Chapter 540 The Feudal Remnants Are Very Powerful
Changes in the grain futures market have a direct impact on grain prices, and capitalists have invariably raised prices.
This price increase is limited to transaction prices, and grain purchase prices have not changed much. From the downstream market to the upstream market, it will take time to ferment.
Raising food prices is essentially to make a fortune. Since last year, the long-term downturn in food prices has seriously affected everyone's interests.
The improved grain prices have no real meaning, and the problem of overcapacity in grain has not been fundamentally resolved. Nothing more than capitalists want to take the opportunity to make a fortune to make up for the losses in the agricultural crisis.
Franz was not optimistic. If all the food capitalists were responsible for the operation, then for their own interests, it was in their best interest to supercharge and stabilize the price of food.
It is a pity that at present, the three major grain futures markets in Europe, except for the relatively strong grain capitalists in Austria, have a certain right to speak, the United Kingdom and France are both dominated by financial capital.
Even the Austrian grain capitalists do not have the strength to operate, even if they add the relevant agricultural product processing industry capital, they barely have this strength.
Not to mention Britain and France, unless the entire real economic capital is tied together, the futures market will always be the site of financial capital.
Being short and fast is always the best pursuit of capital. Doing business with a calm mind is not the purpose of financial capital, which means that the grain market may collapse twice at any time.
Now everyone is still working together to raise food prices. When the price rises almost, and enough speculators are attracted to take over, the end will come.
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At the Vienna Palace, Franz summoned the Minister of Agriculture, Halls.
"Food prices are recovering, but the problem of overcapacity remains unresolved, and the next task for the Ministry of Agriculture is to reduce production.
Don't worry about the lack of food, even in the event of an emergency, we also have enough strategic reserves for emergencies. "
The government cannot arbitrarily interfere in the market, and the international capital gambling game such as the futures market cannot be interfered by the Austrian government. Unless the governments of Britain, France and Austria intervene in the market at the same time, it will only have side effects and cause greater losses.
Affected by the agricultural crisis, Austria also experienced unsalable grains, and the government implemented the minimum protection price policy, which soon purchased a large amount of grain.
The Vienna government itself is a big consumer of grain, and it is not worried about storing too much grain at all. Government agencies, schools, and the military add up to millions of people who need to eat.
Influenced by Franz, the government has long had the habit of storing food. In addition to satisfying personal use, it is usually eaten when food prices are low and thrown out when food prices are high.
Of course, this is only a normal period. After the full-scale agricultural crisis broke out, the Vienna government did not dare to open up acquisitions. If you keep playing like that, you will really go bankrupt.
Minister of Agriculture Halls: "Your Majesty, we are planning an agricultural summit, inviting big capitalists and large farmers in Europe to participate in the agricultural field. Unite the strength of all people and work together to stabilize food prices."
Franz was stunned for a moment, and responded quickly. This is the normal operation. As the world's largest exporter of agricultural products, how could it be possible to respond passively to an agricultural crisis?
It should be known that before the outbreak of the agricultural crisis, the pricing power of international agricultural trade has always been in the hands of Austria.
The Russians played unruly with the British by playing bundled loan sales, breaking the Austrian monopoly on pricing power and causing food prices to plummet.
After this wave, the capitalists naturally realized the terrible consequences of this unruly competition. At this time, it is almost inevitable that they will form a group again.
The Ministry of Agriculture's tinkering with this plan is probably also inseparable from the influence of capital. Or aristocrats engaged in agricultural production, or capitalists in related fields, may be behind the scenes.
Knowing to know, Franz did not mean to get to the bottom, this kind of thing is inevitable. There are many ways for capital to influence government decision-making. In many cases, the parties have not been able to react, and they are led to a rhythm.
"Sounds good, but why is it implemented? Even if there are more results achieved at the Agriculture Summit, how much can they play a role in the absence of mandatory binding?
If this problem cannot be solved, it is better to find a way to push up tariffs on raw grain trade and increase the cost of competitors.
Get in touch with the big farmers, I believe they will have the same interest, and encourage them to mobilize the peasants to put pressure on the government together. "
This idea is very sinister, and it is very unfavorable to the industrially backward countries. Perhaps in the end, it may evolve into imposing tariffs on all agricultural products.
Franz, however, is not worried at all, and it is only the lower-profit primary processing companies that are affected. It will have some impact on Austria in the short term, but in the long run, it will help further promote industrial upgrading.
You can't expect to grind for a lifetime, right? This kind of enterprise with little technical content will be squeezed and unprofitable sooner or later.
If they do not develop new products with higher added value, such processing enterprises with low technical content and unwilling to move forward will not survive in this cruel world for long.
These are just on the surface. If there are no other benefits, this is a tactic of killing one thousand enemies and losing eight hundred. How could Franz use it?
The industry is the most affected by raising food prices. Enterprises have to pay more wages if prices rise, otherwise workers will not be able to survive.
This is the fundamental purpose of Franz, perhaps short
In the future, this impact is not obvious, but with the passage of time, the import tariffs on agricultural products will increase, and the sequelae will appear.
High labor costs will make labor-intensive enterprises unprofitable. For higher interests, capitalists are bound to invest funds in higher-yielding financial fields.
The first person who couldn't hold on to the original time and space was the French. After the Franco-Prussian War, without the government's suppression of capital, France began to run wildly along the road of no return to the usury empire.
The British also followed closely, and followed suit. Otherwise, during World War II, the Luftwaffe could not plunder the British Isles, let alone block maritime transport by submarines.
Looking at the incomprehensible Agriculture Minister, Franz did not explain. This kind of obscure method can be explained clearly without a few words at all. If it leaks out, it will arouse the vigilance of various countries, but it will not be beautiful.
It doesn't matter if it's exposed after it happens. The government can reduce tariffs, and it depends on whether domestic farmers agree or not.
Even if it is enforced, can it be expected that the capitalists who have tasted the sweetness in the financial field will not turn back?
You don’t need to think about those who haven’t tasted the sweetness. Unlike the real economy, it’s common to lose money when playing with finance.
Earnings are huge profits, and what is lost is real money. Wealth is a number, billionaires today, see you on the rooftop tomorrow. This kind of thing happens every once in a while in the financial centers of London, Paris, and Vienna.
The black hand is the black hand, and the production should be reduced. Opening the window and looking at the sky, Franz added: "It's fine to do this in secret, not to make it public.
The focus of the Ministry of Agriculture's work is to find ways to reduce grain production capacity and promote the cultivation of commercial crops. The government can encourage companies and farmers to sign planting contracts to give them peace of mind.
I see that in some areas, the agricultural cooperatives created by the nobles are also a good idea. When everyone united, the scale of planting increased, and the negotiations with enterprises were more confident.
The government can push for the establishment of similar semi-official institutions, or purely private institutions. It is up to the people to freely decide whether to participate, and the governing bodies let them elect themselves. "
Agricultural cooperatives are not new. In many parts of Europe, there are such mutual assistance and win-win organizations.
It really developed in Austria after the abolition of serfdom and the agrarian revolution. The original purpose was not to help each other, mainly because the nobles wanted to maintain their local influence, so they came forward to establish this kind of organization.
Even now, not everyone can join. Feudal dross can be seen everywhere. Those who joined these organizations were either retainers or former serfs, who refused to accept others.
Especially after the start of the Austrian colonial era, almost all the fief aristocrats realized the role of "agricultural cooperatives" and took action after seeing that some nobles used this model to pull a private army in the shortest time.
Facts have also proved that this kind of private army with deep knowledge is much more reliable than the mercenaries recruited from outside.
The African continent is not a good place, especially after making a fortune, betrayal and betrayal are staged almost every day, and incidents of mercenaries killing employers are also widely circulated among the people.
Maybe it's because of loyalty, maybe it's because the monks can run away, but they can't run away from the temple. Franz hadn't heard of any nobleman who was swept away by the rebellion of his own private army.
Loyalty is not given in vain. To make people sacrifice their lives, there is a price to pay. In ordinary times, it is essential to buy people's hearts.
For example, during the grain purchase season, the nobles who are leaders of agricultural cooperatives will come forward to negotiate with the merchants, or directly organize people to transport the grains for sale, so as to avoid being lowered by the merchants.
Another example is: promoting agricultural cultivation techniques, coordinating civil conflicts, and occasionally lending part-time jobs for emergency relief.
In this regard, the old-fashioned aristocrats have done better. They have long been fed and washed ashore, and they will not easily joke about their reputation.
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Fortunately, this is the European continent, otherwise these guys would have lost their heads long ago.
Franz thought about whether to kick these feudal remnants out. Later, considering that he was also a feudal remnant, he silently chose to be invisible.
Buy people's hearts, buy people's hearts. Anyway, they were only active on their original site, and they didn't stretch their claws, and they didn't want to rebel. Franz didn't bother to care.
With these people watching from the local area, they can also protect the country and the people. At least bandits, bandits, revolutionary parties and the like have all been exchanged for military merit by them.
That's right, capturing the revolutionary party in Austria is also a military merit. Franz spared no effort to fight against these existences who dared to rebel.
Hiding and covering up the revolutionary party, then I'm sorry, no matter who it is, don't think about it, it's just a question of how to die.
The lessons from the past are still there, and the hapless nobles who are exiled in the Arctic Ocean have the most say. Of course, if technology develops hundreds of years later and can save people from frozen state, they may still have a chance to accuse Franz of atrocities.
In addition to being organized, naturally there is no organization. Since these organizations have an active role, Franz naturally doesn't mind promoting them.
To carry out agricultural structural adjustment, it is too difficult to persuade the majority of peasants. enforced by the government. It will only make things worse.
If farmers are not allowed to grow grain, they must be told what to grow, right? Franz couldn't believe the bureaucracy.
The bureaucrats can make a decision with a slap on the buttocks, and then leave with a slap on the buttocks. At that time, no one will know whether the cash crops they grow can be sold.
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The consequences are more serious than the overproduction of grain. Even if the grain cannot be sold, it can still be eaten by itself, at least to ensure that farmers will not go hungry.
If cash crops cannot be sold, they will only be left in rotten fields. One year of failure to harvest can be supported by gritted teeth. If this is the case for several consecutive years, this terrifying consequence, think of Franz, shudder.
Halls does not oppose the establishment of agricultural cooperatives. There have been many successful cases, which are indeed beneficial to the development of agricultural production, as long as the successful experience is replicated.
After a little thought, the Minister of Agriculture, Halls, replied: "Yes, Your Majesty."
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