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 the transaction price, and the grain purchase price has not changed much, and it will take time for the downstream market to affect the upstream market.

Raising the price of grain transactions is essentially to make a fortune. Since last year, the long-term slump in grain prices has seriously affected everyone's interests.

The improvement in grain prices is of no real significance, and the problem of overcapacity in grain has not been fundamentally resolved. It is nothing more than the capitalists who want to take advantage of the opportunity to make up for the losses in the agricultural crisis.

Franz was not optimistic, if the people in charge of the operation were the grain capitalists, then it would be in their best interest to keep the price of grain high and stable for their own benefit.

It is a pity that at present, in the three major grain futures markets in Europe, except for Austria's relatively strong grain capitalists who have a certain right to speak, Britain and France are dominated by financial capital.

Even the Austrian grain capitalists do not have the strength to operate, even with the relevant capital of the agricultural processing industry, they can barely have this strength.

Not to mention Britain and France, unless the entire real economic capital is tied together, otherwise the futures market will always be the territory of financial capital.

Short-term and fast is always the best pursuit of capital, and it is not the purpose of financial capital to do business with a calm heart, which means that the grain market may collapse twice at any time.

Now everyone is still working together to raise the price of food, and when it has almost risen and attracted enough speculators to take over, it will be the end of the world.

……

At the Vienna Palace, Franz summoned the Minister of Agriculture Halls.

"Food prices are recovering, but the problem of overcapacity is still not resolved, and the next step for the Ministry of Agriculture is to reduce production.

There is no need to worry about the lack of food, even if there is an emergency, we have enough strategic reserves for emergencies. ”

The government cannot arbitrarily interfere in the market, and the futures market, an international game of capital gambling, is not something that the Austrian government can intervene in. 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 had unsalable grain, and the government implemented the policy of minimum protective price, and soon purchased a large amount of grain.

The Vienna government, itself a large consumer of food, is not at all worried about too much food storage. Government offices, schools, and the military, together there are millions of people who have to eat.

Under the influence of Franz, the government has long had the habit of storing grain. In addition to satisfying one's own use, it is usually eaten when the price of food is low and thrown out when the price of food is high.

Of course, this was only a normal time, and after the full-scale outbreak of the agricultural crisis, the Vienna government did not dare to open up the purchase. If you continue to play like that, you will really go bankrupt.

Agriculture Secretary Halls: "Your Majesty, we are planning an agricultural summit to bring together the big capitalists and big farmers in Europe who are engaged in agriculture. Unite the efforts of all to work together to stabilize food prices. ”

Franz was stunned for a moment, and reacted casually. As the world's largest exporter of agricultural products, how can it be passively responded to in the face of an agricultural crisis?

Before the outbreak of the agricultural crisis, the pricing power of international agricultural trade was always in the hands of Austria.

The Russians played unruly with the British, bundling loan sales, breaking the Austrian monopoly on pricing power, which led to a sharp drop in grain prices.

After this wave, the capitalists naturally realized the terrible consequences of this unregulated competition, and it was almost inevitable to join together again at this time.

The Ministry of Agriculture is probably inseparable from the influence of capital. Or aristocrats engaged in agricultural production, or capitalists in related fields, may be behind the scenes.

Knowing is knowing, Franz did not mean to get to the bottom of it, this kind of thing is inevitable. There are many ways for capital to influence government decision-making, and many times the parties have not yet reacted, and they are led to rhythm.

"Sounds great, but why? Even if there are many outcomes at the agricultural summit, how much of a difference can it make if it is not enforceable?

If we can't solve this problem, it is better to find a way to push the tariffs on the plateau grain trade and increase the cost of competitors.

I believe that I will have the same interest in getting in touch with the big farmers, and encourage them to mobilize the broad masses of peasants to put pressure on the government. ”

This idea is very bad and very bad for industrially backward countries. Eventually, perhaps, it could evolve into tariffs on all agricultural products.

Franz is not worried, however, that it is none other than the less profitable primary processors that will be affected. In the short term, it will have some impact on Austria, but in the long term, it will help to further promote industrial upgrading.

You can't expect to grind noodles for a lifetime, right? This kind of enterprise, which does not have much technical content, will be squeezed unprofitable sooner or later.

If we do not develop new products with higher added value, this kind of processing enterprises with low technology content and standing in place and unwilling to move forward will not survive long in this cruel world.

These are only on the surface, if there is no other benefit, this is the tactic of killing a thousand enemies and losing eight hundred, how can Franz use it?

The biggest impact of rising food prices is industry, and companies have to pay more wages when prices rise, otherwise workers will not survive.

This is Franz's fundamental purpose, and perhaps in the short term, this effect is not obvious, but as time goes by, the import tariffs on agricultural products will increase more and more, and the sequelae will come out.

High labor costs can make labor-intensive enterprises unprofitable, and capitalists are bound to invest their money in the financial sector with higher returns for the sake of higher profits.

The first people in the original plane to hold on were the French. After the Franco-Prussian War, without the government's suppression of capital, France began to run wild along the road of no return to the usury empire.

The British also followed suit, following in their own abolition. Otherwise, during World War II, the Luftwaffe would not have been able to plunder over the British Isles, let alone rely on submarines to block sea transport.

Looking at the Minister of Agriculture, who did not understand, Franz did not explain. This kind of obscure means cannot be explained clearly in a few words. If it leaks out, it will arouse the vigilance of all countries, but it will not be beautiful.

It doesn't matter if it is exposed after it happens. The government can lower tariffs, depending on whether the farmers in the country agree to it or not.

Even if it is forcibly implemented, can it still be expected that the capitalists who have tasted the sweetness in the financial field will not be able to turn back?

If you don't taste the sweetness, don't even think about it, unlike the real economy, it is commonplace to lose money in finance.

The money earned is huge profits, and the losses are also real money. Wealth is a number, billionaire today, see you on the rooftop tomorrow. This kind of thing happens in the financial centers of London, Paris, and Vienna, every once in a while.

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 enough to do it in secret, don't make it known to everyone."

The focus of the Ministry of Agriculture is to find ways to reduce grain production capacity and promote the cultivation of cash crops. The government can encourage businesses and farmers to sign planting contracts to give them peace of mind.

I think that in some areas, the agricultural cooperatives created by the aristocracy are also a good way. Everyone joined forces to increase the scale of planting, and the negotiation with the company was more confident.

The government could push for the establishment of similar parastatals, or purely private institutions. It is up to the people to decide whether or not to participate, and the governing body allows them to elect themselves. ”

Agricultural cooperatives are not a new affair either, and in many parts of Europe, there are such organizations that help each other and win each other.

It really developed in Austria after the abolition of serfdom and the agrarian revolution. The original purpose was not to help each other, but mainly because the nobles wanted to maintain their local influence, so they stepped forward to establish such organizations.

Even now, not everyone can join. The dregs of feudalism were everywhere, and the members of these organizations were either retainers or former serfs, refusing to accept others to join.

Especially after the beginning of the Austrian colonial era, after seeing that some nobles pulled out a private army in the shortest possible time through this model, almost all the fiefdom nobles realized the role of "agricultural cooperatives" and took action one after another.

Facts have also proved that this kind of private army that knows the roots is much more reliable than the mercenaries recruited from outside.

The African continent is not a good place, especially after making a fortune, betrayals and betrayals 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 you can run away from the monk, but you can't run the temple. Franz had not heard of a single nobleman who had been beaten by the rebellion of his own private army.

Loyalty is not given in vain, and there is a price to be paid if you want to make people die. It is indispensable to buy people's hearts and minds in ordinary times.

For example, during the grain purchase season, the aristocracy, as the leader of the agricultural cooperative, would come forward to negotiate with the merchants, or directly organize people to transport the grain out for sale, so as to avoid being lowered by the merchants.

Another example is the promotion of agricultural cultivation technology, the coordination of civil conflicts, and the occasional part-time loan to help emergencies.

The old nobles have done a better job in this regard, they have long been fed and washed ashore, and they will not easily joke with their reputation.

……

Fortunately, this is the European continent, otherwise these guys would have lost their heads a long time ago.

Franz thought about whether to kick out these feudal remnants, and later considered that he was also a feudal remnant, so he silently chose not to see it.

Buy people's hearts, buy people's hearts. Anyway, they were just operating on their original territory, and they didn't stretch out their claws, let alone want to rebel, and Franz didn't bother to care.

With these people watching from the locality, they can also protect the territory and the people, at least the bandits, bandits, revolutionary parties and the like have all been exchanged for military merits.

That's right, the arrest of the revolutionary party in Austria was also a military achievement, and Franz spared no effort to crack down on these rebellious existences.

Harboring and harboring the revolutionary party, then I'm sorry, no matter who you are, don't think about it, it's just a question of how to die.

The lessons of the past are still there, and the unlucky nobles exiled to the Arctic Ocean have the most right to speak. Of course, if technology develops in a few hundred years and can revive the frozen people, maybe they will still have the opportunity to accuse Franz of atrocities.

Except for organized, naturally there is no organization. Since these organizations have a positive effect, Franz naturally does not mind promoting them.

It is too difficult to convince the broad masses of peasants to carry out agricultural restructuring. Government enforcement. It's only going to make things worse.

If you don't let the farmers grow food, you have to tell what to plant, right? Franz really couldn't believe the bureaucracy in this kind of thing.

Bureaucrats can make a decision with a pat on the head, and then pat their butts and leave, and no one knows whether the cash crops they have grown can be sold.

This consequence is more serious than overproduction, and even if the grain cannot be sold, it can be kept for oneself to eat, at least to ensure that the peasants will not go hungry.

If the cash crops cannot be sold, they will have to rot in the ground. A year-long harvest can be supported by gritting teeth, and if it is like this for several years in a row, this terrible consequence makes Franz shudder when he thinks about it.

Halls is not opposed to the establishment of agricultural cooperatives, and there have been many successful cases, which are indeed conducive to the development of agricultural production, as long as the successful experience is continued and replicated.

After some thought, the Minister of Agriculture, Halls, replied, "Yes, Your Majesty." ”

……