Chapter 250: African Agriculture
Gao De's eyes were firm, but the faint smile on his face, coupled with his slightly graying hair, gave people a feeling of confidence.

New challenges for the grain and oil industry?

Guo Yang and Gao De both knew what this challenge was.

The domestic grain and oil market is, without a doubt, an empire of giants and a world of oligarchs!

In the edible oil industry, the competition between Golden Dragon Fish and Fortune has always been a confrontation between giants.

Fortune Group is affiliated to the China National Grain and Oils Corporation, which owns two Hong Kong-listed companies and four A-share listed companies.

Golden Arowana is an international grain and oil group owned by the Kuok family of Singapore - Kerry and Wilmar International.

Golden Dragon Fish cooking oil was originally produced by a joint venture established by China National Grain and Oils Group and Kerry Grain and Oils Group.

Later, because State Grain withdrew and established "Fortune", Kerry became the full owner of "Golden Dragon Fish".

The two have shifted from cooperation to competition, and the competition is mainly a confrontation between the comprehensive strength of both sides.

Especially in recent years, the two giants have made great efforts in large-scale capital operations and industrial adjustments.

This has led to a comprehensive upgrade of competition in China's grain and oil industry to a competition guided by capital and strategy rather than a competition in marketing technology.

If Jiahe wants to enter the grain and oil field, competition with these two major groups is inevitable.

However, Jiahe Group not only has to deal with competition in the grain and oil sector, but also has to defend the position of domestic soybeans.

Due to the non-GMO nature of domestic soybeans, most of them are used in the food processing field, while the feed industry uses only imported GMO soybeans.

At the same time, oil mills such as Guoliang and Wilmar International have not made much effort to purchase domestic soybeans.

Edible oil is not just soybean oil. Some people like peanut oil, some like rapeseed oil, and some like corn oil...

In addition, there are processing industries such as wheat, corn, and rice.

Grain itself is a strategic material, and the grain and oil market is also a special market.

Although the current profits are decent, Guo Yang knows that the grain and oil industry will also be an industry with extremely low profit margins in the future.

Taking all these factors into consideration, the challenges that Jiahe Grain and Oil faces are indeed not small.

But Golden Harvest also has unique advantages.

After just a brief thought, Guo Yang stood up and extended his right hand to Gao De again.

"Welcome to join the Jiahe family!"

The two men shook hands tightly, and Guo Yang also offered a generous price in terms of treatment. Not only was the basic salary high, but they also enjoyed a generous profit-sharing ratio.

However, this dividend is not so easy to get.

After everything is settled.

Guo Yang asked the waiter to start serving the dishes, but Gao De suddenly said, "Mr. Guo, I would like to recommend someone to you. He is from Guoliang Oils & Fats Holdings Co., Ltd."

"Oh? What exactly happened?"

Gao De said: "This person's name is Chen Yun, 37 years old. She has a master's degree in management from Nankai University and has served as assistant general manager and deputy general manager of the finance department of Guoliang Oils and Fats Company."

“He also possesses profound knowledge of the grain and oil industry and excellent management capabilities.”

Guo Yang raised his eyebrows, "Do you also want him to come to Jiahe Grain and Oil to assist you?"

Gao De smiled and said, "It's up to you, Mr. Guo, to arrange it. I just recommended it to Mr. Guo. She has been thinking about changing jobs recently. Jiahe is not an option for her. She might go to Wilmar International."

Guo Yang thought about it and realized that although Jiahe Grain and Oil was a start-up company, the investment was not small.

If the finance person is also an acquaintance of Gaode, there will inevitably be some problems.

However, Jiahe does need to add senior financial management talents. Chen Yun, for example, has reached this position in Guoliang at the age of 37.

Either they have connections, or they are capable enough.

Guo Yang was more willing to believe the latter, and said with a smile: "Then Jiahe must not let her run away, and arrange to meet her as soon as possible."

"Haha..." Gao De also laughed twice, "I can call her over right now, she's nearby."

"It seems like you guys had this planned in advance!"

"Ha ha……"

Gao De then made a phone call, and a short while later, Chen Yun arrived, wearing a well-tailored professional suit with her hair neatly combed behind her head, looking decent and elegant.

It has to be said that Guoliang is superior to Jiahe in terms of the personal image of its employees.

To this day, at Golden Harvest’s headquarters, some executives who are used to working in the countryside all year round still prefer the combination of shorts, T-shirts, sneakers and even sandals.

This makes going to the countryside more comfortable.

Chen Yun greeted the two of them with a smile, then sat down calmly.

Guo Yang had a very good first impression.

In terms of professional qualities, the time of contact is too short and I am still unclear about the specific details.

However, when executives like Gaode and Chen Yun leave, there are many procedures and they usually have to undergo a financial audit, during which he can also conduct a simple investigation.

The three of them ate and chatted.

The roast duck is delicious, with crispy skin, tender meat and a strong aroma. You can feel the crispiness of the duck skin and the tenderness of the duck meat in every bite.

Guo Yang began to think habitually that there is a close connection between the soybean processing industry and the feed industry and breeding industry.

Is there any possibility for Golden Harvest to intervene?

However, competition in the feed industry has become increasingly fierce in recent years. The profit margin of New Hope and Tongwei's feed business is about 1%, while that of small and medium-sized enterprises can be as low as 0.5%.

Direct entry is not a good choice, but as a supplement to alfalfa products, it is a good entry point...

Ideas come and go quickly.

After dinner, I exchanged some details with the two of them before leaving.

...

The summer in Beijing is also very hot and humid.

Guo Yang also took advantage of the two days in Beijing to visit various major departments and meet with all the leaders he could.

There's nothing wrong with building good relationships.

Coincidentally, the country is also actively formulating various support policies for the domestic soybean industry.

The Ministry of Agriculture and the National Development and Reform Commission also took this opportunity to invite Jiahe to put forward some policy suggestions.

After some communication.

Jiahe also grasped the policy direction in advance.

It mainly focuses on the construction of standard production bases, soybean breeder bases and soybean production subsidies.

For example, a soybean subsidy implementation plan will be introduced next year, sending a favorable signal that the government supports soybean production and mobilizing farmers' enthusiasm for production.

The focus is on next year.

Some will be reissued this year.

Soon, Guo Yang discovered some problems. There was no soybean subsidy policy for the Northwest region, especially Xinjiang Province.

For a long time, the lack of subsidy policy has been an important factor in the low growth rate of soybean planting area in Xinjiang Province.

In the office of the Crop Production Management Bureau, Guo Yang was communicating with a man who was about 35 years old, of medium build, slightly thin, and wearing metal-rimmed glasses.

"Jiahe will also acquire 50 mu of saline-alkali land in Zepu, Xinjiang Province, which will also involve soybean rotation."

"What?" Xiao Le looked at him in surprise. The two of them had become familiar with each other for a long time.

Guo Yang nodded and said, "In addition, soybeans may be planted in the Asafoetida Gobi later."

“Why develop soybeans in the Northwest?”

Guo Yang said: "First, the production area is concentrated. Second, as long as there is suitable irrigation and varieties, the high yield advantage is significant. Third, the quality of soybeans in the northwest is high."

Xiao Le was thoughtful.

The formulation and implementation of soybean subsidy policy is a multi-departmental collaboration.

The first draft was prepared by the Crop Production Management Department based on the country's agricultural policies and market conditions, and the subsidy recommendations and plans were put forward.

However, farmers' demand is also an important factor. In a broad sense, Jiahe's demand also belongs to farmers' demand.

What's more, the leader mentioned it specifically.

Xiao Le pondered for a while and said, "Well... write it down first and bring it up for discussion at the next meeting. It shouldn't be a big problem."

"What else?"

Guo Yang thought for a moment and said, "In addition to the two traditional soybean-growing areas of Yili and Kashgar, soybeans can also be grown in cold and high-altitude areas such as Altay."

"You can have some preference in breeding..."

Xiao Le wrote it down bit by bit.

Guo Yang also breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, this feeling of being able to participate in policy making is really pretty good.

And judging from the attitude of the Ministry of Agriculture, it attaches great importance to Jiahe's opinions.

In two days, Guo Yang went through all the existing networks of relationships before leaving Beijing and returning to Jiuquan.

……

Fujian Province.

When you walk into Jinjiang during the harvest season, the "long, straight red" carrots growing from the green fields have become a beautiful landscape.

The picked carrots will pass through the vegetable cleaning line and enter the vegetable sorting and packaging workshop.

It is then sent to different sales outlets to compete for the market and become a "regular" on people's tables.

Several figures in white shirts walked into a carrot planting base.

I was attracted instantly.

In the wide carrot planting base, a lush green scene comes into view. In the field, neatly arranged carrot seedlings are emerald green, extending to the end of the sight.

The sprinkler nozzle evenly sprays a fine mist of water, moisturizing each carrot seedling.

The entire base gives people a sense of tranquility and order, where every carrot seedling is carefully cared for.

Wei Guo, director of the Jinjiang Agricultural Bureau, stared at the land infatuatedly.

In Jinjiang, the carrot industry is an imported industry, but the Fujianese, who work hard to succeed, only began to introduce and cultivate it on a large scale in the early 21st century.

Before 03, the carrot industry was a weak industry in Jinjiang, and was mostly grown in Xiamen.

Then some growers discovered that Jinjiang's climate and improved sandy loam were very suitable for growing carrots.

Only then did they begin to introduce the species on a large scale.

I especially like the Sakata 7-inch carrot seeds from the island country.

However, this kind of seeds is in high demand and has been out of stock for a long time. The highest price on the black market is 1.3 yuan per can, and one can can only sow 2.5 acres.

Many farmers have been deceived and bought fake seeds on the black market, which has caused a lot of headaches for the Agriculture Bureau.

However, this year I heard that some farmers have introduced a carrot seed called 'Super Red Core' from the northwest, and its benefits may be slightly better than that of the Sakata 7-inch carrot.

This aroused his suspicion.

But that doubt has been dispelled.

Weiguo looked at an old technician next to him and said, "Old Zhou, I now believe what you said about the yield per mu exceeding 1.5 catties."

Lao Zhou is a technician with many years of experience in agricultural technology promotion. He pointed to a piece of land near the inside and said with a smile: "The boss is harvesting over there."

Several people walked over.

The red carrots bloomed in a row on the ground, forming a beautiful landscape against the backdrop of green leaves.

Lao Zhou walked forward, picked up a carrot that had just been pulled out of the mud, wiped it simply, and took a bite.

"It's very juicy, like a fruit radish, and tastes delicious."

The others followed suit.

"That's great!"

“Not spicy at all.”

Farm owner Uncle Chen trotted over, his eyes sparkling with cunning and shrewdness, his skin tanned from years of working in the fields.

"Good leadership, good leadership."

Lao Zhou joked, "You harvested 20,000 catties from this acre. You're going to get rich this year!"

"It's okay, it's okay."

Seeing that he did not refute, Wei Guo asked: "Is it really 20,000 kilograms?"

Uncle Chen froze in his place, but he had said it all, "Some well-managed plots of land can have it."

Old Zhou also explained, "Uncle Chen, this is an exception. I estimate that an average yield of 1.3 catties per mu is considered a high yield." Wei Guo silently calculated in his mind, based on 0.75 yuan per catty, 1.5 catties per mu means a profit of yuan.

The investment in seeds is 3000 yuan per mu, and considering the agricultural materials, machinery and labor, the profit is absolutely extraordinary.

In the following period of time, Jinjiang immediately established a carrot demonstration base based on Dongshi Town.

Then a carrot industry plan was introduced, and Jinjiang carrots quickly became famous throughout the province, the country, Japan, South Korea and other places.

Yongchang, Gansu Province.

The 2-acre carrot base has updated its varieties and has seen a significant increase in income this year.

Not only did the output increase from 5,000 to 6,000 kilograms to 8,000 to 9,000 kilograms, but the improvement in quality also led to an increase in prices.

A large number of farmers who reaped the first dividends have escaped poverty and become rich.

The same story happened to people in mountainous areas such as Gangu in the past two years, but they were growing peppers.
-
Guo Yang looked out through the porthole of Hawker 850 and saw the rolling mountains in the northwest.

When hovering over Jiayuguan, we could see greenery appearing on the barren Gobi Desert.

It was also evening time.

A tourist bus was parked on the side of the Gobi Highway, and tourists were leisurely taking photos in the sea buckthorn forest and hemp bushes.

Guo Yang laughed.

The fatigue from running around also dissipated a lot.

After returning to the villa, I asked the nanny to prepare a simple dinner. After eating, I drank a cup of kenaf tea, exercised, washed up, and went to sleep.

The next morning, Guo Yang woke up full of energy.

After arriving at the office, Ning Xiaojing was asked to invite Yu Xiaochuan and Yu Honghai.

Luo Xiu was helping to clean the tea sets in the office and said, "Boss, aren't you being too cold to Secretary Ning?"

Guo Yang raised his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

Luo Xiu said: "Maybe you, Boss, are too deliberate in avoiding suspicion. Hmm... Anyway, I feel that you are kind to others, but too cold to Secretary Ning."

"Secretary Ning is also a great beauty, right? Some people in the company are saying that you don't like women, right..."

Guo Yang said: "I usually admire her openly!"

"Others feel that you are using her like a machine."

Hearing this, Guo Yang's eyes went dark. It might be because of the influence of the inherent concept that secretaries do the work when there is work to do, and secretaries do the work when there is nothing to do.

He is indeed more cautious in this regard.

Is it really too much?

At this time, Ning Xiaojing brought Yu Honghai and Yu Xiaochuan over. Guo Yang glanced at Ning Xiaojing, who was wearing a dark blue suit, simple yet elegant.

No excessive decoration.

She has the competence and confidence of a professional woman, while also revealing softness and gentleness in the subtle details.

However, after Ning Xiaojing brought the two people over, she returned to her workstation without even taking a second look.

Guo Yang thought for a moment and turned his attention back to Yu Xiaochuan and Yu Honghai.

Both of them rushed back from overseas, one from an island country and the other from Türkiye.

While making tea, Guo Yang introduced Jiahe's overseas strategy to the two of them, and then stated that the two of them would be promoted and have their salaries increased, but they would need to be stationed overseas for a long time.

Guo Yang asked: "Which of the overseas regions do you want to go to?"

Yu Honghai said without hesitation: "In the Middle East, Fengkai's joint venture assembly plant in Turkey has also started production. I went there, and it just happened to start radiating the European, North African and West Asian markets."

Guo Yang looked at Yu Xiaochuan, "Where's Old Yu?"

Yu Xiaochuan said: "I also prefer to go to the Middle East."

Guo Yang frowned and said, "How did you two get into a car accident with that powder keg in the Middle East?"

Yu Xiaochuan explained: "The alfalfa market in Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia has been opened up, and the Middle East is also a major importer of alfalfa and can afford the price.

However, the market has always been controlled by Spain. Spain's processing technology is different, and major Middle Eastern companies are also accustomed to Spain's technology.

If we want to capture more of the Middle East market, we still have to work harder.”

They both have their own ideas, and what they say seems to make sense.

Guo Yang said: "You have to stand from the perspective of the group. This time it is a large-scale agricultural area, not just agricultural machinery and forage. Seeds and other agricultural products must also be considered."

After a moment of silence, several people sipped tea. Yu Honghai said, "Boss, do you still have this tea? I want to take some with me when I go abroad."

"Go find Xie Shijie. That's all I can do." Guo Yang said again, "Have you made up your mind?"

Yu Honghai asked back: "Boss, which overseas region do you think is the most important?"

Guo Yang thought for a moment and said, "On the surface, the South American market is more important, but for Jiahe, Africa has greater potential."

Yu Honghai said with a smile: "Then Old Yu will go to the Middle East and I will go to Africa. Such good land has been ruined by those lazy black people. I want to plant food on it."

Guo Yang poured more tea for the two of them, "Agriculture in Africa is not that simple. If you hold on to your mentality, you will probably suffer a great loss."

Both of them are good at market development, but their understanding of agricultural cultivation is far less.

The Middle East is okay, as it is mainly a sales market for agricultural products, and the rest are all agricultural industries that require a lot of investment.

But the situation in Africa is completely different, and Guo Yang has to give more instructions.

“It would be too one-sided to explain the backwardness of agriculture in Africa only by saying that black people are lazy.”

"Compared to Asia, Europe, North and South America, Africa does not have a large mountain system to block the ocean moisture from forming snow-capped mountains and daily rainfall, so Africa only has rainy season and dry season."

"Dry season kills people, wet season kills people."

"As for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, almost all of its food supply is imported. Do you think the local people are lazy?"

Yu Honghai and Yu Xiaochuan looked at each other and nodded.

Guo Yang smiled and said: "That's not entirely true. The main reason is that environmental conditions such as soil, light, heat, and water sources have restricted the development of the Congolese planting industry."

The two looked at him curiously, which somewhat overturned their perception. In the past, they believed that the main cause of poverty and food shortage in Africa was the laziness of the black people.

Guo Yang said: "Congo is the result of the leaching of tropical rainforests. Under the influence of the tropical rainy season, the land here is eroded by leaching all year round, and the soluble inorganic matter in the soil is almost lost.

This means that there is an extreme shortage of potassium fertilizer, one of the three major fertilizers needed in agricultural production.

General chemical knowledge tells us that almost all potassium salts are soluble in water, so potassium is most easily lost through leaching during the rainy season.

There is a kind of landscape in Congo: during the dry season, the land is burned everywhere. They don’t farm, so why do they burn the land?

Because wood ash can be used as potassium fertilizer, if it is not burned, the original jungle grassland may become a desert after several years.

The burning of wasteland by the Africans is precisely a form of protection for their living environment, and planned burning is always much better than sudden fires caused by landmines.

At the same time, because there are many lightning strikes and the soil is not lacking in nitrogen fertilizer, many jungles in Congo are still very lush. "

At this point, Guo Yang paused and drank a sip of tea. Yu Honghai quickly asked, "If the trees are lush, why can't we grow crops?"

"It is also because of leaching that even the original plots that have never been developed still have a very thin soil humus layer, which is particularly important for the growth of gramineous crops such as rice and wheat."

“Also, there is no shortage of water in the Congo during the rainy season, but the soil due to leaching will hardly retain any moisture, which is also not conducive to the growth of traditional grasses because their root systems are shallow.”

“So even though it’s a tropical region, Congo can only harvest one crop.”

"In addition, the local ultraviolet rays are very strong, and plant growth has requirements for the spectrum of sunlight it receives. Too strong light will only hinder plant growth. For example, the fiber of vegetables is particularly coarse, and the taste is particularly old. Many vegetables have grown old before they have even grown up."

Yu Honghai is already lacking in confidence.

The palm of my hand is holding the high-end coffee table made of solid wood. The edges of the coffee table are polished smooth and round, and it feels great.

But now he had no mood to appreciate these.

MD!

There are so many things to pay attention to when farming!

"Is it so difficult?"

Guo Yang smiled and said, "Land, water and sunlight are only part of the reasons why agriculture is underdeveloped in many parts of Africa. Other factors need to be explored."

Yu Honghai asked: "What about the application of fertilizers?"

"Without inorganic salts, the soil will become hardened and useless in just a few years if chemical fertilizers are applied."

"Is there no way to change it?"

Guo Yang smiled and said, "Of course there are. Not all of Africa is like this. For example, South Africa is in the temperate zone. If the coastal plains of Mozambique can overcome flooding, it can also be used. In Nigeria... cash crops can also be grown. In short, the conditions in each region are different, and we need to sum up experience."

"In the past two years, we have been relying on Huaxia Agricultural Reclamation, and many experts who have come to Africa to assist have also accumulated a lot of experience."

"In addition, the African agricultural machinery market has great potential."

With the advancement of science and technology, African agriculture in later generations is not so hopeless.

Especially in the hands of the Chinese people, rice can be grown no matter how difficult the circumstances.

But in fact, developing traditional farming in Africa is not a wise choice. It is almost impossible to make a profit, which is far worse than mining.

However, in Guo Yang's eyes, it is precisely because of the difficulty in developing agriculture in Africa that it is an opportunity for Jiahe.

Although Jiahe is favored by the upper class, state-owned enterprises such as Guoliang are the country's own sons. Although South America is good, it will be a region where a number of state-owned enterprises will focus on layout in the future.

If Jiahe focuses on South America, it will face pressure from the four major grain traders, international capital such as Monsanto, and domestic state-owned enterprises, which is not a wise move.

There are more opportunities in Africa.

Heroes emerge in troubled times!
Countries mostly provide aid to Africa's agriculture in exchange for minerals and political gains.

Jiahe has a lot of room for maneuver.

Seeds are Guo Yang’s biggest weapon. As long as he can collect suitable germplasm resources, he will be able to cultivate seeds suitable for Africa in the future.

In addition to researching planting techniques suitable for Africa, rice experts from China who are assisting Africa also use breeding as an important weapon.

Jiahe will also continue to develop in this direction.

For example, grasses with deep root systems;

There are also tea, cocoa, fruit, and African marigolds favored by Quanwang Biology.
Or we can develop woody plants with different uses, such as those that can produce a lot of starch, a lot of sugar, or a lot of fruit...

On the technical level, there are actually many measures. If the ultraviolet rays are strong, use a thin film to filter out unnecessary ultraviolet rays.

Or create conditions through other means.

In short, the future is promising.

Guo Yang looked at the two generals and said seriously: "The most important thing is to ensure the personal safety of ourselves and our employees."

The Middle East is a place where great powers compete with each other and it is a powder keg that can be ignited at any time. As far as Guo Yang remembers, the Syrian war should only last a few years.

Not to mention Africa.

War, gangs, drugs, pirates, poverty, viruses... and it is also a place where great powers compete with each other.

Guo Yang is not sure what Jiahe will face in the future. Solving the problems in the northwest will make Jiahe a world-class agricultural and animal husbandry group.

But if we want to break through the international encirclement and become the world's top agricultural and animal husbandry group, Africa is a key link.

Yu Honghai and Yu Xiaochuan are also aware of the complexity of the overseas environment, but they are full of confidence.

Yu Honghai even laughed and said, "Hehe, by then I can farm in Africa, mine, build fortresses, and play with guns."

Guo Yang also joked, "Maybe I can farm during the day and play Clash of Clans at night."

Yu Honghai was stunned for a moment before he reacted, "Hahaha..."

Suddenly, the tense atmosphere became relaxed.

Pause for a while.

Yu Honghai asked: "Who will take over Fengkai Agricultural Machinery?"

"Do you have any recommendations? How about the Guan Cheng?"

Yu Honghai shook his head. "Guan Cheng is good at research and development, but he's not good enough at taking charge of the overall situation. Pu Fei, who is in charge of factory production, is good enough."

Guo Yang recalled and didn't have a very deep impression of Pu Fei.

"Okay, I'll think about it first. I'm also going to promote Guan Cheng to vice president. He will still be in charge of research and development, and will also take on some other responsibilities."

Yu Honghai understood that this was the boss's balancing act, but it also meant that Pu Fei's position was secure.

"Guan Cheng has also passed away. He came to check on the research and development progress of corn seed production and pollination during this period."

Speaking of this, Guo Yang also remembered something, "How is the development of drones going?"

"We already have samples. In addition, some small drone companies have been established in Guangzhou in the past six months and are still screening."

Guo Yang's eyes lit up, and he said calmly: "Give me a copy of the list after it's sorted out, and have Guan Cheng bring it over!"

(End of this chapter)