Chapter 284
The matter of buying the machine was handed over to Brother Xiaopang, and Su Miao started to think about the issue of raw materials.
Condiments such as garlic and chili peppers are available on the market all year round, but the prices fluctuate with the season, which is not a big problem.
However, the papayas are collected by my second uncle in the village. There are currently no farmers here who specialize in papaya cultivation. They are all planted in scattered areas, and the varieties are uneven.
After the papayas are harvested, they need to be peeled, deseeded, and dried in the sun to shrink. Even then, they need to be slightly soaked and seasoned with other ingredients. To make a bottle of shredded papaya, nearly a pound of papaya is needed.
With the increase in sales and production capacity, the demand for papaya is growing. If Su Miao still uses the current purchasing method, he feels a little passive.
So she came up with the idea of focusing on her own bulk planting and supplementing it with purchasing from individual traders.
After she told her father about her idea, Su Yuanzheng felt that this was a feasible plan, but it would be difficult to implement.
"Miao Miao, first of all, we don't have any land. If we want to grow crops, we have to rent land and hire people to manage it. Moreover, if we start from seedlings, it will take two or three years to have a harvest, and the costs in the meantime are not small."
"Dad, I want to go back and ask my second uncle and aunt if they are willing to take charge of this area. They have land and can manage it. They can hire helpers. Brother Xiang and sister-in-law are quite suitable.
As for planting, I don't plan to start with seedlings. We can plant mature or semi-mature trees from individual farmers. The initial investment will be relatively large, but if all goes well, we'll have a stable supply of papayas in six months. However, I don't have the technical expertise, so I'll need to consult the Agricultural Science Center if this approach is feasible.
This is a long-term and major matter, and its specific implementation still depends on my second uncle and second aunt. It is difficult to explain it in just a few words over the phone, so Su Miao decided to go back to Sujia Village.
Since Su Yu and Jiang Fengyi were able to take on the main responsibilities, Su Yuanzheng had much more freedom and accompanied Su Miao back.
Second uncle answered their call and said he wanted to go back, but he didn't specify why. A few hours later, they arrived.
My second uncle came out on a tricycle to greet me and asked, "Why did you come back so suddenly? Is there anything you need to do?"
"Second uncle, we have something to discuss with you and second aunt. It's hard to explain over the phone, so we came back directly."
"Oh, okay, then let's go straight home. Your second aunt is at home."
Su Miao and his father arrived at his second uncle's house and first visited his third aunt. After his second aunt came in and sat down, he told them about his idea of growing papayas.
Planting papayas in bulk to supply the workshop? This is quite novel. Papaya is not a cash crop, and no one here has ever planted it in large quantities.
This new idea made my second uncle and second aunt unable to react for a while. They looked at each other.
But the third wife immediately praised: "This is a good idea! I have the goods in hand, so I don't have to worry. The raw materials and costs of the workshop can also be stable."
Su Miao smiled and said, "Third Auntie, do you also support my idea?"
"Of course I support you. Our Miaomiao is very smart. If you want to succeed, you have to look at the long term and be ahead of others in everything. You are thinking of your uncle and aunt and are willing to let them do it. This shows your kindness to them. As for whether they understand or not, it depends on their understanding."
The third mother-in-law said this directly in front of her son and daughter-in-law, making them both laugh. The second uncle said, "Mom, you're trying to get me to do something! I didn't say I wouldn't do it. I've already been thinking about how to do it."
Second Aunt also said: "Yes, Mom, you don't know me yet. Miaomiao has given us such a great bargain. How can we push it away? We have land and strength. We will fight wherever Miaomiao points!"
Since the two of you have expressed your opinions, the matter is half done. However, the third wife said again: "But there is one thing, you have to separate from Azhi and his wife."
Second Uncle was startled and said quickly, "Ah? Mom, you want us to separate from Azhi? He's the eldest son and will take care of us in our old age. How can we divide it?"
"It's not really a division of the family. Times are different now. It's not like before liberation when one head of household controlled all the family money. Isn't the money earned by the children in their own hands now?
I'm referring to the cooperation between you and A Zheng Miao Miao. The planting management is done by you, not by our family. If A Zhi and his wife go to help in the future, they will be treated as helpers. They cannot make the decisions, and their wages cannot be reduced.
We, as elders, need to sort these things out so that when we are gone, our children won’t quarrel over them.”
Su Miao listened from the side and felt that Third Aunt was extremely wise and insightful. No wonder all the children in Second Uncle's family were good. Education was really important.
Uncle Er thought about it and said, "I understand. Now that we have a small shop at home and we have crops, we can just let Azhi and the others take care of these things. We have a piece of land at the end of the village near the stream. It has good sunlight and is easy to water, but it's not very fertile. Planting papaya trees doesn't require fertile land, so that's just right."
The vegetables we planted before have all grown up now, and once we harvest them we can free up the land. But we have to go to several villages to harvest the trees, and it would be a technical job to dig them up.”
Su Miaowei frowned, shook his head slightly and said, "I don't know much about this agricultural knowledge, and it won't work if I just do it on my own. I want to go to the Agricultural Science Station for consultation tomorrow. There are professional agronomists there who can give us professional advice and guidance, which will increase the success rate."
Su Yuanzheng, who had been sitting quietly listening nearby, said, "Professional matters still need professional guidance. Before coming here, I contacted a friend at the Agricultural Bureau, and he said he'd already found someone and made arrangements. It's an agronomist, also named Su, with a university degree! I heard that although he's only in his early thirties, he's already a key technical staff member at the Agricultural Science Station."
Su Miao looked at his father in surprise and admiration, and couldn't help but praise him: "Dad! You are so awesome! You even know someone from the Agricultural Bureau~"
"Hehehe, after all, I've been working in the factory for so many years, and I know some people in Ning County."
Second Uncle patted his chest and said, "Okay! Tomorrow I'll ride my tricycle and go with you! I'll tell the experts about the situation of my land and ask if it's possible to plant it. If it's possible, I'll come back and clean it up right away."
So, this is how things are roughly decided. As for how to proceed, we have to consult experts tomorrow before we can make the next plan.
After all, this is different from planting one or two papaya trees at your doorstep. It requires mass planting, site selection, variety selection, planting methods, and later maintenance, all of which are technical work.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
