"Alright, Old Song, your Shigu District isn't the worst. If you're making a fuss here, what should the people in Donggu and Baita do?" Shen Zilie laughed, "There are definitely many difficulties, but work must be done. What's the point of us officials if we don't do anything?"
"Right, Secretary Shen, I heard that the kiwifruit in the southern districts will bear fruit this year. I wonder how the yield will be? This thing is said to be a novelty. Our district has two towns that tried planting about 500 to 600 acres on some barren hills last year, just to see how it goes." Song Chenghua suddenly remembered something, "I wonder if this thing can sell for a good price? The people from the regional agricultural bureau talked it up two years ago, saying it's rich in nutrients, especially vitamins A, B, and C, and is very popular. I wonder if that's true?"
Kiwifruit is the local name for kiwi in Liyang.
"It should be good, but kiwifruit is a trendy fruit. I think the people in our city aren't very familiar with this kind of fruit yet, right?" Shen Zilie also knew that several counties in the Liyang region had started planting kiwifruit.
It turns out that there are wild kiwifruits in the mountainous areas here, but the fruit quality and yield are poor, and they haven't been commercialized. However, a few years ago, a deputy commissioner from the Ministry of Agriculture, who was assigned to the Liyang region, promoted the planting of high-quality kiwifruit varieties. This received strong support from the Liyang Regional Committee and the Administrative Office. Therefore, in addition to Nantang, Huoshan and Futou counties also utilized barren hills and slopes for kiwifruit planting. Huoshan County planted 2,000 acres, Nantang 1,500 acres, and Futou 800 acres.
"Really? Secretary Shen, I heard from the people from the regional agricultural bureau that this thing is very popular abroad and in big cities, and can sell for a good price. I was thinking that our Shigu District has many barren hills and slopes. This year, we planted 400 acres of kiwifruit trees and plan to plant another 1,000 to 1,200 acres next spring. If the yield is good and the price is high, we can expand the plan to 1,500 to 2,000 acres. We just need to see how the benefits are." Song Chenghua was very enthusiastic, "I heard that Wubao District is also transforming barren slopes, probably also planning to focus on kiwifruit."
"Oh? Everyone thinks kiwifruit will bring such high returns? How many acres of kiwifruit are planted in the county?" Shen Zilie was slightly surprised. He had just become the deputy county magistrate at the beginning of the year and had not been involved in government work as the deputy secretary. When the kiwifruit planting started in Liyang, he was still in the province, and a vice-county magistrate was in charge of agriculture, so he was not clear about the kiwifruit planting situation in the county.
"About 1,500 to 1,600 acres, mainly in Donggu and Baita districts. They started early and will bear fruit this year. We and Wubao started this year, on a smaller scale. But according to the experts from the regional agricultural bureau and the agricultural research institute, kiwifruit has a good yield when it enters the peak production period. If it can sell for a good price, it could be a way for farmers to increase their income." Song Chenghua glanced at the Shiqiao Township Party Secretary and Township Head, "Old Yu, Chengtai, how much do you plan to plant next spring?"
"Hehe, Secretary Song, our Shiqiao plans to plant 300 acres, but we have many barren hills, so 400 acres is also possible. We mainly need to see how the southern districts do this year." Yu Lianshan, a veteran township party secretary, just smiled and listened to the conversation between Song Chenghua and Shen Zilie without interrupting. He only responded when Song Chenghua asked.
Lu Weimin had been quietly listening to Shen Zilie and the leaders of Shigu District, but in his mind, he was carefully recalling the kiwifruit incident that had a significant impact on his early career.
The Liyang region is a typical hilly area, especially the southern counties, which have low-lying, fertile soil and extensive barren hills and slopes, with great development potential. Although it is not suitable for grain crops, it is a natural treasure for economic crops, especially kiwifruit.
The deputy commissioner from the Ministry of Agriculture who was assigned to the Liyang region was quite forward-thinking in promoting high-quality kiwifruit in the southern counties, which could be a path to wealth for local farmers.
However, there is a classic saying: being one step ahead is advanced, being two steps ahead is a martyr.
Without fully mobilizing the market, the government's call for large-scale kiwifruit planting directly led to a large amount of kiwifruit in the Liyang region rotting and spoiling, causing significant losses to farmers. This led to mass protests and road blockades, resulting in a major political incident. This not only severely damaged the credibility of the local party and government but also seriously affected the relationship between officials and the masses, impacting rural work for a long time, and it took many years to slowly recover.
The kiwifruit incident also directly led to many officials in the Liyang region becoming "martyrs." Their once bright careers were tarnished, and Shen Zilie, who was undoubtedly one of them, although spared from being directly dismissed due to his deep background, suffered a significant setback in his political career, with far-reaching consequences.
Thinking of this, Lu Weimin's heart began to race. If he could help Shen Zilie in this matter, perhaps Shen Zilie's fate would change, and as his secretary, his own destiny might also open up a broader horizon.
This thought grew uncontrollably, and Lu Weimin nervously pondered the causes and consequences of the kiwifruit incident from his past life. Solving this problem was not as simple as coming up with an idea or talking it out. The concentrated market entry of thousands of acres of kiwifruit was a severe challenge for any local government not fully adapted to the market economy, but it was also his opportunity.
Shen Zilie clearly did not realize that the kiwifruit planting issue he and Song Chenghua were discussing would have such a significant impact on his political future. After a while, they shifted the topic back to the white slips.
Brothers, where are the recommendation votes?!!