Father of France

Chapter 211 Koeman's Five-Year Plan
“It’s definitely necessary to do some initial development. If French-speaking countries are too backward and don’t have a good foundation, even if France is a building on top, its foundation will not be stable.” Koeman didn’t need to mention such an important point to his comrades repeatedly; he knew it himself.

If French-speaking countries are all like another world, it might not be entirely without positive effects on France, but whether it's worthwhile compared to the constant influx of illegal immigrants remains to be seen.

Moreover, France's methods of exploitation in the 21st century are too much like those of the Tomb Raiders.

France, even as a major agricultural power in the world, doesn't support agriculture in French Africa. The only areas it seems to care about are energy and minerals, but with such outdated systems and 19th-century exploitative methods, it can't really squeeze much money out of them.

Koeman clearly cannot do this. Ignoring the major Eastern powers and using prominent and influential major powers as benchmarks for developing countries, it seems that even if French countries are supported by France, they will not surpass France. On the contrary, a certain degree of development will make the French-speaking world stronger.

Even basic industrialization would greatly enhance the stability of the Francophone country after independence, and might even curb the birth rate.

Africa was destined to have the highest birth rate in the world decades from now, and French African countries would have the highest among them. Combined with France's low birth rate for many years, it's no wonder that they are referred to as African countries.

French-speaking countries have a certain level of industry, even basic industry, which greatly enhances the circulation of the franc. How much economic activity can a country that has remained an agricultural society allow its currency to exert its power?

Koeman wasn't trying to discredit the Qing Dynasty. Although the Qing Dynasty claimed to have one-third of the world's total economic output, the economic output of an agricultural country cannot exert its full potential; it just looks impressive.

A comparison of industrial data from European countries at the time reveals a stark difference. Even an agricultural country couldn't collect much tax revenue.

Madagascar was where Corman's vision began. France proposed the Schuman Plan for the establishment of the European Community, and he felt that he was no less capable, so he proposed the Corman Plan for the development of Madagascar. The jewel of the French Federation began here.

For several days, Koeman didn't have time to deal with the unfortunate guy who had been imprisoned, leaving him to languish and hone his skills. Instead, he immersed himself in the group of French experts who had come to Madagascar from China.

Anthony, an agriculture and climate expert, watched as a soldier walked in and started gesturing, and couldn't help but sarcastically remark, "Is the planning just to make it easier to destroy?"

"How did you know?" Koman replied with a look of satisfaction, "What's the problem? Development is indeed for better destruction in the future. At least the industries we support are not a secret to us. Of course, this kind of thing may not happen, but after this, I believe the people here in Madagascar will learn their lesson."

Koeman's tone was somber that it shocked Anthony. Fortunately, Anthony had a conscience, though not much. If things continued, Koeman might suspect that Anthony was a member of the French Communist Party.

There were still quite a few members of the French Communist Party among the intellectual class during this period, but even he was not afraid, because Corman was also a member of the French Communist Party.

"Distinguished scholars, think about it: a colony of 600,000 square kilometers may become a country in the future, and its development path may be in your hands. What does that mean?"

Koeman didn't dwell on the fact that this French military operation had angered a few intellectuals; instead, he started giving the experts a piece of cake.

With the examples of George Lloyd and Clemenceau before us, when the future refers to Madagascar's economic foundation, which was designed by people in the present, what is the significance?
As soon as he finished speaking, the mentality of the overworked office worker who had come from afar quickly transformed into a desire to make a name for himself, and work began.

Taking into account natural conditions, climate, land quality and other factors, a comprehensive development plan has been confidently produced. France has now formulated a five-year plan, and as a French colony, having a five-year plan is not a political mistake.

It's all about aligning with the suzerain state. Given this environment, it's only natural that Koeman could practice his extraordinary skills against the tide. Does that mean a colonial empire can't push forward with a five-year plan? There's no such logic at all.

Five-year plans are like powerful tools in the early stages of development in a region. An undeveloped place, like Madagascar, is like a blank sheet of paper, allowing the experts in front of Koeman to paint freely. This emotional value is irreplaceable.

They can do whatever they want now, and everything they do affects the livelihoods of the world's fourth largest island.

The agricultural development plan was formulated according to five criteria: ecological adaptation, agroforestry, biodiversity conservation, and value chain development, namely primary processing capacity. Among them, the third and fourth criteria, biodiversity conservation, were personally suggested by Koeman to be added.

The east coast, which was originally the land of the eastern Bantu people, is planned to be mainly used for growing coffee and traditional rice. The conditions for rice cultivation are very good, and ecological rice cultivation can be promoted in the coastal plains and river valleys, making use of abundant water resources.

In addition to crops, there is also fruit cultivation, such as lychee, rambutan, banana, and pineapple, and the development of fresh fruit and juice processing industries.

"Do the locals have the ability to manage the fruit business?" This "stability" was Anthony's question; he clearly didn't quite believe in the locals' capabilities. "We'll have a new batch of immigrants then," Koman replied with a smile. With the major Eastern power currently embroiled in civil war, Koman didn't need to incite anything; the Chinese would simply come out on their own.

In just a few years, the number of Chinese in Saigon will reach one million. In fact, the influx of British people into Hong Kong is even greater, and Saigon is considered a small number.

With so many new immigrants, and considering the current situation where the Bantu people in eastern Madagascar are being purged by Austronesian settlers, there's plenty of room to fill the population gap. Moreover, Corman is also planning to promote rice cultivation in French Equatorial Africa. France can't just keep sending aid every now and then.

Although France is an agricultural powerhouse, if it's determined to retain control of North Africa, it might not have the resources to do so. That's just how things are sometimes; the problems after independence are your own problems. Algerians would have to pay to import food, but if independence isn't achieved, no matter how inhumane France may be, it can't let the people in its overseas territories starve.

Therefore, Madagascar is an important pilot project. Since it has been determined that Madagascar is isolated from the African continent, we must do our best to manage it.

With the east coast planning complete, the remaining area is the central plateau, destined to be Madagascar's main grain-producing region. Extensive restoration and construction of terraced fields in the hilly areas are crucial for preventing soil erosion and ensuring food security. High-yield, drought-resistant rice varieties should be promoted.

In addition to staple foods, temperate vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, and potatoes are grown on a large scale, taking advantage of the cool climate.

As for the tropical grassland region in the west, animal husbandry will naturally be the main focus, with improved pasture management, implementation of rotational grazing, and prevention of overgrazing. Goat farming can also be developed.

Southern Madagascar has a different climate, and cassava is a major crop that can be grown as a staple food. It is extremely drought-resistant and serves as a last line of defense for food security. Livestock farming focuses on goats and camels. Camels are particularly well-adapted to the arid environment and can provide both milk and meat.

Establish a robust agricultural technology extension system to provide farmers in each region with customized technologies, seeds, and training.

Koman's initial idea was to hand over these plans and planting techniques to the Chinese, and then let the Chinese assist in promoting them. As for the French troops stationed there, they would, of course, mainly do what the troops should do.

As for the mining industry, Koeman may need to bring in a group that already has some involvement in the energy sector, namely Constantine Industries, with Eva Gardner as the legal representative.

The reason why ilmenite was found so easily this time is because the ilmenite sand is located on the southeastern coast of Madagascar.

Besides minerals, Madagascar also has gemstone mining potential. As for the other resources, France doesn't need them for the time being; they can remain Madagascar's own wealth after independence.

Aside from the five-year post-war plan, the remaining task that Corman didn't need to rely on others for was the immigration plan, which required the approval of the Paris government.

Even if Corman were arrogant, he wouldn't believe that he or the army could independently promote immigration outside of the Paris government. As for the reason for the immigration plan, it wasn't because of ethnic violence in Madagascar and the growing trend of Austronesian dominance. Corman was acting out of loyalty to France and was introducing an ethnic group to restrain the Austronesians.

We don't need too many Chinese immigrants; a ratio similar to that of French Indochina would suffice, and less than 200,000 would be enough to solve the problem.

The restoration of the largest port was also entrusted to the Chinese.

After finishing the plan, Coleman excitedly went to the gendarme's barracks and asked Martin to help send it to Paris. His old comrade-in-arms also looked at it curiously and asked, "Is the port reconstruction also being handed over to the Chinese?"

"Why don't we hand it over to the French? See who comes over then. Don't I know the French workers well? They're all lazy and have no work ethic. The Soviet Union talked about heavy production and redistribution, but for them, all that's left is redistribution." Koeman said in a tone that suggested the country would be doomed if things continued this way.

Isn't this what France is like in the 21st century? It results in a complete lack of fiscal flexibility.

The situation is largely similar in Western European countries. For Americans, finances are like rigid expenditures. A month's salary looks like a lot, but after deducting mortgage payments, car loan payments, student loan payments, and insurance, only a few hundred dollars are left. So why work so hard?

So just listen to those developed Western European countries talking about increasing military spending to counter Russia; they don't have the money.

Martin's expression of agreement was much more serious this time, and he also revealed a piece of information to Coman: "Because of the conflicts caused by the Marshall Plan, the Socialist government has kicked the French Communist Party out of the coalition government."

(End of this chapter)