Twenty years of cold chain

Hu Shutong gave the plan to Lei Xiaoxi for review early in the morning, and received a reply the next day. Lei Xiaoxi introduced Hu Shutong to a man named Lu Jianhua, who is the current director of the Development Planning Department of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, which is Lei Xiaoxi's former position.

Lei Xiaoxi meant that whether things could move to the next stage depended on the Development Planning Department taking the lead.

Further steps will be taken after discussion by the planning department.

Lu Jianhua, in his forties, wore thin-rimmed glasses and had a refined demeanor. After Hu Shutong entered, the two sat down at a small tea table.

Lu Jianhua had reviewed Hu Shutong's proposal repeatedly.

The skill displayed in this document impressed Lu Jianhua. A closer look at the plan revealed that it addressed several points.

But it seems like it's just one thing.

Lu Jianhua naturally realized that transporting vegetables to the south was a massive project, and this plan, which resembled a supporting infrastructure project, was an even larger undertaking. However, this was not a cause for concern. Over the years, the national and local governments had been continuously increasing their investment in agricultural products and cold chain logistics. As long as the money was truly being used where it was most needed, and the government was willing to spend it, following the line of thought in this plan, local governments were also willing to negotiate and jointly build the production and sales chain.

Behind this lies the implementation of the mayoral responsibility system. Although Hu Shutong did not elaborate on it, this plan still gives the system a clear focus. It's no exaggeration to say that Hu Shutong encompassed current national policies, institutional development, and even industry trends. It used export bases as a framework to address the demands of all parties, while omitting some crucial details.

That's precisely where the beauty lies.

In addition, there is the implementation of the "Seven Measures for Cold Chain Logistics".

The eight projects included in this plan require local governments to focus their efforts on developing them. Aren't the supporting constructions in this plan precisely the construction of a large-scale cold chain system? Using the transportation of vegetables to the south in conjunction with the implementation of the Seven Measures is a very relevant measure.

This also explains why industry professionals were involved in the vegetable transport to the south from the very beginning. It's because these people can grasp the market through their own drive. True industry professionals have a thorough understanding of both the macro and micro aspects and are more familiar with the detailed operations of the entire chain.

It was precisely because of the exceptional nature of this plan that Lu Jianhua already held Hu Shutong in high regard before even meeting him. Implementation and thoroughness are the most essential attitudes for improving people's livelihoods. This integrated production, sales, and transportation plan connects the largest upstream and downstream sectors, addressing the most frequently mentioned "first mile" and "last mile" in agricultural product distribution, ensuring stable income for vegetable sellers and stable prices for vegetable buyers.

What we've been doing all these years, in the final analysis, is nothing more than this.

"President Hu's proposal is worth discussing in our meeting, but if we add some supplementary information, I think it will be more compelling."

"Director Lu, please go ahead."

"Could the proposed transshipment bases be further detailed? Also, could there be a better connection between production areas and sales areas?"

Could the regional divisions be made more detailed?

Hu Shutong remained silent for a moment.

Director Lu's assessment is truly accurate. The reason it wasn't put on paper is twofold: firstly, this is the most time-consuming part; secondly, he believes that coordinating production and sales across large regions is beyond his control. To formulate a concrete plan would be tantamount to presenting a judgment question to the higher-ups, which would overshadow the plan's merits.

However, it was a different story when Lu Jianhua brought it up at this point, because the door had already been opened, and the rest was about what happened inside.

"Director Lu, please allow me some time. I need to go back and discuss these matters in a meeting."

Lu Jianhua smiled and said, "How long it takes is up to you, Mr. Hu. I'll be waiting for your new results. Also, according to your plan, Yuncheng must be used as a pilot city, but the timeline will probably have to be brought forward. The pressure of exporting vegetables has been building up for a long time, and we can't leave Yuncheng a quarter to conduct the pilot project."

Hu Shutong frowned. "What does Director Lu mean?"

"We need to shorten the pilot program's duration as much as possible, and it shouldn't just be a pilot project in Yuncheng. Once the winter greenhouses are operational, we need to use these to address some of the pressure issues. Simply put, we need to promote Mr. Hu's model and see initial results. If this is done well, its feasibility will give everyone confidence. Going forward, we will strengthen these existing pilot projects and promote this export system more comprehensively!"

The challenge once again lies with Hu Shutong, because it means that he has to come up with a "pilot system" outside of Qingning in a very short time. These pilot tasks are of great importance and significance, and they will be the prototype of the future major transit base.

Having said all that, Hu Shutong realized that his proposal had already passed Lu Jianhua's scrutiny. Lu Jianhua's reason for asking him to provide two other plans was to facilitate their implementation. He needed Hu Shutong's two other plans as evidence so that things wouldn't drag on and the first year of the vegetable transport to the south would have a clear direction.

The "deeper impact" is thought-provoking. Undoubtedly, the construction of cold chain infrastructure will be included in this plan, and cooperation between local governments and enterprises will be fully rolled out across Qingning!

For Hu Shutong, this is a daunting task because it is so macro-level, but if realized, its prospects are beyond imagination. In comparison, many major events of the year pale in comparison to this tangible and immensely beneficial undertaking, which represents a completely new level of revitalization for Qingning Cold Chain!

This will enable the southward transport of vegetables, opening up a complete external transportation system for the industry. It should be noted that this requires a huge investment of local government resources. From this perspective, Hu Shutong is determined to make this happen, even if it means working day and night!

"Mr. Hu, the Cloud City in the plan will be remembered by many people and even scrutinized under a microscope, so it must stand out here."

On the way back, Hu Shutong clenched his fists secretly, feeling particularly excited after seeing this today.

Although the tasks left to us are complex, things are not like they were ten years ago. Qingning Cold Chain has grown to a considerable scale, with each company having its own size and channels, which provides a foundation for all operations.

More importantly, all that's needed for the transport of fresh vegetables to the south is one leader!

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.