“Will this squeeze out farmland for planting?”
Lu Yijian frowned and said.
If cotton were widely grown in the South, it would obviously have a impact on southern crops.
As I said just now, the south is now the main population gathering area.
The reason why the Song Dynasty was able to maintain its rule was that the Champa rice agricultural revolution occurred in the south, which led to a huge increase in grain production in the south. As a result, grain was transported from the south to the north through the canal, and then to Bianliang, and then to Hebei and Shaanxi.
If cotton was widely promoted in the south, Lu Yijian was worried that cotton would squeeze out farmland, leading to a sharp drop in grain production.
Zhao Jun said without hesitation, "Yes. From the Southern Song Dynasty until the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, the southern Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions were the main grain-producing areas. There was a saying there that if Suzhou and Changshu were together, the world would be full. Because the Ming court was tricked into banning maritime trade, southern gentry secretly went out to sea to do business. They needed cash crops such as mulberry, hemp, and cotton to make silk, linen, and cotton clothes for sale. They converted a large amount of farmland into mulberry, hemp, and cotton fields to generate economic benefits, causing a nationwide food shortage and foreshadowing the demise of the Ming Dynasty."
“So you’re still promoting it in the South?”
Lu Yijian was puzzled.
Zhao Jun looked at him and said, "Would you give up eating just because you were dying of overeating? The fundamental reason for the food shortage is that the landlord class hoards grain, buying low and selling high. It's not that the Song Dynasty is short of food. As long as this problem is solved, or productivity continues to rise, leading to a significant increase in grain production, it would be reasonable to convert some farmland into cotton fields."
“But what should we do now that productivity hasn’t increased and the problem of large landowners hoarding grain hasn’t been solved?”
Lu Yijian frowned.
"We can start with small-scale planting. Once the experiment is successful, we can promote it on a large scale without allowing farmland to be converted into cotton fields."
Zhao Jun said, "Cotton isn't very particular about the soil it grows on. Unlike rice, which requires constant watering of paddy fields, cotton can be grown on hillsides and wild land as long as it's watered regularly and gets plenty of sunlight. As productivity increases, we'll have an abundant variety of food, ensuring there's no shortage of food, and we can also grow more cash crops."
"I see."
Lu Yijian thought for a moment, then turned to Wang Zeng and said, "It seems that Zeng Lin, the Transport Commissioner of Guangdong, is your disciple."
Wang Zeng nodded slightly and said, "In the first year of Tianxi, I was framed by Wang Qinruo and dismissed from my position as Minister of Rites. I presided over the imperial examination that year, and he was indeed selected by me as a top-three Jinshi. Twenty years have already passed in a flash."
"Lao Wang, I'll leave this matter to you."
Zhao Jun said.
Wang Zeng rolled his eyes at Lu Yijian and said, "Okay, another task."
(End of this chapter)
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