Chapter 302: Studying Township Personnel

Lu Fan spent three days researching Longmen Town, Shiqiao Town, Nangou Town, Gaopo Town, and Chengguan Town. The overall feeling was still unsatisfactory; the situation in each town was much the same, the industry had no characteristics, agriculture relied on the weather, and most of the common people lived by farming and doing odd jobs. Life was tight, and there was no ability to resist risks. These situations made Lu Fan very worried.

Moreover, the township secretaries in Ganshui County were generally older, their thinking was solidified, and their concepts were backward. It might not be a big problem for them to manage work within the rules and regulations, but to ask them to be determined to innovate and lead the township cadres and masses to get rich was truly difficult for them.

Young cadres are in the prime of their lives, vigorous, enthusiastic, and have a drive to break through; they are like the rising sun, the positive energy and "living spring water" in the cadre team!

The last township was Laoshan Town, which is the township with the richest forest and grass resources in the whole county. Lu Fan specifically brought Su Xiaoyi with him during the research, intending to let him invest.

After years of struggling, Xiaoyi had accumulated considerable wealth by relying on the slaughterhouse and coffin factory, and was somewhat famous in Yingjiang.

Arriving at Laoshan Town, Township Party Committee Secretary Wang Shuxian and Township Mayor Geng Kai had been waiting for a long time.

Wang Shuxian reported enthusiastically: "Secretary, we have 10 administrative villages, 18 natural villages, and 25 villagers' groups, with a total population of 5,690. The total basin area is 192 square kilometers, the forest coverage area is 160,000 mu, the barren hills and slopes are 33,000 mu, and there are 16,000 mu of arable land, of which 36,000 mu are river terrace land."

"In recent years, under the correct leadership of the County Party Committee and County Government, the economic construction and various social undertakings of Laoshan Township have developed rapidly, infrastructure construction has been significantly improved, the pace of agricultural industrial structure adjustment has accelerated, and three major industries—animal husbandry, vegetables, and economic forest fruits—have been formed, with a strong development momentum."

"Among them, the number of sheep in stock has reached 12,000, and more than 150 households are engaged in shed-feeding sheep; there are 16 professional chicken-raising households, raising more than 17,500 laying hens, with 15 greenhouse chicken-raising sheds; pig raising has begun to take shape, with more than 200 heads currently in stock. The development momentum of greenhouse vegetables is relatively good, with 102 solar greenhouse sheds built this year, reaching a cumulative total of 210. 650 mu of apples, 100 mu of jujube trees, 300 mu of grapes, and 15,000 mu of kernel apricots have been planted..."

After listening, Lu Fan felt that it was far from his expectations. One must know that Laoshan's forest and grass resources were several times that of Ningyang's Baishu Bay, but the industrial development was not even a fraction of Baishu Bay's.

Lu Fan asked: "What is the township's fiscal revenue? What is the per capita net income of farmers?"

Wang Shuxian showed a look of shame and replied: "Secretary, in 2016, the per capita net income of farmers was 2,468 yuan, and the township fiscal revenue was 650,000 yuan."

Lu Fan was noncommittal and went to see three poverty-stricken villages, feeling very uncomfortable in his heart.

Arriving at Laoshan Chicken Industry, General Manager Wang Chi introduced: "Respected Secretary Lu, Laoshan Chicken Industry Co., Ltd. covers an area of 96 mu, with total assets of 35 million. It is a comprehensive service company integrating laying hen and broiler breeding development, agency sales of feed and chicken-raising facilities, chicken disease prevention and control, and chicken product processing and sales."

"The company was established in 2003 and obtained the pollution-free product production area certification issued by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2009. The main products include more than 20 types of products in the 'Laoshan Village' brand series, such as free-range chickens, free-range chicken eggs, egg dried tofu, roasted eggs, and braised eggs."

"'Laoshan Village' brand healthy eggs won the 'Houji Award' at the 15th Agricultural High-tech Fair, and the 'Laoshan Village' registered trademark was also rated as a provincial famous trademark. It passed the ISO9001 quality management system certification in 2010."

"The company adopts the company + base + farmer business model, implementing order agriculture that integrates production, supply, sales, and service..."

After listening to the report, Lu Fan sighed: "General Manager Wang, your company has a glorious history, and Laoshan free-range chicken eggs have a very high popularity in the whole city and have been selling well for more than ten years, but the development is not satisfactory now! You basically don't raise chickens in the factory anymore, right? As far as I know, you buy eggs from a chicken farm in Ningyang and rely on OEM to maintain operations. This won't work; sooner or later, you will destroy the brand you worked so hard to create!"

Wang Chi's face was full of worry and helplessness. He sighed and said: "Secretary Lu, your eyes are truly like torches! I won't tell lies in front of a real person; we really have no choice! When we were engaged in breeding before, we lost money year after year, and the company went downhill. Banks avoided us, and the enterprise was really difficult to sustain. Now we can only rely on OEM to barely survive. I know that doing this is drinking poison to quench thirst, but the company's primary task is survival!"

Lu Fan said: "If an enterprise wants to develop, it must keep up with the pace of the times, be brave enough to break through the shackles of traditional and conservative concepts, further grasp the pulse and changing trends of market development, and find a direction suitable for its own development. I personally think that it is against common sense for an egg-selling enterprise not to raise chickens, and the reason for losing money in raising chickens often lies in problems in management and technical links. If the enterprise encounters major difficulties in funds and management, it can completely adopt the means of investment attraction and cooperate with famous and excellent enterprises. In any case, the brand of Laoshan free-range chicken eggs cannot fall!"

"Of course, the County Party Committee and County Government will fully support the development of the enterprise, but you must first figure out what kind of support you actually need? What effect can be achieved after the support? Don't keep talking about support all day long, but can't say why!"

Wang Chi could feel Lu Fan's concern for the enterprise and also understood that the support of the County Party Committee Secretary was a rare opportunity, so he stated: "Please rest assured, Secretary, I will definitely do everything possible to seek development and try my best to keep the 'free-range chicken egg' brand! I will comprehensively sort out the problems and difficulties currently existing in the enterprise as soon as possible and report to you specifically!"

After researching the enterprise, Lu Fan sent away the people from the township government and took Su Xiaoyi to inspect Laoshan Township.

Parking the car on the side of the road, Lu Fan pointed to the dense forest and said: "Xiaoyi, the forest coverage area of Laoshan Township alone is 160,000 mu. Do you have any ideas?"

Su Xiaoyi laughed: "Is Brother Fan wanting me to move the coffin shop here?"

Lu Fan said: "You can consider building a branch factory here, and this place is suitable for large-scale sheep raising."

Su Xiaoyi considered it and said: "Brother Fan, I'll listen to you. I'll build the coffin factory first. There is no problem with the technology. Baishu Bay now has more than 400 craftsmen. If it's not enough, we'll recruit some apprentices. But I have to plan carefully for sheep raising. I am an expert in slaughtering sheep, but I am a layman in raising sheep."

"If the money is not enough, I will help you coordinate and get a loan from the bank."

Su Xiaoyi gave a "hehe" laugh and said: "Brother Fan, don't worry about this. I have money in my hands, so I don't need a loan to build a factory!"

Hearing Su Xiaoyi's confident words, Lu Fan was very gratified. The poor brothers of the past all had promising futures!

"Xiaoyi, I will greet the Economic Development Bureau. You invest according to the investment attraction project, and all the preferential policies you should enjoy will be implemented for you."

"Okay, Brother Fan, I will go to your Ganshui County Economic Development Bureau tomorrow."

After the research ended, Lu Fan summarized the situation and called Organization Department Head Guo Tongyu to his office to discuss how to adjust the township leadership team.

Talking about his feelings about this research, Lu Fan sighed: "Tongyu, these old oil sticks don't commit crimes but don't do things, don't touch the red line but don't reach the high line. They go to work and get off work normally, but they are unwilling and unable to pioneer and innovate."

"To break the malaise of township lying flat, we must first use the baton of cadre selection well to identify, promote, and reuse cadres who are working steadily on the front line. If Ganshui's townships want to have a turnaround, we must change a batch of party committee secretaries who want to do things, can do things, know how to do things, and can get things done!"

Guo Tongyu replied: "Secretary, this is a 'big project'! These township secretaries have old qualifications and great influence. If you want to adjust them all, you must first find a suitable place for them."

Lu Fan thought for a while and said: "Every ruler has its shortcomings, and every inch has its strengths. These people are not without merits; they are cautious in their work and have good execution, which is quite suitable for work within the rules and regulations. For example, law enforcement departments such as the Work Safety Bureau, Quality Supervision Bureau, and Drug Supervision Bureau are very suitable for them. Or we can use the method of raising the rank to give them the treatment of a fourth-level researcher, allowing them to retire early."

Guo Tongyu thought for a moment and said: "If they are one or two years away from leaving their posts, we can talk. But the oldest Gaopo Town Party Committee Secretary is only 50 years old and still has 5 years to go before leaving his post. I'm afraid it won't be easy to talk."

Lu Fan asked again: "What about those bureau directors? For those who are one or two years away from the age, we can give them treatment and let them vacate their positions."

Guo Tongyu was relatively familiar with the cadres and immediately answered: "The Director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau will retire to the second line next year, and the Personnel Bureau and Water Conservancy Bureau still have two years. However, these three departments are relatively important, and I am afraid it won't be easy to talk."

Lu Fan said: "When adjusting cadres, we can consider their qualifications and emotions. After all, they have worked for twenty or thirty years, and the organization must also have a human touch. But we cannot accommodate them without principles or bottom lines. We must let them recognize the problems they have and realize that the adjustment is care and concern for them. If they are not suitable for the work post, they must be able to go up and down! What's more, we are adjusting them back to the county town to be bureau directors; the organization has taken enough care of their face!"

"Tongyu, don't be stingy with fourth-level and third-level researchers; the treatment can be changed at will. You talk to them first. I will continue to talk to those who can't be talked to. For the sake of Ganshui's development, I am not afraid of offending people!"

"Oh, by the way, the Standing Committee Deputy County Chief will most likely be adjusted. I will try my best to coordinate the promotion of Ganshui cadres, so that we can vacate an important position and shuffle things around."

Guo Tongyu said thoughtfully: "Secretary, I understand. I will get the work started first and report to you once there is progress."

After Guo Tongyu left, Lu Fan asked the office to call Economic Development Bureau Director Luo Chen to the office and specifically gave instructions on matters related to introducing the Ningyang coffin factory.

Luo Chen was very happy to hear that there was investment and stated that he would immediately take the initiative to dock and do a good job in various service work, striving to let the project land as soon as possible.

Now the Investment Promotion Bureau has been merged into the Economic Development Bureau, and Luo Chen has to complete the investment attraction tasks and assessment indicators. ===== CHAPTER 303 =====