industrial overlord

Chapter 610 Developing Countries

In fact, the benefit of importing food is not only to save land, another more important benefit is to save a lot of agricultural water.Although wheat is a dryland crop, generally speaking, it takes about 1 ton of fresh water to produce 1 kg of wheat. If we can import 2000 million tons of wheat, it is equivalent to saving 200 billion tons of agricultural water.Using an algorithm popular in later generations, it is equivalent to saving 2000 West Lake water.

In North China, farmers have long had to rely on pumping groundwater for irrigation due to insufficient surface water.According to estimates by experts, by 2010, the cumulative scale of overexploitation of groundwater in North China had reached 1200 billion tons, and this scale will continue to expand.

If North China can reduce 2000 million tons of wheat planting, the saved 200 billion tons of fresh water can be backfilled into the ground. In just a few years, the overexploitation of groundwater in the entire North China will be completely replenished. How important is this? An ecological contribution?And to do this, it's just an expenditure of more than 30 billion US dollars a year.

Huang Gang's work in the Planning Commission is not in charge of agriculture, but he has some ideas about these figures. He keenly feels that this is indeed a very good suggestion. However, the country has some concerns about the issue of food imports. For these concerns, Huang Gang also had to introduce Lin Zhenhua, and at the same time listen to his views on these issues.

"Brother Lin, importing food does have many benefits, but it is also very risky. Food is no more than other things. If it is in the hands of others, it will pose a great threat to our country's security. Once there is any disturbance in international politics, it will be in the hands of others. If we hold our food, we will be able to defeat others without fighting." Huang Gang said.

Lin Zhenhua was surprised and said, "Huang Gang, why are you so worried? It's just 2000 million tons of grain. How could it have an impact on our country's food security? In my impression, our country's annual grain output is 4 million to 5 million tons. Hundred million tons? This 2000 million tons is only equivalent to 4% to 5%. In a country as big as the promise, where can’t save such a small amount of grain?”

"Is that so much?" Huang Gang was also taken aback. He pinched his fingers and calculated, and couldn't help laughing. Isn't it? Well, it's really not a big deal.

In fact, concerns about food security are a problem left over from history.More than ten years ago, China's total grain output was low, coupled with the insufficient supply of non-staple food, people's appetite was too large, and the supply and demand of grain have always been very tight. 2000 million tons of grain is indeed of great importance to the entire country.But after these years of development, China's food supply is already very sufficient. To put it bluntly, the amount of leftovers dumped in restaurants all over the street is more than 2000 million tons.

In addition, as a country that once suffered from hunger, our country is also very cautious in terms of grain reserves. The annual grain reserves in grain depots at all levels are as much as 3 million tons. Fluctuations really cannot affect the food security of the entire country.

Lin Zhenhua said: "Huang Gang, you have to pay attention to this point. We import grain only to let our land go fallow, not to destroy it. If the Americans dare to use grain as a weapon to make things difficult for us, we can immediately put the fallow land It only takes one year for the land to be put into production to make up for the gap of 2000 million tons. Think about it, if a method can't kill the opponent at all, would they dare to use it?"

"Why didn't I think of this?" Huang Gang scratched his scalp, quite annoyed.In fact, you can’t blame him for this. If you immerse yourself in some conceptual things for a long time, you really won’t notice its irrationality.Both the government and the people in China believe that food is the lifeblood of the country, and they dare not hand it over to others, but few people will calculate the details and think about whether this threat really exists.

"Brother Lin, there is one more question." Huang Gang finally thought of another point, "If we import grain and let the land go fallow, how will the farmers who grow grain be settled?"

Lin Zhenhua said bitterly: "Huang Gang, Huang Gang, I think you seemed to be quite sensible when you were studying. Why did you become a fool when you became an official? These farmers don't farm anymore. They can transfer to industry. Go. We imported American grain, stabilized the U.S. Congress, and let them not make things difficult for China's industrial product exports, which will create more manufacturing jobs for China, and worry about not being able to accommodate these surplus farmers?"

"But, not all farmers are able to come out to work?" Huang Gang raised his bar. In his heart, he already faintly agreed with Lin Zhenhua's proposal, but he still had to consider some difficulties in many ways. The instinct of being a Planning Commission official.

Lin Zhenhua saw what Huang Gang was thinking, so he pretended to be vicious, and said, "I don't care about it. If it's really impossible, your Planning Commission should pay them to compensate them. When you return farmland to forests, don't you also have ecological compensation funds?" ? Don't think I don't know this."

Lin Zhenhua learned about these situations during his investigation in Jingxi. In order to allow farmers in the mountains to return their farmland to forests, the state provides a sum of money every year as a subsidy. Those farmers who return their farmland plant trees and protect forests on the mountains every day. , you can get more income than farming in the past. The money itself is the country's environmental protection expenditure.

Huang Gang chuckled, he had already considered the whole thing clearly in his heart.Importing American wheat is indeed a good idea that kills multiple birds with one stone. Internally, it can relieve the pressure on land and agricultural water, and restore the severely overdrawn land and water resources.Externally, we can win over the powerful American Agricultural Association and make them hardcore supporters of China.Huang Gang is not as optimistic as Lin Zhenhua. Naturally, he can't think of the situation where the foreign exchange reserves will be inexhaustible in the future. Otherwise, he would think that this is also a good way to find a way out for the excess dollars.

Even the question of how to subsidize the fallow farmers raised by himself, he already has a sufficient plan in his mind. Simply put, it is an ecological compensation plan.The average price of rural water in North China is about 1 cents per ton, while that of urban residents is 2 yuan per ton.If the water saved in agriculture can be resold to urban residents, the price difference alone is enough to feed the farmers who grow food.Of course, the specific operation has to be carried out by relevant departments, which is not difficult.

"Well, have you figured it out?" Lin Zhenhua saw that Huang Gang's face gradually became more relaxed, and knew that he had been convinced by himself, "Now we can go talk to the Americans, right?"

Huang Gang nodded and said, "Okay, but I can't make the decision on this matter. I can only discuss a general intention with the other party first. To change the country's grain import policy, it is estimated that the central government will hold a meeting to discuss and decide."

The two returned to the meeting room, Lin Zhenhua smiled apologetically to the Americans, and said, "I'm sorry, everyone, just now Director Huang and I went out to discuss the issue of importing agricultural products from the United States. Director Huang talked about his However, I have persuaded him. Out of the overall situation of Sino-US friendship, he promised to persuade his leaders to agree to import more than 2000 million tons of wheat and other crops such as corn from the United States.”

"Oh, this is really great, thank you so much, Mr. Huang." Radka and Slit stood up at the same time, thanking Huang Gang ecstatically.

Huang Gang waved his hand, pointed to Lin Zhenhua and said, "Hehe, you should thank Chairman Lin. The matter of importing food has a great impact on our country's agriculture, and our government will also bear a lot of pressure because of it. Fortunately, Chairman Lin said that his company is willing to contribute part of the money to help the government resettle farmers who have lost their jobs due to imported grain.”

The two of Radka turned their heads to thank Lin Zhenhua, and Lin Zhenhua quickly waved his hands, pointed the focus at Ford, and said, "You don't have to thank me, if you want to thank, Mr. Ford, if he didn't come all the way from afar China, how could we reach such a consensus?"

This is when everyone lifted the sedan chair, and Lin Zhenhua gave the credit to Ford. Naturally, Radka and Scott knew what they should do.Ford is a member of Congress. He has won such a big cake for the Agricultural Association. Can the Agricultural Association not reciprocate?With the support of the Agricultural Association, the voice of Congressman Ford can be expanded by dozens of decibels.

"OK, OK, I think this should be a win-win result, right?" Ford concluded, "You agreed to import American agricultural products, and we tried to persuade Congress to make an exception for Chinese industrial products, so that we can communicate with each other. , and there will be no friction due to the trade deficit issue. I think this result is what everyone is happy to see."

"The United States has abundant land and water resources, and we have abundant labor resources. We exchange industrial products with the United States for agricultural products, which is in line with Adam Smith's theory of absolute advantage. This can be regarded as a return to Smith's tradition." Huang Gang's mood Happily dropped the book bag.

"Yes, yes, as early as 20 years ago, I told Lin that the United States is a developing country and China is a developed country. Now it seems that my prediction is really accurate." Ford laughed.

"Uh...Mr. Ford, did you get the tense wrong? It should be said that the United States is a developed country and China is a developing country." Huang Gang corrected.In English, the developed country is Developed_country and the developing country is Developing_country, one is perfect tense and the other is progressive tense, so Huang Gang thinks that Ford must have made a mistake in the tense.

"No, no, no, I'm not mistaken." Ford said triumphantly, "I did say that China is a developed country, and the United States is a developing country. You know, developed countries have always sold industrial products to developing countries in exchange for Agricultural products. Now that the United States has become a country that produces agricultural products for China, isn’t it a developing country?”

(End of this chapter)