he would end up back at Xiangshui.

Why didn't he choose this place from the beginning?
But this also demonstrates once again that every vegetable-producing region he can remember has its unique advantages.

The same applies to chicken heart mustard, Zengcheng late-season cabbage, and perhaps Xiangshui broccoli as well.

Chen Jiazhi has more experience with broccoli, but Xiangshui broccoli will not be well-known in the next 10 years.

The scale and reputation of these industries in Zhejiang, Fujian, and Shanghai all surpass those in Xiangshui.

The broccoli industry in Xiangshui developed rapidly after it was supplied to the Olympic Games.

Because he knew so much about it, Chen Jiazhi wasn't initially that interested in Xiangshui broccoli.

Judging from Ao Dehai's current intentions, he really wants to establish the base in Xiangshui.

Do you know anything about the local customs and business environment?

"Xiangshui is probably okay, but Binhai next to it is a bit bad. I sent someone there, but the bus they took stopped at Binhai and they were robbed. They only managed to get away after calling back."

"..."

"Let's do some more research. We should be more cautious when investing in unfamiliar territory."

Chen Jiazhi was indeed not familiar with the situation in Xiangshui, but he was somewhat more familiar with the situation in Jiangsu.

He is familiar with both Guangzhou and Shanghai, so he doesn't need to worry too much about their business environment.

Thanks to the early investments and construction by China Seed Group and Beijing Vegetable Company, the surrounding areas of Yuanmou County have relatively mature conditions in terms of related industries, and the local language is generally understandable.

He even knew a little about Pengcun Village in Shuidong. Within the traditional winter vegetable planting base area, buyers from all over the country come every year, which is also a factor that prompted him to invest in chicken heart mustard.

For Xiangshui, apart from knowing about the broccoli there, all other information was blank.

Ao Dehai was also aware that once the site was chosen, it would be an investment of at least several million, so it was right to be cautious.

"Hmm~ Okay, I did not consider the business environment properly, I only thought about geographical factors."

“This is actually very important, which is why I prefer to look for land around Shanghai.”

"it is good."

Ao Dehai felt that choosing a site for the base was not easy.

Chen Jiazhi originally wanted to expand the scale of leafy vegetable cultivation at the Prosperity Base for export.

However, the location here is too restrictive. In addition to the large number of factories and residential areas, there is less and less land, making it difficult to expand and build contiguous areas.

He then abandoned the idea of ​​expanding in the original location and planned to choose a new site.

This time, he decided to choose the location himself.

The primary target is still within the Shanghai area, while also selecting broccoli export planting bases.

In addition to the area west of the Huangpu River, Chen Jiazhi also set his sights on Pudong New Area, Minhang District, Fengxian District and other places.

While Chen Jiazhi was busy inspecting and selecting a site for the base, the Pearl River Delta was affected by a typhoon, which brought two days of rain and caused disasters in many areas.

Jiangxin vegetable market also suffered losses.

Vegetable prices have rebounded slightly, but the good times are short-lived.

Internationally, the once stable Singapore dollar suddenly plummeted, exacerbating the financial crisis in Southeast Asia and causing significant setbacks in the exchange rates of various countries.

China opted to protect its exchange rate, promising that the RMB would not depreciate, which put significant pressure on the export of domestic products.

The same applies to vegetables.

In particular, melons, solanaceous vegetables, and root vegetables, whose planting area has increased significantly in the past two years, have been greatly affected.

Exports grew slowly, but production increased significantly. The surplus vegetables could only be sold domestically, leading to a surplus of vegetables in many production areas.

For example, the purchase price of celery in some production areas is as low as 2 cents per kilogram.

In this situation, even leafy greens, which could have held on a bit longer, couldn't escape unscathed. The market rally that had been boosted by the typhoon seemed to last only three seconds before collapsing. Reliable Fresh was also severely affected, especially since they were deliberately controlling and reducing pesticide use, resulting in batches of vegetables being destroyed by pests and diseases every now and then.

In summer, when pests and diseases break out, dozens or even hundreds of acres of leafy vegetables can be destroyed in a single night.

With both production cuts and price reductions, Kaopu Fresh may experience its first monthly loss since its inception in August.

However, Chen Jiazhi remained unmoved and continued to search for a suitable site in Shanghai. Each time he received reports of failure from various farm managers, he would only say eight words.

"Summarize our experiences and continue our efforts."

At the end of August, in Xuanqiao Town, Pudong New Area, the weather still carried the lingering warmth of summer, and sunlight shone through the thin clouds onto the vegetable fields.

Bok choy, edamame, tomatoes, cucumbers... and in the distance, patches of golden rice paddies.

Fang Shaohua had been driving around this area for almost two or three hours, and had driven back and forth on some roads two or three times.

The boss seems to have his eye on this place.

However, this place is indeed quite nice. The land is flat and open, irrigation is convenient, and it is neither too far nor too close to the bustling urban area. The policy conditions and business environment of Pudong New Area are also outstanding.

Both of these criteria perfectly match the boss's requirements for the site selection.

Fang Shaohua also liked this place. There were a few old trees at the edge of the vegetable garden, and under the old trees, a few hens were leisurely foraging with their chicks.

In the past two weeks, he accompanied his boss to many rural areas and rarely saw such a harmonious scene.

"Boss, this place is great."

"I think it's a good idea too."

Chen Jiazhi snapped out of his immersion in the observation base and had to admit that the surrounding landscape gave him an excellent sensory experience.

He tried to find faults, but he always managed to think of the advantages, much like Li Xiu viewed him; he too had his eye on the land.

"That's it."

Chen Jiazhi reiterated this point, then said to Fang Shaohua, "Let's go back first."

"it is good."

Fang Shaohua smiled. It had been more than half a month, and this was the first time he had seen his boss make such a decisive decision on the spot.

In addition to the location in Xuanqiao Town, Chen Jiazhi also found a suitable location in Pujiang Town, MH District.

One plantation is for leafy greens, the other for broccoli, or crop rotation seems like a good option.

Having resolved two matters in succession, Chen Jiazhi was in a good mood. Upon returning to the Fanrong Market, he chatted with Ao Dehai and the others about their day's achievements.

The next day, he personally drove Ao Dehai, Hu Chunmei, and Huang Shan to the two pre-selected bases, introducing them to the three of them like a child showing off a new toy.

Soil, water source, climate, transportation, environment, policy, market... the three of them seemed to have taken another lesson on site selection.

The more I listened, the more sense it made.

Hu Chunmei and Huang Shan are about to become the managers of two new vegetable markets. Looking at the fields where vegetables and rice are growing, they seem to already see the day of a bountiful harvest.

Chen Jiazhi asked, "Is it alright?"

Hu Chunmei and Huang Shan echoed this sentiment.

Ao Dehai also said, "It has to be the boss; he can get things done in no time."

He felt he had been a bit obsessed before, constantly choosing locations that leaned towards a broccoli quick-freezing factory.

In fact, we should consider making a profit in the planting stage. A completely unfamiliar place is definitely not as good as the Shanghai market, which is already quite familiar.

Chen Jiazhi added, "Now that it's settled, we should meet with the relevant departments as soon as possible to acquire the land."

Ao Dehai hurriedly said, "Boss, you might have to handle this too. Some leaders have wanted to talk to you before."

Fanrong Farmers Market is quite famous in Baoshan District and even in Shanghai.

A Cantonese cuisine base has overshadowed a host of local horticultural farms, and its export earnings are impressive, making it hard for it to go unnoticed.

This made it particularly easy for Chen Jiazhi to talk about the new base.

At a dinner party, a leader from Pudong New Area, in order to secure investment as quickly as possible, directly called over people from the Agricultural Bank of China and offered to provide an interest-free loan of ten million yuan.

This seems no different from giving money away?

Agriculture's unique characteristics sometimes make it easy to receive preferential treatment.

Chen Jiazhi agreed, but after the dinner, he was still a little uneasy, worried that there might be some hidden traps.

However, the next morning, as soon as he arrived at his office, Fang Shaohua came with some documents.

"Boss, two pieces of good news: the government has announced several policies to encourage exports."

"Hmm?" Chen Jiazhi took the document.

Fang Shaohua also gave an introduction, the core of which was to increase the export tax rebate and related subsidies.

At the same time, restrictions on independent export rights were further relaxed.

Chen Jiazhi asked, "Does Kaopu Fresh meet the requirements for applying for independent export rights?"

“That’s enough. Last year, the combined foreign exchange earnings from supplies to Hong Kong and the booming vegetable market reached the application threshold.” Fang Shaohua was excited for a moment, then added, “But it may require some proper management.”

"Okay, as long as it meets the standards, I'll go find someone." The first thing that came to Chen Jiazhi's mind was the kind face of Chen Daguan.

This immediately brings to mind the Agricultural Bank of China's interest-free loans, which probably also reflects a willingness to comply with the policy.

These officials are all quite shrewd; they can achieve multiple goals at the same time with one task.

However, this also put Chen Jiazhi at ease, as he could use the Agricultural Bank's interest-free loan without hesitation. After the baptism of the financial storm in August, the disposable funds in Kaopu Fresh's account also declined.

He also plans to build two new vegetable bases and one tangerine base, and other things like renovating the state-run vegetable store and implementing integrated plant protection and pest control will also cost money. He also wants to move offices...

When revenue started to decline, Chen Jiazhi felt that cash flow didn't seem to be very abundant.

This interest-free loan of tens of millions came at just the right time. It's also a first loan from Kaopu Fresh, and it seems pretty good.

"And there's more good news?"

"Our pesticide residue testing has been recognized by the Japanese Immigration and Quarantine Bureau."

"Oshima Yu is quite quick."

Fang Shaohua smiled and said, "The main reason is that the US dollar is a hard currency, and Shimadzu Corporation is also a top manufacturer of testing instruments, with close ties to relevant departments."

Chen Jiazhi nodded and said, "We need to continue to follow up and get other useful certificates certified as soon as possible."

"it is good."

Two days later, Chen Jiazhi, representing Kaopu Fresh, reached preliminary agreements with Xuanqiao Town in Pudong New Area and Pujiang Town in MH District, respectively, to invest in 1,000 mu of vegetable bases in each location.

Land acquisition still requires waiting for the rice harvest to be completed, so there is still ample preparation time.

Chen Jiazhi was not in a hurry to leave Shanghai.

While he was busy selecting a site and signing contracts for the base, the Prosperity Vegetable Market also continued to have export business to Japan.

Furthermore, due to the significant increase in export tax rebates, in order to increase exports, Fanrong Vegetable Market proactively lowered its export unit price, which had a very noticeable effect, with Japanese customers increasing their purchase volume and frequency.

This is just the bustling vegetable market; if we expand it to the whole country, how many more would there be?

To be more specific, if it were Shandong spinach, how much would that increase exports to Japan?

In Shandong, spinach can be planted almost year-round, with August and September being the peak season for planting and marketing.

No wonder the Japanese spinach growers are being beaten so badly!
Chen Jiazhi sipped tea in his rather simple office, glancing occasionally at the Japanese entry-exit quarantine certificate mounted on the tin wall. The day it would come into play should not be far off.

(End of this chapter)