Chapter 186: United Agricultural Development Company

The establishment of the Congo Territory caused a sensation both inside and outside of Europe, as this was the first time a European nation had established a colony of such scale within the interior of the African continent.

In addition to attracting the attention of various governments and royal families, it also drew significant interest from a large number of Spanish nobles.

Currently, the vast majority of Spanish nobles share a common trait: they are landed gentry, meaning they are nobles who make their living from the land they hold.

Most of the nobles' income comes from the land and castles in their possession, with very little involvement in industry or finance.

This has also led to a situation where, although the royal family's land holdings are not as extensive as those of these nobles, their total assets have quickly surpassed them.

After all, farming is nowhere near as lucrative as industry and finance; these are the most profitable sectors in this era. Especially after the Spanish government promulgated policies to reduce land taxes and rents, the income nobles derived from their land decreased even further.

The newly established Congo Territory is absolutely a piece of undeveloped land, possessing immense economic benefits and potential value.

One must not underestimate the ambition of European colonists; basically, any region in this era not yet stepped upon by European colonists is considered barren and unworthy of colonization.

The fact that Spain was able to establish the Congo Territory on the upper plateau of the Congo River basin indicates that the Spanish royal family has determined this land possesses development value, and that establishing the Congo Territory can bring in enormous revenue.

Some nobles did indeed have ideas about the newly established Congo Territory, but Gao Da did not express any stance, and the nobles could only let the matter drop.

After all, the Gao Da of this time is no longer the young king who once lacked any power. To think of bypassing Gao Da to establish plantations in Gao Da's Congo Territory is simply wishful thinking.

While the nobles were anxious, Gao Da had already arranged for the church and a small number of trusted nobles to take the first steps in developing the Congo River basin.

Historically, King Leopold II of Belgium earned vast wealth through the abundant natural rubber trees in the Congo, but it is clear that Gao Da cannot fully imitate him at this time.

These natural rubber trees are indeed a massive fortune, but they can only be turned into income once rubber truly becomes valuable.

Although rubber has other uses at present, the time when rubber truly becomes valuable will have to wait until the successive births of tires and automobiles.

It is precisely because the uses for rubber have been greatly expanded that its value has continued to grow, and rubber plantations and rubber companies everywhere have sprung up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Currently, the value of rubber is about the same as oil; both have low prices because their greatest uses have not yet been discovered. The rise in oil prices is also due to the invention of various internal combustion engines and motors, coupled with the birth of machinery that uses these engines, which has caused the value of oil as an energy source to climb steadily.

The same logic applies to rubber. Before the birth of tires and other series of rubber products, natural rubber certainly had some value, but it was not high.

Although one cannot make a fortune relying on rubber plantations, the land in the Congo currently still has many other uses.

In fact, the Congo, which is irrigated almost entirely by the Congo River, is quite suitable for agricultural cultivation.

However, because the Congo Basin is covered in tropical rainforests, various diseases and venomous insects run rampant, making the environment of this region extremely poor and agricultural development extremely difficult.

Conversely, the plateau regions in the upper reaches have less dense vegetation and fewer venomous insects, making them relatively simple to develop. Furthermore, due to its tropical location, it is quite suitable for planting rice, cotton, oil crops, as well as cocoa, rubber, bananas, and more.

Since rubber plantations cannot be managed, one could turn their gaze toward cotton plantations, banana plantations, and the like. In any case, there is a large amount of indigenous labor locally that can be exploited; as long as the plantations are set up, there are all sorts of ways to make money.

After the Congo Territory announced its establishment, crops and agricultural products from the upper plateau could be transported in two ways. The first is by rail to the ports of the Spanish Guinea colony, and the other is by river, following the Congo River downstream until reaching the estuary.

For Spain, naturally, they want both methods. Although the first method of rail transport can also successfully move supplies, this railway is, after all, a single-track line, and there is a limit to the transport of goods.

Secondly, there is the need to strengthen control over the Congo River basin. Since the Congo Territory has already been established, the next most important task is to control the entire Congo River, extending through the river to the entire basin, thereby controlling the entire Congo region.

In this regard, the biggest colonial competitor Spain faces is Portugal. For a long time in the past, Portugal has been carrying out colonial aggression against the Kingdom of Congo and has established its own West African colony.

Although they have not yet fully mastered the lower reaches of the Congo River, if Spain does not quicken its pace, it is very likely that Portugal will fully control the lower reaches of the Congo River before the Spanish colonial teams arrive.

This is disadvantageous for Spain. After all, the upper reaches of the Congo River are an inland area; without the support of river transport and ports, economic development will be subject to certain limitations.

On this point, even if relations between Spain and Portugal have eased, Gao Da will not retreat even a single step.

If Portugal is determined to engage in colonial competition with Spain in the lower reaches of the Congo River, then Gao Da would not mind deploying the power of the Imperial Guard to forcibly seize this region.

If Portugal is dissatisfied, at worst, a war will break out between the two Iberian nations. For Spain, a war could instead serve to train its army.

Such colonial disputes are not enough to force other great powers to intervene; it would be nothing more than mediation. As long as the great powers do not interfere, Gao Da will not have the slightest bit of timidity regarding the struggle between the two Iberian nations.

Let alone a small Portugal; even if two Portugals were to unite, they would not be a match for Spain.

The gap between Portugal and Spain does not only exist in land area and population, but is a comprehensive backwardness in terms of economy, industry, population, agriculture, and more.

The land of the Congo is extremely important to Gao Da. Not only can it develop agriculture and plant cash crops, but it also possesses extremely rich natural resources and mineral deposits.

The Congo of later generations is known as the world's raw material warehouse, possessing a variety of rich natural resources and multiple rare metals.

Among these, it possesses over 75 million tons of copper ore, 4. million tons of cobalt ore, 7 million tons of zinc ore, 600 tons of gold ore, and 200 million carats of diamond mines. It also possesses over 25 million tons of oil, 40 billion cubic meters of natural gas, and over 60 million tons of coal.

Such rich mineral resources are a very good supplement for the Spanish mainland, and because it is located in Africa, transport is also relatively convenient.

More importantly, the Congo also possesses a large amount of high-purity uranium ore, which is an important raw material for making atomic bombs in the future.

Although the atomic bomb is a very distant future, even if Gao Da does not think for himself, he must think for his future successors.

If they can become the first country in the world to possess an atomic bomb, Spain will have more confidence in the future world war; this will have a huge impact on the war situation and a huge impact on the future fate of Spain.

As the first Spanish duke Gao Da became acquainted with, Duke Ya Ke Bo plays a fairly significant role in Gao Da's plans.

After receiving Gao Da's summons, Duke Ya Ke Bo rushed to the Wang Gong and very respectfully requested an audience with Gao Da.

At this time, Gao Da was finishing his development plan for the Congo River basin, and when Duke Ya Ke Bo arrived, this plan was just reaching its conclusion.

"Your Majesty." Duke Ya Ke Bo bowed very respectfully, showing not the slightest bit of contempt for the 24-year-old king before him, but rather great importance and respect.

Duke Ya Ke Bo understood that the young king before him was by no means a child with immature methods. To look down on such a king would simply be joking with one's own title and future.

Although European kings rarely abolish noble titles, this does not mean the king lacks such power. Furthermore, Gao Da is not a native Spaniard and does not have very deep feelings for these native Spanish nobles.

If these Spanish nobles were to ignorantly stand in Gao Da's way, perhaps the event of Gao Da abolishing certain nobles would happen in the near future.

Whether a king can abolish a noble actually depends on the power the king himself possesses and the influence this king has within the entire European noble system.

After all, nobles are also human; they will also be afraid when facing such power that can deprive them of their noble status. Once the nobles are afraid, they will naturally unite to resist the Wang Quan.

If the king cannot deal with the united opposition of the nobles, then naturally he has no right to strip them of their titles. Otherwise, should a civil war between the king and the nobles be triggered, it would lead to national turmoil at best, and the abolition of the royal family or the nobility at worst, dealing a heavy blow to the monarchy.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, European kings rarely fall out with their subordinate nobles. Unless the nobles themselves court death by violating the interests of the king and the majority of other nobles.

Such nobles do not even need the king to take action personally; the nobles themselves will unite to purge the traitors.

Gao Da nodded with a smile, then got straight to the point: "Duke Ya Ke Bo, I plan to establish a United Agricultural Development Company in the Congo. I wonder if you have any interest in serving as the person in charge of the company?"

The United Agricultural Development Company, as the name implies, is actually the main institution for Gao Da to develop agriculture in the Congo. The reason it is a "United" company is also because of considerations regarding the subsequent participation of nobles in the development of the Congo.

"United Agricultural Development Company?" Duke Ya Ke Bo was stunned for a moment, then posed his own question: "Your Majesty, what is the purpose of this company? Is it only engaged in the planting and sales of agricultural products, or is it to develop agriculture in the Congo region on a large scale?"

There are several different ways to develop agriculture in the Congo region. The first is to establish plantations of a certain scale, using the simplest method to squeeze profits from the Congo.

The second is to monopolize the agricultural trade in the Congo region by building plantations on a large scale, developing agriculture, and constructing transport roads, and to infiltrate influence into other places outside the Congo, such as Portugal's West African colony, and so on.

With different choices, the power and status of the so-called United Agricultural Development Company would naturally be different.

If it were only the first method, then this so-called company would actually just be an institution formed by a few agricultural plantations, with no great power.

But if it were the second method, the agricultural development company would become an important means for Spain to exert influence on the Central African region, and could even control the Central African region through the company.

One must not underestimate the influence of such a company. When the United Agricultural Development Company holds a large output of agricultural products, it can influence the prices of agricultural products in a region or even a country.

And the fluctuation of agricultural product prices affects the income of farmers, and the income of farmers relates to the stability of the entire country.

Especially for regions like Portugal's West African colony, which cannot be self-sufficient and requires material exports from the Portuguese mainland, a large-scale agricultural development company can cause a great impact.

"Regarding the development of the agricultural company, I have always maintained high expectations. According to the expedition team's investigation of the Congo region, the entire Congo River basin possesses very high value for agricultural development."

"Especially the plateau region in the upper reaches of the Congo River; because there are no dense tropical rainforests, it is relatively easy to develop agriculture."

"The task of the United Agricultural Development Company is, first of all, to establish a large number of plantations in this region to increase the crop output of the Congo."

"Only after the United Agricultural Development Company achieves profitability will subsequent expansion be possible. Specific matters cannot be explained in short words; if you are willing to serve as the general manager of the United Agricultural Development Company, the development of the company can be decided by you; you only need to be responsible to me," Gao Da said with a smile.

Duke Ya Ke Bo asking clearly before agreeing to a matter is exactly what Gao Da is most satisfied with. If he had just nodded and agreed without asking anything clearly, Gao Da would instead doubt his ability.

To solve a matter, the most important thing is to understand the cause and process, so that it can be solved reasonably. Duke Ya Ke Bo's steady attitude made Gao Da very satisfied; the yet-to-be-born United Agricultural Development Company needs such a leader to open up a great cause in the barren Congo River basin.

Hearing Gao Da's answer, Duke Ya Ke Bo no longer had any concerns, nodded, and said respectfully to Gao Da: "I am willing to share your worries, Your Majesty."

Gao Da nodded again with a smile, already regarding the honest and dutiful duke before him as one of his own: "The church will also participate in the agricultural development work of the Congo Territory; after the company is established, you can cooperate with the church."

"After the plantations in the Congo Territory have a certain scale and begin to make a profit, you can use a large amount of propaganda to spread these matters; it is best to let all the nobles know."

Hearing that the church would also participate in the agricultural development of the Congo Territory, Duke Ya Ke Bo was stunned at first. But then hearing Gao Da say that after the plantations became profitable, they should conduct extensive public opinion propaganda, striving to let these Spanish nobles know, Duke Ya Ke Bo completely understood Gao Da's intention.

To put it bluntly, the church's participation is more like bait on a hook, tempting the nobles, these fish, to take the bait.

The clever Duke Ya Ke Bo even thought of more, such as the government previously purchasing a portion of the nobles' land through high-price land acquisition, and then renting it out at low prices to Spanish farmers for cultivation.

To put it bluntly, the nobles hold too much land, which not only affects Spain's agricultural development but also harms the interests of the majority of Spain's agricultural population.

Especially in a situation where Spain's land is not fertile, the amount of land in the hands of farmers directly relates to their income.

And most of Spain's land is held by the nobles, which also means that a large part of Spain's agricultural income is occupied by the nobles.

What is Gao Da's purpose in attracting nobles to develop agriculture in the Congo through such methods? Isn't it for those lands the nobles have in Spain?

Thinking of these, Duke Ya Ke Bo became clearer about Gao Da's plan and felt heartfelt admiration for Gao Da, who could come up with such a plan.

For the current Spain, this is indeed a very good way to effectively alleviate the problem of nobles holding the vast majority of land.

More importantly, such a method will not overly irritate the nobles. After all, the Congo River basin does indeed have more land; if it is truly fertile land more suitable for agricultural cultivation, then the nobles would not lose anything by exchanging land.

One must know that the Congo Territory has only been established for a very short time. That Gao Da could propose such a plan proves that even before the Congo Territory was established, Gao Da already had such thoughts.

Judging from Gao Da's current performance, he is far better than the previous two monarchs of Spain. How could Duke Ya Ke Bo not understand the importance of the United Agricultural Development Company? This is not only an important institution for Spain to control the Congo Territory and the Central African region through economic means, but also an important means for Gao Da to solve the problem of landed nobles.

And as the first manager of this company, Duke Ya Ke Bo's importance in Gao Da's heart will naturally increase as well.

Thinking of this, Duke Ya Ke Bo naturally did not have the slightest hesitation; for him, this is also a good opportunity to increase his influence in Spanish politics and his status among the nobles.

"I understand, Your Majesty. After the Agricultural Development Company is established, I will contact the church to jointly develop agriculture in the Congo Territory."

"But regarding public opinion propaganda, perhaps we will need the cooperation of the *Sun* and the *Spanish National Newspaper*." Duke Ya Ke Bo stood up very solemnly and gave his answer and promise.

It is clearly somewhat beyond its power for an agricultural development company that has not yet been established to vigorously develop plantations in the Congo Territory. But if there is support from the church, or if cooperation is launched with the church, the construction progress of the plantations will be much smoother.

The influence of the Spanish church is still very large. Through the church's propaganda, it can attract some Spaniards to go to the Congo River basin for development.

Coupled with the efforts of the church's missionaries and the large number of local indigenous people, the establishment of plantations will be very smooth, and achieving profitability or even making a huge profit is just around the corner.

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