Chapter 690: Farmers have it hard

It was a middle-aged man wearing a straw hat. He was weeding in the wheat field. Hearing the call, he turned his head, looked over, and shouted happily, "Yongjun, you're back."

Liu Yongjun said, "Yes, I'm accompanying the new town mayor to visit the villages today."

In a nearby field, another middle-aged woman also raised her head. She called out, "Yongjun." Liu Yongjun called back, "Mom." His mother was relatively short; she had been bent over weeding just now and was hidden by the wheat, so Liu Yongjun hadn't seen her.

Liu's father and mother both came out of the fields and walked onto the ridge. They smiled honestly and said, "This is the town mayor?"

Liu Yongjun said, "That's right, this is the new Mayor Su."

Liu Tiegang laughed, "Brother Dongtian, Mayor Su values Yongjun quite highly. Aren't you going to hurry up and invite Mayor Su to drink at your place this noon?"

Liu Dongtian hurriedly said to his wife, "Mother of the children, hurry home and fix a few good dishes. We're inviting Mayor Su to drink at our house at noon."

Su Xinghui said, "Uncle Liu, don't let Auntie go to the trouble. We are going back to the town government for lunch."

Liu Dongtian said, "How can that be? You are a guest when you come here, and it's almost noon now. If you don't stay here for a meal, that's looking down on us."

Hearing Liu Dongtian put it this way, Su Xinghui could only nod and say, "Alright then, we'll eat at your house at noon. But don't make too many dishes. I'm driving, so I can't drink. We'll just have a meal, keep it simple."

Liu Dongtian said, "Mother of the children, why aren't you going back yet?"

Liu's mother agreed and hurried home.

Liu Dongtian said, "It's sunny here and hot. Let's go sit under the shade of the tree."

The group went to a tree nearby, found a few stones, and sat down. Looking at the wheat in the fields, Su Xinghui asked, "Uncle Liu, I see this wheat is growing quite well."

Liu Dongtian sighed, "Sigh, the growth is indeed good, but there won't be much of a harvest. Two or three hundred jin per mu is considered decent."

Su Xinghui asked in surprise, "Is it really that little?"

Liu Dongtian said, "Being able to get three hundred jin is already a blessing. I'm just afraid of heavy rain or strong winds. If the wheat falls over, we might not even get one hundred jin per mu."

Su Xinghui said, "Why is it so little?"

Liu Dongtian said, "We can't buy chemical fertilizer."

Hearing Liu Dongtian explain the ins and outs, Su Xinghui finally understood.

Grain yields in this era were not high and were very dependent on chemical fertilizer. With sufficient fertilizer, the yield of rice per mu could reach seven or eight hundred jin, and wheat could reach four or five hundred jin. Without sufficient fertilizer, the yield per mu would be at least halved.

If natural disasters or pest infestations occurred, the grain yield per mu would be even lower, and there was even a possibility of a total crop failure. If that really happened, the farmers would be truly miserable.

To grow grain well, base fertilizer needed to be applied before sowing or transplanting, usually fifty to one hundred jin of phosphate fertilizer per mu. Those in better conditions would use fifty jin of compound fertilizer. Then, during the crop growth process, several top-dressings were needed, requiring at least dozens to a hundred jin of urea per mu.

However, domestic chemical fertilizer production was currently low, and fertilizer was a scarce commodity. Many farmers could not buy enough fertilizer, and even if they could, the costs would increase significantly. After all the deductions, they couldn't earn much money.

Liu Dongtian sighed, "Sigh, farmers have it hard. Mayor, our family has ten or so mu of land. In a good year, we can harvest a few thousand jin of grain; in a bad year, only two or three thousand jin. After paying the public grain, we still have to pay the levies and pooling fees. If it weren't for the chickens and two pigs we raised at home, we wouldn't even be able to afford to send our youngest son to school."

Liu Tiegang hurriedly said, "Brother Dongtian, don't talk nonsense in front of Mayor Su. Aren't you saying the Party's policies aren't good?"

Su Xinghui said, "It's fine, Secretary Liu. I came to the village to hear the real situation. Otherwise, if I don't find the root of the problem, I can't solve it!"

Liu Tiegang smiled sheepishly and stopped talking. Su Xinghui said, "Uncle Liu, didn't the county cancel quite a few levies and pooling fees?"

Liu Dongtian said, "Sigh, the county did cancel quite a few, but the town added several more items."

Hearing this, Liu Tiegang was so anxious he kept winking, but Liu Dongtian's words were already out.

Su Xinghui laughed, "It's fine, Uncle Liu. This year, I will cancel the unreasonable parts of the town's levies and pooling fees."

Liu Dongtian was overjoyed, "Mayor, are you saying that for real?"

Su Xinghui nodded and said, "Of course I mean it. I am the town mayor; if I don't keep my word, how can I be a mayor?"

Liu Tiegang looked at Su Xinghui in astonishment. Cancel the unreasonable parts of the levies and pooling fees? Could the town's finances handle that?

As if understanding Liu Tiegang's thoughts, Su Xinghui laughed, "Director Liu, even if finances are tight, we can't just fleece the farmers. How much wool can be fleeced from a farmer? If it's all fleeced away, can the farmers still survive?"

Liu Tiegang said, "Mayor, do you have a way to solve the financial problem?"

Su Xinghui said, "I do have a way. Not only can it solve the town's financial problem, but it can also increase the farmers' income. However, this requires your cooperation!"

Liu Tiegang said, "As long as we can increase income, we will definitely cooperate."