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Chapter 1500: The Empire's Granary (Third update, please subscribe)
For a mother, what she cares about is her child's life and her child's happiness.

As for the outside world, people are more concerned about their careers. After Jason returned to New York, his investment in Brazil attracted attention from all walks of life. After all, this was an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars.

As far as corporate investments go, there are few of this magnitude.

“This is the largest agricultural business investment ever!”

The Wall Street Journal used these words to describe this investment. Of course, there were also experts in the newspaper who analyzed the rate of return on this investment one by one, and finally came to a conclusion - the rate of return was astonishing.

This also led to an increase in Universal's stock price.

Many times, all the market needs is some good news. In the market's view, this is just a business investment, and only a very small number of people know the key.

In the Soviet Consulate in New York, Chabakovsky put down the newspaper, frowned, and said:
"Look, while we are deliberately trying to confront the United States, the Americans are planning everything!"

Looking at the newspaper the major put down, Yevgeny asked in confusion:
"Major, what do you mean?"

"food!"

Chabakovsky said:

"It is the least noticeable, but it is precisely the most important. As long as you control food, you can control everyone."

As Chabakovsky spoke, he took a cigarette from his pack, nodded, took a puff, and continued:

"Last year, our grain production dropped by one-third, and even though we received 2300 million tons of grain from Ethiopia, it still could not meet domestic demand.

The massive reduction in domestic grain production forced the country to implement a food rationing system again, and even use its gold reserves to import large quantities of grain from abroad.

When talking about the old days, Chabakovsky frowned.

Last year's dramatic drop in grain production caught everyone by surprise. Experts had various analyses, but no matter what they said, it was too late.

What was important was that the Soviet Union had to spend gold to import food.

"At that time, Western grain traders, led by the United States, raised grain prices one after another, and we paid almost 25% more in gold for this!"

After taking a puff of his cigarette, Chabakovsky continued:

"But even so, we have to accept it. If we don't accept it, then what awaits us is another Wu..."

Chabakovsky stopped talking when the words came to his mouth. After all, in the context of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian famine did not exist. As a Ukrainian, he knew that it existed, but he could not tell others that it existed.

Yevgeny seemed not to notice his mistake and said:

“So, we imported food didn’t we?”

Chabakovsky nodded and said:
"But it came at a high price..."

As he spoke, he walked to the map with a cigarette in his mouth, looked at the map and said:

"So, compared to competing with the United States around the world, food...solving the food problem is the most important thing. After all, if we can't even get enough food, how can we prove that we are superior to the United States?"

This is a fact!

Unlike the Steel Age, when Pravda was used to tell the world that the Soviet people were happy, during the Cold War, especially after the Khrushchev era, the Soviet Union had been trying to use happy life to prove its superiority.

In fact, the famous "Kitchen Debate" was also based on people's lives. Compared with the simple propaganda before World War II, during the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union tried to use living standards to prove their superiority.

In fact, this is precisely the most touching aspect of the Cold War.

Because even a country like the United States is trying its best to prove its superiority, not to mention the Soviet Union, which is doing the same.

The kind of competition that involves putting on makeup and maintaining one's image through deliberate propaganda even if one's own people are starving does not exist between the two countries.

To a certain extent, the Cold War... did change human life. Both the Eastern and Western worlds have actively or passively improved people's lives.

It was also in the context of the Cold War that ordinary people acquired basic united front value, rather than becoming mules and horses that created value.

Seeing the major standing in front of the map, Yevgeny followed his gaze and said:
"Major, are you referring to Africa? Our cooperation with Ethiopia has enabled us to obtain a large amount of food."

"But this is not enough, far from enough, we..."

Chabakovsky said:

"We need more food!"

We need more food!

"And Africa is the only region where we can get food..."

The major's judgment made Yevgeny think for a moment and then replied:

"So this is why Khrushchev is visiting Ethiopia? For food?"

Now Khrushchev is not only visiting Ethiopia, but also Syria and Egypt. On the surface, it seems to be a normal visit, but in fact it is... for food!
"food!"

On the plane to Ethiopia, Khrushchev frowned, looked at the land outside the window, and said:
"Last year, we were brought down by a grain of food!"

Last year, more than just a grain of food was moved to the Soviet Union. In 1, the Soviet Union's grain production dropped by nearly one-third. The loss of tens of millions of tons forced the Soviet Union to face a realistic question: should it let the people starve or import food?
In the end, Khrushchev chose the latter. On the one hand, he increased the import of grain from Ethiopia, and on the other hand, he used gold to purchase 400 million tons of wheat and flour from the Western market.

In order to import these grains, they had to spend hundreds of tons of gold!
Even so, the Soviet Union still had to restore the rationing system to ensure that people did not starve, and the rising prices also caused complaints from the people.

Of course, Khrushchev was unaware of the people's complaints, but he was very clear that the practice of spending large amounts of gold to buy food was unsustainable.

“So, we need to expand our granary.”

Mikoyan, who was visiting with Khrushchev, said as he looked at the ground below the wing.

“Ethiopia, at least for now, is our only hope.”

A few years ago, when Khrushchev wanted to open up Africa's granary, many people disagreed, but now even the most stubborn people have to praise Khrushchev's vision.

After several years of development, Ethiopia has become the largest granary of the Soviet Union. Soviet tractors are reclaiming the land here, Soviet bulldozers are building water conservancy facilities here, and agricultural machinery manufactured by Soviet factories is plowing and irrigating the land here.

And Soviet fertilizers increased the land's grain production.

It was also with the help of the Soviet Union that Ethiopia has now become a major agricultural country in Africa, but all this did not come without a price.

All this was done with the assistance and loans from the Soviet Union. And Ethiopia's way of repaying the loan was very simple, that is, repaying it with food.

That is why they were able to obtain more than 2000 million tons of food from this country last year.

“Yes, if it weren’t for the fact that we have a large farm in Ethiopia, then last year,”

Khrushchev frowned and said:

"Last year, even with all our gold, we couldn't buy enough food. In that situation, our people might even starve."

After all, that was a production reduction of more than 1/3. Although the reason for the production reduction has not been found out until now, Khrushchev was really scared because he knew very well what hunger would bring.
Hunger not only kills people, but also brings dissatisfaction.

"That's why I need to be here, to make sure there are no problems with food production here."

"Based on the reports we have received so far, there should be no problem and the grain production here this year should be the same as last year."

Mikoyan's answer made Khrushchev frown slightly, and then he said:
“All our reports last year said the same thing. But what was the result?

Food production has dropped by one-third. The agricultural department did not make any forecasts, which is an unforgivable mistake.”

Even now, when Khrushchev is mentioned about the teachers in the agricultural department, he still looks angry. After all, in his view, food production is predictable.

Sensing Khrushchev's anger, Mikoyan agreed.

"Yes, it is indeed unforgivable."

Then Michael Yang said tentatively.

“Nikita. In this case, should we consider increasing our work in places like Kenya?

After all, there are large tracts of developed farms there, from which foreigners can obtain tens of millions of tons of food every year.

If the people we support can liberate Kenya, then food will no longer be a problem in terms of numbers in the future.”

Looking at the silent Khrushchev, Mikoyan continued.

“And from what I know, the actions of the people we support in Kenya are very effective, and the British suppression has no effect, but has aroused the dissatisfaction of the local people.

If we can provide them with further assistance, I believe they will soon be able to gain full advantage on the battlefield."

After hearing what Mikoyan said, Khrushchev nodded and said:
"That's true, and we have been doing that all along. But Comrade Mikoyan, we must realize that... that guy will never give in easily."

The guy Khrushchev was talking about was none other than Li Yian. Because he knew him very well, he had his own judgment.

"I believe he will never give up easily in Kenya. After all, he is a guy who cares about people's lives very much. He will never give up bread!"

Which leader of any country in this world would give up the bread of his people?

"But so what? The Soviet people need bread, too!"

Yes, the Soviet people also need bread, and as the leader of the Soviet Union, he first needs to consider the interests of the Soviet people.

As they were sighing in their hearts, an Air Force major came over and reminded them that the plane was about to arrive in Addis Ababa.

Ten minutes later, the plane landed in Addis Ababa, and Khrushchev became the first Soviet leader to visit this land.

(End of this chapter)