Twenty years of cold chain

Marine ranching was not an area that Hu Shutong was familiar with, but that did not mean he knew nothing about it. When he received that call, Hu Shutong knew that he was going to face a mature plan that had been researched for many days, but he did not need to cram at the last minute.

The cooperation between Tongxing and Dalin Fisheries has never ceased. Lin Xiang has complained to Hu Shutong more than once, not only about Hongshan Port in recent years.

The situation in the nearshore waters of Shuangliu Cape is also not optimistic. Fishermen's trawling operations are becoming increasingly unprofitable. Although they catch a lot of different kinds of fish in a single net, upon closer inspection, most of them are about ten centimeters long and are called "miscellaneous fish" by the locals.

Under these circumstances, Lin Xiang is also exploring new avenues, with rumors circulating about artificial reefs and targeted aquaculture.

He had already become concerned about it.

Moreover, Liu Zhiying, who has many years of experience in the port,

I also talked to Hu Shutong about marine ranches, which, in his words, sounded particularly high-class.

It is called "The Transformation of Maritime Strategy".

Artificial aquaculture has always been the trend. Lakes, ponds, rivers, and seas are merely carriers; natural selection became a thing of the past in the 19th century. To meet our country's needs, we will inevitably invest heavily in marine ranching, with substantial expenditures required. On another level, once marine ranching is widely implemented, its positive impact on the environmental issue will be readily apparent.

Hu Shutong remained silent for a long time, which only made the other party more and more embarrassed, making Guo Hongyuan regret asking the suggestion.

Fortunately, Mr. Hu finally spoke up.

"Everyone, your plan has three parts. The first part can be learned by flipping through geography magazines; the second part will cover the issue of illegal fishing by watching the news; and the third part, which is the technical issue..."

You have integrated information from aquatic research centers in many different regions.

It looks detailed, but it's all readily available information; there's nothing new to it at all.

As soon as these words were spoken, someone immediately objected, "New idea? Mr. Hu, we are developing a plan, not conducting research and development. We have spent a lot of time analyzing the feasibility of marine ranching. It's not as simple as you think."

Hu Shutong said in a deep voice, "Since when is spending time something to boast about? The value of a plan doesn't depend on whether it takes three or five days or three or five years. Looking at your proposal, all you talk about is what to do, not a single word about what you've actually accomplished."

Hu Shutong spoke with arrogance, his displeasure stemming from the fact that this person was speaking to him as if he were an idiot, and also from the worrying, undisguised restlessness of the people around him. This group of people, who furrowed their brows at the slightest disagreement and considered themselves the most logical people in the world, dared to carry the banner of entrepreneurship. Marine ranching certainly has unlimited potential; it's an inevitable trend in the industry, but it's not something you can just hand up and vote for.

"Ha! Then tell me, what other lightning bolts are hidden in the future?"

"Nearshore ranches are essentially just fields and farmland."

Everything you've described is self-serving and detached from the most pressing issues facing fishermen and farmers. The industrialization of marine ranching lies in its ability to drive development; it's not simply a matter of one company operating a vessel at sea deserving substantial financial support.

"Have you ever considered, beyond building your own ranches, how to increase the income of individual fishermen and farmers through cage aquaculture? Have you ever considered seeking a cooperative model for your company, discussing mutually beneficial cooperation with fishermen and farmers in the surrounding waters? A plan that doesn't drive development, a plan that only considers itself and lacks comprehensiveness—need I say more about its competitiveness?"

A sudden silence fell over the room. It wasn't that people didn't want to answer, but rather that they couldn't, because this part wasn't even considered in the overall plan. In the eyes of the team members, thoroughly studying the situation at Hongshan Port and exploring the technological capabilities was enough to build a marine ranch.

Therefore, his words were not suggestions, but rather something that was difficult to fully supplement even after racking one's brains. This is not on the same level as the thoughts of the graduate students present.

Hu Shutong continued, "There are many directions we can learn from in expanding the port area. To some extent, marine ranching will make the local fishermen and farmers more static than before. This allows the fishermen and farmers' stone houses to be transformed into tourist hotels, fishing and leisure to become a livelihood, and even small fish to be dried and made into salted fish. These are all improvements. You don't want to focus on the immediate needs of the fishermen and farmers, but instead delve into ensuring the fish are well-fed and clothed. It's already fortunate that such a plan has reached the evaluation stage."

The first sentence was unassailable, and the next was even more vehement. People couldn't help but turn their attention to Guo Hongyuan. But when they heard such detailed remarks, even Guo Hongyuan was stunned. How could a villa builder have ever thought about a few centimeters of stone steps?

In reality, what Hu Shutong said was all just wishful thinking. But if it could be put into practice, the feasibility would be far greater than he imagined. It's just that none of the people around him were on the same page.

Having weathered so many storms over the years, Hu Shutong understands best that to receive support and subsidies, one must produce tangible and effective results. When it comes to the grants for expanding domestic demand, the focus isn't on Tongxing's size, but on whether it can connect farms with markets and supermarkets. Similarly, when it comes to the infrastructure support for Yuncheng Phase II, the focus isn't on how good the location is, but on whether it can truly expand winter greenhouses.

Looking back, if Tongxing had been boasting about having Baileng's hardware, Daye's software, and the advantageous location of Niujia Town, it would have ultimately been just a matter of survival and growth for a single company. Who would have bothered to invest in its future?

As the teacher said, real money doesn't come easily; to obtain substantial funding, one must do something truly meaningful. Simply put, it involves one link or multiple links in an industry chain, which means it's not something that can be done by just one company.

Why did everyone at the table fall down in disbelief before he even mentioned the slightest bit of cold chain logistics?

For marine ranches to be established, a cold chain is needed to distribute them. What will we do then?

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.