Since receiving the news that the French government intends to launch the "Colagic Farm Program", the Vienna government has become nervous.

To this day, agriculture is still the most important pillar industry in Austria, absorbing the largest number of employed people.

The capacity of the international grain market is limited. If Austria had not held the International Agricultural Summit and led the establishment of an international agricultural product export alliance, major grain producers would jointly control export volume and jointly formulate grain sales prices to avoid vicious competition, and we would not have the best days we have now.

However, all this is based on the premise of a basic balance between food supply and demand. Any country's increase in grain production capacity will cause market turmoil.

Franz: "How many colonies were there suitable for the French to develop agriculture?"

The colonial minister Stephen replied: "Based on the data collected by the Colonial Ministry, French Africa alone has millions of square kilometers of cultivated land that can be developed and utilized, and there are about 500,000 square kilometers of fertile soil suitable for agricultural production.

It is mainly distributed in French Algeria 210,000 square kilometers, French Morocco 120,000 square kilometers, French Tunisia 40,000 square kilometers, French Egypt 60,000 square kilometers..."

The natural environment, territory, and later generations of this era are different, and it is inevitable that there will be differences in the area of ​​arable land.

For example: Tunisia is divided between Britain and France, Morocco is also filled with the forces of Britain, France and the Soviet Union, and French Egypt also includes half of the Sudan.

Hearing this answer, everyone's expression became even more serious.

With so many places, not to mention all of them developed, even if one-third or even one-fifth of them were developed, the French could be self-sufficient.

The desert empire is not all deserts. French Africa alone has so much fertile land. If other French colonies overseas are included, this number will probably double.

In Franz's interests, the Indochina Peninsula is very suitable for the development of agriculture. Although it is a little farther away, the French have related tax barriers.

So much land, any part of it, can cause a devastating blow to the international food market.

The French do not need to go out to seize the international market. Just achieving domestic self-sufficiency is enough to collapse the international food market.

Even if you know, the Vienna government is powerless now. The French have no reason to interfere with the French.

After pondering for a while, Franz said slowly: "It's a matter of time. No major country is willing to be controlled by others in strategic security, and the French are no exception.

Even if you don’t make money by investing in farms in a colony, as long as you can ensure self-sufficiency in food and reduce foreign exchange loss, you will make money back economically.

The only one who can stop the French is the French themselves. Agricultural investment cannot be seen in a short period of time.

Reclaiming wasteland, building water conservancy projects, and roads all require a lot of early investment, and no one can do the loss-making transactions.

Capitalists are definitely not willing to invest, so the French government can only pay for the colonial farm development plan.

Judging from the current situation, the French government is far from that rich and can easily take out the money for agricultural development. In the short term, their investment in agriculture is still limited.

At least within three to five years, we don’t have to worry about the collapse of the international food market. There are already many things we can do in such a long time.”

Reclamation is not just a story. Perhaps it is very simple to open up a farmland. It will burn down trees and weeds with a fire, and then level the land.

Except for a very small number of areas with abundant natural conditions and sufficient water resources, most areas need to build water conservancy.

The grain is not over when it is planted. If it cannot be transported out for sale, even the piles of grain will not have any value.

Based on all factors, it has been very optimistic in three to five years. It is estimated that only coastal areas can produce some results, but inland areas may not be able to develop them in ten or eight years.

The buffering time does not make everyone optimistic. Disasters will still break out, it is just a matter of time.

Foreign Minister Wesenberg suggested: "This is no longer our family's business. Perhaps the effect of exposing the news will be better.

If all members of the Agricultural Export Alliance can be pulled together to put pressure on the French, there may be unexpected gains."

There is no doubt that Russia and Austria are mainly responsible for the pressure, and other alliance members can also shout.

It is certainly everyone is happy to force the French to give in. But the possibility is not high. If we compromise so easily, France will not be able to survive on the European continent.

Prime Minister Carl shook his head: "No need, this kind of thing cannot be kept secret. As soon as the French colonial farm plan is opened, everyone will know.

If international food prices collapse immediately, we are indeed the biggest victims, but isn’t this a few years to buffer?

Although the local grain production capacity is still growing, the increase is only less than one-5%, while the growth rate of grain consumption in the domestic market is as high as four-7%.

If the Near East development plan had not been launched, food production capacity may continue to grow in the future. Perhaps in less than ten years, our food production capacity would only meet local needs.

Currently, most of the raw grains we export are imported from the Russians. If there is an overcapacity of grain again, it will probably reduce the purchase price of raw grains and transfer the losses.

A powerful Russian empire is not in our interest and just uses the French to interrupt the development of the Russians.

If possible, it is better to get the British in it too.

Britain and France simultaneously implemented the food self-sufficiency plan, and the international food import market could shrink directly by half, just so that everyone could feel the power of the agricultural crisis."

The large growth rate of food consumption is caused by many reasons. The most direct reason is population growth, which increases food consumption.

Secondly, people's living standards are increasing, and everyone's consumption level is also improving. The most typical example is the rapid increase in meat consumption.

Affected by this, the grain used as feed is also growing rapidly every year, with an annual growth rate of more than 5%.

Finally, the increase in industrial grain use, including pharmaceutical, chemical, alcohol, starch and other industries, and the demand for grain continues to grow.

The rapid growth of demand does not mean that the production capacity can also grow rapidly. In fact, since the outbreak of the agricultural crisis, the Vienna government has been encouraging the cultivation of cash crops.

It’s not that Franz doesn’t know the importance of food, but Austria really does not lack food. The consequence of continuing to increase production capacity is that the grain is low and the farmers are hurt, and even rotten directly in the ground.

Otherwise, if the agricultural export alliance was established, it would probably be in an agricultural crisis now, so we would pour the milk into the river together.

Of course, it is also one of the reasons to win over the Russians.

More than 90% of the grain exported by the Russian Empire flowed into Austria every year. After nearly half of the grain was processed, it finally flowed back to Russia for sale.

The Russian-Austrian alliance was able to continue, and civil relations have always remained friendly, which is essentially based on interests.

Generally speaking, alliances in interests are often the most stable, but the relationship between Russia and Austria is an exception.

If one day the Russians complete the industrial revolution and the local processing industry develops, the grain interest chain will be broken.

But this is a future thing, so there is no need to worry in a short period of time.

Against the backdrop of imperfect infrastructure, the nobles of the Tsarist government still like to be mine owners who can keep their income from drought and flood, and big landlords, and are not keen on industries with huge risks.

Franz knew that these were just superficial reasons. Ten years later, the Near East development plan was almost completed, and Austria's real trend was already established.

At that time, the process of German unification should also be put on the agenda. The Vienna government will not do anything to break the situation and raise hatred.

Austria does not have the ability to fight the European world alone, and it is very necessary to sow relations between European countries.

The French colonial development plan did harm Austria's interests, but compared with the national strategy, temporary losses are still acceptable.

Taking advantage of the situation, the British and French joined in. It seemed that Britain and France had achieved self-sufficiency in food, and national strategic security was no longer restricted, but in fact they also stood opposite to the Russians.

The Russian cheese was moved, and the interests of tens of millions of people were involved. Even if the Tsarist government wanted to stand with Britain and France, the Russian people would not agree.

The chance of defeating one against three is too high, with one against two, two against two, or simply one on one, the chance of victory will greatly increase.

As a mature monarch, Franz still thinks that it is better not to fight.

"The Prime Minister said it is right. We can't stop the French if they want to develop colonies, and there is no need to stop them.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is doing it so that the outside world knows that we are very dissatisfied, and it is best to make the British feel that the French hit us.

Induce the London government to join in, artificially create the worst agricultural crisis and create opportunities for our next strategy.”

The agricultural crisis is not fun. If it really happens, although the grain exporters have suffered huge losses, both British and French participants will definitely not be relaxed.

The French are fine, but the Paris government will not let domestic food prices collapse in relation to tax barriers.

The British are in trouble. Free trade has always been a double-edged sword. While enjoying the benefits brought by free trade, they must also bear the negative effects it brings.

With the British style, once the agricultural crisis breaks out, all the early investment will be wasted, and the men of Congress will order the government to stop losses.

The key to spending money is political turmoil and can delay the time of decision-making by the British government, which is very beneficial to Austria's next plan.
Chapter completed!